Performance in Times of Crisis: A Series Organised by FFA BUT (Sep–Oct 2026)
How can art respond to existential and political crises? Can bodily expression and performative gestures become a means of overcoming difficult situations, restoring human agency, and building deep social solidarity? The Czech-Ukrainian project Performance in Times of Crisis seeks answers to these questions, jointly implemented by the Faculty of Fine Arts at Brno University of Technology (FaVU BUT) and the Lviv-based civic association Virmenska Thirty Five, with the support of the ZMINA: Resilience grant program.Connecting four Czech and four Ukrainian artists, the project builds on the method of artistic workshops as a potential tool for strengthening resilience during contemporary geopolitical crises. While Czech society observes the military conflict in Ukraine with solidarity, but from a stepped distance, Ukrainian creators possess direct experience of Russian aggression. The aim of the project is to create a safe space for sharing these moments, making it possible to transform individual experience into collective creation and pass it further along. The project will attempt to codify "crisis performance" methods for art education and the broader public.
The project does not rely solely on immediate artistic experience; it aims to create a long-term educational resource. Findings gained from joint creation and
experimentation will be processed (inspired by the tradition of instructional scores by Yoko Ono or Marina Abramović) into a printed zine and subsequently converted into a freely available e-publication. The publication will be offered to the public and art schools in Czechia and Ukraine in 2027. "Throughout history, performance has repeatedly proven itself as a medium capable of responding immediately to political and existential threats. Think of the minimalist gestures of Czechoslovak artists under communism, which carried both subversive critique and quiet solidarity. Today, bodywork helps Ukrainian artists step out of a state of paralysis and safely experience emotions caused by the war without re-traumatization. We want to share this experience and transform it into practical methodological tools," state project curators Lenka Klodová (head of the Body Design Studio at FaVU BUT) and Ukrainian interdisciplinary artist Yaryna Shumska regarding the concept.
Participating artists:
Martin Zetová, Sara Wollasch, Kasha Potrohosh representing the Czech side, and Mykhaylo Barabash, Natalia Shevchenko, Maryna Naumchuk, Maryna Gaba, representing the Ukrainian side
The project will take place in three stages:
1. Nová Perla, Kyjov 33, Krásná Lípa
August 28 – September 3, 2026
A residential team gathering in a revitalized post-industrial complex focused on sharing experiences, creating workshop concepts, and evening public events.
2. Kafkárna – Centre for Art and Ecology UMPRUM, Buštěhradská 2, Praha 6
September 5–6, 2026
A two-day public presentation of outputs and original performances in cooperation with the Festival of Naked Forms (FNAF).
3. Lviv Municipal Art Center and Lviv Mobility Center, Stefanyk 11, Lviv
October 13–20, 2026
The Ukrainian phase of the residency focused on further testing workshop proposals, presenting live performances, open workshops, and an exhibition documenting the entire process.
All public events are free to attend. Both outdoor and indoor event spaces are adapted for wheelchair accessibility, and communication will be bilingual (Czech/Ukrainian) with English support.
The project Performance in Times of Crisis is implemented within the framework of ZMINA:Resilience, a cooperation between IZOLYATSIA (UA) and Malý Berlín (SK), with the support of Trans Europe Halles (SE).
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
| Author | Mgr. Tímea Vitázková |
|---|---|
| Published | |
| Short URL | https://www.favu.vut.cz/en//f26745/d357417 |