Refusing victimhood and commanding attention

Well-intentioned appeals from the collective West to encourage cultural dialogue between victim and aggressor reflect existing power structures. Reconciliation, Kateryna Botanova explains, cannot be imposed from outside.

Ukrainian artists are pressured by their international peers who still entertain the naive idea that the purpose of culture is reconciliation.

They have to push back against these initiatives, but walk a tightrope as they need to nevertheless keep western attention, says Kiyv-born curator and art historian Kateryna Botanova, who is also a recurring Eurozine author.

This episode is an edited version of a longer conversation, which is available in its entirety only to our Patrons. You can get access to the full episode, and more giveaways by becoming a Patron for as little as €5 a month on Patreon.

Read Kateryna Botanova’s articles in Eurozine, including the two she discusses in this episode:

 

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Published 10 March 2023
Original in English
First published by Eurozine

© Eurozine

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