On 29 September, the Victoria Art Gallery in the city of Bath (United Kingdom) unveiled the exhibition Icons on Ammo Boxesby Ukrainian artists Sonia Atlantova, Oleksandr and Herman Klymenko. This was stated on the museum’s website.
According to the description, the project was created by Atlantova and Oleksandr Klymenko in 2014. It is dedicated to artistic meditations on the Russian–Ukrainian war. Atlantova and the Klymenkos paint icons on ammunition crates brought back from the front line of the Russian–Ukrainian war. The central idea is the transformation of death (symbolised by a weapons crate) into life (traditionally embodied in Ukrainian culture by the icon). The combination of the attributes of modern war and an ancient artistic language whose roots reach back to the European Middle Ages is intended to reflect on the Russian–Ukrainian war against the backdrop of Ukrainian and European history over the past millennium. In total, 20 such works are on display at the museum.
They are being offered for sale. The organisers promise to pass the proceeds on to support medical aid on the front line in Ukraine.
The project has previously been presented in more than 20 countries worldwide. One of the icons was presented by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Pope Leo XIV in 2025.
At the Victoria Art Gallery, the exhibition will run until 1 November 2026. At the Victoria Art Gallery, it has been initiated with the support of Guildford Chantries Rotary, Friends of Oleksandriya, Kyiv Capital Rotary and PelicanLive.
About Sonia Atlantova:
- Ukrainian artist and writer;
- works in monumental and easel painting, book illustration and installation art; has taken part in a number of exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad.
- awarded the Order of Merit, Third Class, for her work on the project Icons on Ammo Boxes;
- her book Mice was shortlisted for “BBC Book of the Year 2027” in the “BBC Children’s Book of the Year” category; other books by Atlantova include The Twisted Forest and Tales of the Zagogulsky Family.
About Oleksandr Klymenko:
- Ukrainian artist, art historian and writer (pen name Olaf Klemensen);
- member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine;
- works in easel and monumental painting;
- awarded the Order of Merit, Third Class, for his work on the project Icons on Ammo Boxes;
- author of the book Summer—ATO.
About Herman Klymenko:
- Ukrainian artist and musician;
- works in painting, performance and decorative and applied arts;
- son of Sonia Atlantova and Oleksandr Klymenko.