Activists aim to counteract the exclusion of Ukrainian artists in museum displays
In the wake of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a group of activists have launched a bold campaign to correct the misattribution of Ukrainian artists in Western museums. The Shadows Project, co-founded by Agatha Gorski, is a multifaceted initiative that includes outreach to museums, a public database for collecting data on mislabeled Ukrainian artists, and an in-progress research report on Russia's disinformation tactics in the cultural sphere.
The campaign, known as the Stolen Art Campaign, is a response to the erasure of Ukrainian culture by Russia. Shadows Project argues that Western museums are complicit in this erasure, as many still list Ukrainian artists as "Russian". Notable artists like Kazymyr Malevych, Aleksandra Ekster, and Vladimir Tatlin have been among those mislabeled.
The Shadows Project has already made significant strides in correcting these misattributions. Several western museums, including the Cleveland Museum and the Brooklyn Museum, have removed labels stating that certain works are by "Russian" artists and added context on their Ukrainian heritage. The Cleveland Museum, for example, has removed the label "Russian" from one of Aleksandra Ekster's works. The Brooklyn Museum has changed painter Ilya Repin's description from "Russian" to "Ukrainian".
The campaign has reached over 500,000 people and several museums, including the Louvre, Tate, and MoMA, have committed to reviewing their own attributions following outreach from the Shadows Project. Over 500,000 people and museums like the Louvre, Tate, and MoMA support this initiative.
In addition to correcting misattributions in museums, the Shadows Project also includes a digital campaign, including an Instagram filter, to spread awareness and call out mislabeled attributions for artworks worldwide. Part of the proceeds from the RDNY collection, designed around the mislabeled artists, will go to save museums in Sumy from Russian attacks.
Defending Ukrainian culture is essential to defending Ukraine's identity and state, according to Agatha Gorski. She believes that the erasure of Ukrainian culture by Russia makes the campaign especially valuable in the current context. Gorski also argues that museum plaques are a stage for the fight for self-determination, as Russia attempts to erase Ukrainian culture and misattribute its works.
The Shadows Project campaign includes a focus on outreach to museums, a public database for collecting data on mislabeled Ukrainian artists, an in-progress research report on Russia's disinformation tactics in the cultural sphere, and a collaboration with Ukrainian streetwear brand RDNY. More information about the project can be found on Shadows's website and on Instagram, and the collaboration with RDNY can be found here.
As the world watches the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Shadows Project offers a powerful reminder of the importance of preserving and promoting Ukrainian culture. By correcting misattributions in museums and raising awareness about the erasure of Ukrainian culture, the Shadows Project is working to ensure that Ukraine's rich cultural heritage is not lost to history.
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