On November 18, the Jam Factory Art Center in Lviv will open its doors to the public, marking a significant milestone in Ukraine’s cultural landscape. Housed within a repurposed industrial structure that once served as a distillery and later as a fruit bottling plant, the Jam Factory is set to become a vibrant hub for contemporary art, offering a stage for modern and contemporary art exhibitions, as well as performances in the realms of the performing arts and music.
Situated in the Pidzamche district, north of central Lviv, this architectural gem is a testament to Ukraine’s industrial heritage. The building’s distinctive crenellations and neo-gothic façade, originally commissioned by Jewish entrepreneur Josef Kronik in 1872, once housed a flourishing distillery. Tragically, the Kronik family did not survive the turmoil of the Second World War. In the post-war era, the factory transitioned into the importation of wines from Moldova and other parts of the USSR. However, in 1970, it was reimagined as a plant for bottling fruits and vegetables before eventually ceasing production in the 1990s. In the years that followed, the building served as a versatile venue for a range of cultural initiatives, including the Contemporary Art Week, a theatre festival, and various artistic and community-engaged activities.
The process of refurbishing and reimagining the structure commenced in 2015, following the purchase of the buildings. The Austrian architectural firm Stefan Rindler, in collaboration with the Ukrainian office AVR, was entrusted with the transformation. From the project’s inception, the mission was clear: to create a multidisciplinary art centre that would foster critical cultural dialogue. Such institutions, which also serve as bridges between Ukraine and the global artistic community, remain scarce in the country. The complex’s structural composition, comprising six separate buildings arranged around an open courtyard and an extended alley, has been designed to be flexible, accommodating diverse art forms such as performances, installations, and intellectual discussions. Notably, the complex also acknowledges Ukraine’s turbulent past, with the site of a former synagogue demarcated as a reminder, rather than an erasure.
While originally slated for a 2022 opening, the Jam Factory will now commence its artistic journey in November 2023. The opening exhibition, “OUR YEARS, OUR WORDS, OUR LOSSES, OUR SEARCHES, OUR US,” curated by Kateryna Iakovlenko, Natalia Matsenko, and Borys Filonenko, will set the stage for this cultural endeavour. This exhibition will showcase works by Ukrainian artists from 2022-2023 and span a broader chronological perspective, encompassing art from the 19th century to the present. The exhibition’s narrative is woven together using the concept of novellas, bridging the gap between past and present, as well as personal experiences and the trials of wartime.
The curatorial team’s mission, encapsulated by the statement, “We are building routes and gathering for several months to talk about the personal and the collective, memory and history, hoping that the stories will no longer be interrupted,” promises a profound exploration of identity and the shared human experience. While future exhibitions will welcome international artists, the inaugural showcase is a unique opportunity for Ukrainian artists to present their work to the world during a time of conflict.
As Jam Factory prepares to open its doors, it symbolises hope, resilience, and the enduring power of art to transcend adversity, bridging the past and present to illuminate a brighter future for Ukraine’s cultural heritage.
Follow @jamfactory.artcenter to keep up with the opening of the centre and its exhibitions, or check out their website here.
