George Gittoes on location April 2022, Borodyanke, Ukraine. Painting in progress title House Where Children Lived, 2022. Photo: Kate Parunova. Courtesy: the artist and Deakin University Art Gallery, Melbourne.

Originally staged at Hazelhurst Arts Centre, the Deakin University Art Gallery presents celebrated Australian artist George Gittoes’ newest exhibition Ukraine Guernica, including collaborations with Hellen Rose and Ukrainian artist Ave Libertatemaveamor.

Not long after Russian armed forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Gittoes and his partner, musician and performance artist Rose, left Australia for Kyiv. During two separate trips to Ukraine, Gittoes and Rose spent time with residents as the cities were being bombed, uncovering their experiences, and documenting the devasted urban and rural landscapes through film, performance and painting. They developed friendships with artists, poets and other creatives in Kyiv, Irpin and Odessa which lead to the development of collaborative works, including the re-birth of the destroyed House of Art in Irpin and the large KISS OF DEATH mural. The most significant work produced during this time has been their new film, Ukraine Guernica – a powerhouse documentary which follows artists behind the frontline, waging a war on war in the face of the Russian Invasion.

The exhibition Ukraine Guernica will be realised as an immersive and arresting experience for visitors highlighting Gittoes’ unflinching belief in the power of art to counteract war.

Ukraine Guernica cements Gittoes legacy as one of Australia’s most arresting and urgent figures across art and film.

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