Image credit: Studio Lekko.
To the art community,
As an international community engaged in contemporary art – museum professionals, artists, educators, curators, writers – L’Internationale urges everyone to immediately oppose the Russian army's invasion of Ukraine. This act of cruel aggression should be resisted with all the means at our disposal. We strongly believe that the war in Ukraine is a fight for freedom, for the future of democracy, the global legal order, and respect for human rights, including the right to self-determination. We caution everyone against ignoring this threat – for our friends in Ukraine, this war rightfully brings back tragic memories of the Second World War and the Nazi invasion.
The gravity of this situation requires appropriate measures to be taken. Apart from the full package of sanctions that were and will be imposed by the EU, we call for the artistic community to immediately cease any collaborations with institutions and individuals who have direct ties with Putin’s regime and refuse to renounce their affiliation with it. This includes international projects, exhibitions, donations, and art sales. Russian participation in cultural gatherings such as biennales should be suspended and all the events organized by regime-related art foundations, institutions, galleries, and individuals boycotted. At the same time, we call for the international artistic community to support our comrades in both Ukraine and Russia who fight and protest against this act of aggression – by providing funds, resources, safe spaces, and visibility to their struggle.
We ask you to sign the petition to show your agreement with this letter and solidarity with Ukraine’s struggle for freedom. Please let us know in the comments if you or your organizations are willing to support displaced Ukrainian artists or art workers, and in what ways you could do so.
With full conviction, we shout: never again war, never again imperialism!
L’Internationale Confederation
Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
MSN, Warsaw
MACBA, Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona
M HKA, Antwerp
Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid
HDK-Valand Academy of Arts and Design, Gothenburg
National College of Art and Design, Dublin
together with
Institute of Radical Imagination, Naples
tranzit.ro Association, Bucharest
IDEA. Arts + Society magazine, Cluj-Napoca
Research Centre of Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana
How can you help? Support one of the proven aid initiatives:
The views and opinions published here mirror the principles of academic freedom and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the L'Internationale confederation and its members.
Related contributions
Statement on the attack on Kakhovka Water Dam
In solidarity with all the people affected by the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria
Public letter on WHW termination as directors of Kunsthalle Wien
Statement in support of documenta fifteen
Never Again War!
Statement on the dismissal of Alistair Hudson
L’Internationale Public Statement on the recent events at MACBA
L’Internationale statement: Towards a healthy society
Standing up for the rights of all artists to free and independent expression
Tearing Down Bridges – Turkey's Withdrawal from Creative Europe
Of Cats and Canary Birds: Statement in Support of Lunds Konsthall
How Much Austerity Can Europe Endure?
L'Internationale supports Walid Raad, Andrew Ross and Ashok Sukumaran after the recent ban on their entry to the UAE
L'Internationale statement in support of the decision to open "La Bestia y el soberano" (The Beast and the Sovereign)
Artists for Kobanê: An online auction to benefit refugees from Kobanê
L'Internationale statement in support of MNCARS
New online platform for research, resources and discussion
Editorial: Towards Collective Study in Times of Emergency
