Ihor Okuniev
Tune
26 Aug 2022 - 30 Apr 2023
Land is a new sound work by Ukrainian multimedia artist Ihor Okuniev, commissioned by Haus der Kunst for the Terrace Hall.
Working with photography, video and audio, Okuniev’s practise is inspired by a fascination with his motherland’s nature, customs and traditions. In Ukrainian culture, the land occupies an important place and is one of its main symbols.
Land is a deeply haunting and atmospheric portrayal of the destruction inflicted upon Ukraine since Russia’s invasion. Burned forests, ruins of houses, and destroyed armored vehicles dissolve into the environment, as the land absorbs the traces of war.
Since 1 March 2022, Okuniev has dedicated himself to a volunteer organisation, who travel to different regions of Ukraine to deliver essential items and to help people rebuild their houses, witnessing the shattering devastation firsthand.
The composition consists of five tracks, that are each different in sound and character, but together form one story. Long drones create a harrowing emptiness, as instruments float in and around the composition, unconfined and lost. The final part is symbolically associated with the sun, the beginning of something new. He recalls how the sun would rise over a large destroyed high-rise building, or a decimated house in a village, illuminating the ruins.
Okuniev’s sound work is installed in the Terrace Hall and he has created additional pieces for Haus der Kunst digital content and website.
The commission is part of “Tune”, a series of short residencies for artists working with sound, presented monthly at Haus der Kunst and curated by Sarah Miles. The programme unfolds throughout the year, in dialogue with the exhibitions in the museum, and Okuniev’s work follows Lamin Fofana’s intervention installed between 2021 and 2022.
Working with photography, video and audio, Okuniev’s practise is inspired by a fascination with his motherland’s nature, customs and traditions. In Ukrainian culture, the land occupies an important place and is one of its main symbols.
Land is a deeply haunting and atmospheric portrayal of the destruction inflicted upon Ukraine since Russia’s invasion. Burned forests, ruins of houses, and destroyed armored vehicles dissolve into the environment, as the land absorbs the traces of war.
Since 1 March 2022, Okuniev has dedicated himself to a volunteer organisation, who travel to different regions of Ukraine to deliver essential items and to help people rebuild their houses, witnessing the shattering devastation firsthand.
The composition consists of five tracks, that are each different in sound and character, but together form one story. Long drones create a harrowing emptiness, as instruments float in and around the composition, unconfined and lost. The final part is symbolically associated with the sun, the beginning of something new. He recalls how the sun would rise over a large destroyed high-rise building, or a decimated house in a village, illuminating the ruins.
Okuniev’s sound work is installed in the Terrace Hall and he has created additional pieces for Haus der Kunst digital content and website.
The commission is part of “Tune”, a series of short residencies for artists working with sound, presented monthly at Haus der Kunst and curated by Sarah Miles. The programme unfolds throughout the year, in dialogue with the exhibitions in the museum, and Okuniev’s work follows Lamin Fofana’s intervention installed between 2021 and 2022.