In the midst of war and constant power outages, Ukrainian artist Vlad Melnyk has created a powerful series of abstract paintings that explore the dissonance of life in the digital age. Despite being one of the world’s top countries in terms of digital development, Ukraine is plagued by energy infrastructure disruptions caused by Russian shelling.
A mix of subtle colours and bold shapes, arranged in a dynamic composition suggests the complex and interconnected nature of the digital world. The painting captures the sense of progress and innovation that technology brings, as well as the potential for rapid change and disruption.
As a result, millions of Ukrainians are forced to navigate the dichotomy between the virtual and physical worlds, grappling with the fragility of progress in the face of constant darkness.
Dedicated to the fragility of mental health during wartime, the painting with a range of soft, muted colors suggests the delicacy and vulnerability of the human psyche. The painting captures the sense of tenderness and empathy that can emerge from within, even in the face of external challenges and adversity.
Ukrainians, who are used to having all their documents on their smartphones, looking at the menu through QR codes, and paying with digital cards, from time to time plunge into total darkness. They are surrounded by the hum of generators and unlit streets, yet in the smartphone (when it is charged) they access virtual worlds and artificial intelligence instruments. Millions of Ukrainians live in this dissonance, most of whom work in IT and technology startups.
The painting captures the sense of possibility and exploration that technology brings, as well as the potential for disconnection from the ugliness of the physical world. It is a way of escapism from the reality of war and the climate crisis.
Melnyk’s paintings capture this tension with striking abstract imagery that contrasts light and dark, chaos and order. Through the use of bold colours and dynamic forms, he depicts the beauty and fragility of life in wartime, as well as the resilience and creativity of the human spirit.
He titled the series ‘Luminiferous aether’. Luminiferous, or light-bearing ether, is a physical hypothesis that formed the basis of the first scientific studies on the propagation of light back in the 17th century. Scientists worked on it by flickering candles: just like the Ukrainians who are now working on the creation of a new world. Meaning not only the digital future but the new world order, with no place for authoritarianism and wars of aggression. Ukraine’s victory will bring light in a much broader sense.
‘’This painting is so old school. I feel like the deep red color symbolizes the bourgeois conservative class, and the gold was a must-have for Ukrainian corrupt politicians in the 2000s. The bad taste of the so-called elites at its finest.
The bloody-red-avec-gold combination is a synonym of Web 2.0, an old internet era culminating with Facebook and Instagram. Something that will be left in the past within the closest years and perceived by the next generation as gold decor at the corrupt houses.’’
The painting evokes the sense of living in two worlds simultaneously — the physical world of war and power outages and the virtual world of artificial intelligence and digital communication. The painting suggests that these two worlds are constantly interacting and influencing one another in unexpected ways.
‘’Luminescent chrome, as seen in the painting, reminds me of all things technological—think of silver computers and set-ups of old sci-fi movies. Many decades ago, people imagined we would be living in silver spacecraft in 2023. Instead, we’ve got wars, genocides, and climate crises. The list may go on. That’s where the metaverse comes in action—an escape from ugly reality, the brave new digital world that immerses us in sweet lies.”
Melnik’s works invite viewers to contemplate the contradictions of progress, the dichotomy of virtual and physical worlds, and the power of the imagination in times of crisis. They show the human side of digitalization.
“Every person deserves a peaceful life and security. If it is taken away from her, there will be darkness, not only physical but also internal. Light is one of the generators of relationships, a great catalyst of energy and love. I would like my series to show the world how important it is even in the darkest times to reach for the light and keep it inside.”
This idea can be seen literally in some places – for example, on canvases of light tones, where white symbolizes a ray of light. The superimposed texture on top of the fine lines suggests that it is a parallel reaching out from the darkness towards the light. Grey tones are a reflection of nostalgia for peaceful times, which many Ukrainians associate with childhood: the phones and computers of the 2000s were made in the old-school silver tint. Bright colours cite the set-ups of metauniverses.
The feeling of helplessness and uncertainty begins with the sound of an air-raid alert, which notifies about the possible mass shelling. It lingers over the following dark days, evolving into background anxiety. The painting symbolizes the sense of resilience and determination of the Ukrainian people in the face of wartime challenges, as well as hatred of Iranian drones, which cause the most damage to the energetic infrastructure.
‘Dnipro’ 60 x 80
‘’This painting was created in late January 2023, in time when the russian missile hit an apartment building in my hometown Dnipro, Ukraine. This was the building where I grew up. My grandparents had an apartment there. Luckily or not, they were gone long before the full-scale invasion began. It was painful to find out that something so dear to me was demolished in pieces. It was devastating to see my childhood friends lose their homes and loved ones within seconds. 45 people died there. This painting is dedicated to every innocent soul that was killed by russians that day in Dnipro.’’
Warm, glowing colors and soft, rounded shapes suggest the tenderness and closeness of a romantic encounter. The painting captures the sense of intimacy that can be fostered during times of electricity shortages and technological disruption. The romanticism provided by the soft light of the candle fire promotes human connection and inner warmth.
Vladyslav Melnyk is a Ukrainian abstract artist who lives and works in Kyiv. He is an economist by education. Having no professional artistic education, he doesn’t limit himself to the framework of academic art. Vlad’s paintings were presented at collective exhibitions in London, Kyiv and Stuttgart, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, at a charity auction in Rome and at other art events throughout Europe.
