The Kyiv Biennale is an international project that has moved between different locations since the start of the full-scale invasion. The Berlin edition of the Biennale, titled The Bird That Cannot Land, comprises a large-scale exhibition and a programme of live events, including lectures, discussions and other activities. According to the KW Institute for Contemporary Art, the exhibition spans the entire building and explores a range of themes through contemporary art, sound and dialogue.
As noted, the exhibition focuses on the concept of “Middle East–Europe” and examines the history of conflict, colonialism and imperialism across the region. Recurrent conflicts continue to reopen wounds left by earlier confrontations, shaping how people understand shared experiences, language and worldviews.
The Biennale brings together more than 40 artists and participants from different countries and generations. Ukrainian artists featured in the exhibition include Lesya Vasylchenko, Oleksiy Radynskyy, Anna Zvyagintseva and others.
Their works are informed by personal experience and explore themes of separation, migration, memory, emotion and the traces of history that remain both within individuals and in the places they inhabit.
The live programme includes performances, concerts and listening sessions. Sound is used as a medium for exploring political and geographical connections. Together, these diverse voices convey histories, emotions and the capacity to recover from difficult experiences.
The project is curated by Sophie Krog Christensen.