At the National Museum “Kyiv Art Gallery” an exhibition of works by artist Михайла Андрієнка-Нечитайла “Kherson – Paris” was presented. The exhibition was dedicated to the third anniversary of the liberation of Kherson. The artist was born in this city, and in France — worked and spent most of his life, writes Suspilne.
The project “Михайло Андрієнко-Нечитайло. Kherson – Paris” was created jointly with the National Museum “Kyiv Art Gallery”. This is the first solo exhibition of the artist in Ukraine, said the director of the Kherson Regional Art Museum named after Shovkunenko Alina Dotsenko.
“These works are a little less than 100 years old. So when I received them, they had already been oppressed by time. And when our chief keeper Hanna and I carried the works into this museum, besides the staff the local chief keeper — Ms. Olena — had gathered, wonderful restorers came and immediately, in the first minutes, took everything for restoration. This painting was washed. It was hard to see, but as soon as they made the first stroke, it immediately lit up. Then they worked for another two weeks: cleaned, washed, restored”, — said Dotsenko.
Ten works by Mykhailo Andrienko-Nechytailo were received as a gift by the Kherson Regional Art Museum named after Shovkunenko from art historian Jean-Claude Marcade in January 2022. Five of them are paintings, five are graphics.
“Two months ago we officially, documentarily received this gift from the National Museum and transported it to temporary storage in the “Kyiv Art Gallery”. I asked the main director — Ms. Oksana and the chief keeper of that museum to keep the works with them until the end of the wartime after the exhibition. These donated works, which have already entered the main fund of our museum, became part of the state fund of Ukraine”, — told Alina Dotsenko.
According to the exhibition curator Bohdana Abramenko, Jean-Claude Marcade personally purchased the paintings from Mykhailo Andrienko-Nechytailo during the artist’s lifetime, most of which the artist spent in France. The organizers also involved his works from private collections in the exhibition to give a broader idea of the painting directions that Andrienko-Nechytailo used in his work.
“Namely, we are talking about scenography, the avant-garde and neorealism, which was very widespread in the Parisian art school. These works symbolize the artist’s return to his homeland. And, of course, after the exhibition is over, they will definitely return directly to the artist’s homeland, i.e. to Kherson, and will continue to be kept at the Kherson Regional Museum”, — said art historian Bohdana Abramenko.
“When you come to an exhibition, you should choose a painting that resonates with you. I liked the painting with the roses. It glows, the paints gleam as if it was painted just now”, — says an exhibition visitor Liliya Sandik.
The exhibition was also visited by Kateryna. She says she came here by chance and did not regret it.
“Murashka’s works were at the exhibition. And I personally am very glad that we are uniting like this now, including between cities. I really liked it. The paintings are beautiful, interesting. And most importantly — I heard the story from Kherson here”, — she shared her impressions.
The acting director general of the National Museum “Kyiv Art Gallery” Oksana Pidsukha said that they had already collaborated with the Kherson Shovkunenko Art Museum. The first joint project was “Kherson. Kyiv. Oleksii Shovkunenko”.
“We deliberately emphasize in the title this sacred place for every Ukrainian – Kherson. And this is in fact already a continuation of a certain cycle of projects with a Kherson theme. This project is a gesture of solidarity, respect and a huge love for Kherson, its residents and the Kherson Regional Art Museum — our colleagues. We want again and again to draw attention to the fate of this institution and its collection”, — explained Oksana Pidsukha.
The exhibition will be open to visitors until December 17, 2025, she added.