March On. Statement of the collective

"The future exists as long as the march continues" — this key thesis unites our temporary collective. As participants of the March on exhibition, we are rethinking modern forms of the collective. It is not so much architecture that is central for us, but rather joint action that directly affects architecture. And not architecture in the conventional sense, as an object, but architecture as a live process of co-creation that is actively developing.

Collective actions enable multivoiced statements about the commons. In Ukraine, which regained its independence in 1991, collective actions have taken different forms: viche (Eng. public assembly), joint march, large-scale human chains stretching across the territory of one of the largest countries in Europe, miners' marches in the 1990s, the Orange Revolution of 2004, the Revolution of Dignity of 2013–2014, the united procession of the city initiatives March for Kyiv 2021, as well as many other forms of self-organization on various scales — all of them contributed to the formation of modern civil society and provided outlines for a future that can be shared together.

Joint practices in Ukraine are a powerful example of our collective responsibility for the future. Modern history shows us that Ukrainian women and men are capable of consolidating in crisis situations — in the struggle for their independence, in defense of their rights and freedoms, for their Constitution, and today, in the tenth year of the Russian-Ukrainian war, for the lives of their citizens, territorial integrity and solidarity with the entire civilized world. During martial law, the peaceful protest practices of past years grew into numerous self-organized initiatives, and activists continued their social activities, particularly in new roles — military personnel, volunteers, politicians, visionaries and practitioners of the future.

The "March On" exhibition is a polyphonic structure that works in a three-part unison: "March On", a mock-up of the democratic march in the Giardini (Alex Bykov, Bogdana Kosmina, Ivan Protasov, Uliana Dzhurliak); "March Off", a mock-up of the destruction / rebuilding in the Arsenal (Svitlanka Konoplyova, Borys Medvedik); and the "Human Chain" video installation (Nataliia Mysak).

Historically people have sought to establish the rights of free speech and free protest in the process of creating states and building democratic societies. We see many such examples in world history, and Ukraine is no exception.

Ukrainians are able to consolidate and act together in crisis situations: in the struggle for their independence, in defense of their rights and freedoms, for their Constitution, and today, in the tenth year of the Russian-Ukrainian war, for the lives of their citizens, territorial integrity and solidarity with the entire civilized world.

The joint actions of Ukrainians have taken various forms — a joint march, joint dialogues that shape the vision of our future, uniting in physical and intellectual work to protect and care for each other, and uniting for the common good.

Ukraine is a powerful example of a society accepting collective responsibility for its future. It is this responsibility that is the key to building trust in the country in general, and the government in particular. Only together with a strong and steady civil society, is the government able to defend and build a stable, reliable state that can be open to dialogue and developing the common good for its citizens, and is a trusted partner for other countries.

The Human Chain video installation by Nataliia Mysak outlines a new turn in the production of architecture. The concept of the commons becomes a tool for rethinking agencies and interactions between the state, the market economy, and civil society. The work illustrates individual manifestations and trends of alternative forms of architectural production, the participants of which are mainly representatives of the third sector. In an attempt to imagine a new global commons, the video contains reflections on the role of the international community, which is directly involved in the processes of architectural production in Ukraine, and also offers conceptual connections between other contexts characterized by similar challenges. In a broad context, the trajectories of the development of architecture are already being shaped by these agents today and provide an opportunity to picture images of the march of the future.

Historically people have sought to establish the rights of free speech and free protest in the process of creating states and building democratic societies. We see many such examples in world history, and Ukraine is no exception.

Ukrainians are able to consolidate and act together in crisis situations: in the struggle for their independence, in defense of their rights and freedoms, for their Constitution, and today, in the tenth year of the Russian-Ukrainian war, for the lives of their citizens, territorial integrity and solidarity with the entire civilized world.

The joint actions of Ukrainians have taken various forms — a joint march, joint dialogues that shape the vision of our future, uniting in physical and intellectual work to protect and care for each other, and uniting for the common good.

Ukraine is a powerful example of a society accepting collective responsibility for its future. It is this responsibility that is the key to building trust in the country in general, and the government in particular. Only together with a strong and steady civil society, is the government able to defend and build a stable, reliable state that can be open to dialogue and developing the common good for its citizens, and is a trusted partner for other countries.