Ukraine is once again represented at the Burning Man festival of independent art, which started in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA. This year’s sculpture for the event was created by artist Oleksiy Say and Ukrainian Witness founder Vitaliy Deynega – it is a capitalized letter that forms the phrase I’m fine.
The ironic meme “It’s Fine” inspired Oleksiy to create an installation that reflects the duality of Ukrainian life: what has become part of everyday life in the midst of war, and at the same time the determination to maintain strength and dignity. At some point in our lives, we all try to hide our true feelings so as not to burden others or appear stronger than we really are. This meme allows us to laugh at ourselves and the difficult situations we find ourselves in, and move on, to be brave and be heard. Through the installation, Sy tells the story of what “I’m Fine” means for Ukraine today.
The installation is created from real artifacts of war collected in the de-occupied territories: shot street signs, solar panels, satellite dishes, destroyed city signs and smashed fences.
