She made most of her contacts with Ukrainian artists and cultural workers in the short period since the beginning of the large-scale war in February 2022. She still remembers the Office-Ukraine event ‘Where to go?’ curated by Iryna Kurhanska in May 2022 at the Künstler:innenhaus Büchsenhausen, which brought her closer to the Ukrainian art scene. “Zoya Laktionova showed her documentary film ‘Territory of Empty Windows’ (2020). It was a strange evening, so shortly after the outbreak of the war, whose actual story began much earlier.”

Since then, the exchange with Ukrainian cultural actors and the confrontation with newly raised questions has become an integral part of her curatorial work. “Basically, I consider the exchange with artists or cultural workers, no matter where they come from and under what circumstances, as an enriching moment. Art has always been seen as a vehicle of time, as a transporter, mediator, observer. Its claim is to make things visible, to open up and to remain open. But it would be wrong to say that all these events at Kunstraum Schwaz with artists from Ukraine that have already taken place, or the exhibition ‘gestures of archiving’, were planned that way from the beginning. The situation of the war has also changed many things in my curatorial practice. The idea of Europe has changed and what this ‘Europe’ actually means within its own borders. Who is seen and who is not? All the people I have met through these changes, all the conversations I have had with them, have positively influenced me. Some encounters have resulted in friendships.”

Nadja Ayoub’s motivations for engagement are diverse and include the global context: “The question ‘Where to go?’ remains. Not only for people from Ukraine but for so many from all over the world who are forced to leave their homes due to war, exploitation, discrimination, climate change, etc. I consider it essential to continue to address these contexts, to stay in exchange, to stay loud and visible. Initiatives like the Office Ukraine are an important point of contact in this regard. They link and network, bring people together and raise awareness. They form an open community and are essential for the first question: Where do we start?”

Nadja Ayoub is confident that many of the newly established relationships between the Austrian and Ukrainian art scenes will last in the long term. “At least for Kunstraum Schwaz, I can say that there will be some more projects in cooperation with Ukrainian artists to follow.”

Iryna Kurhanska in conversation with Alina Panasenko at Kunstraum Schwaz. Photo: Verena Nagl

Through her work, she contributes significantly to ensuring that the war in Ukraine and the voices of Ukrainian cultural actors do not fall into oblivion. The lively interest and feedback from the local public touch and encourage the director of Kunstraum. “The response of visitors in Schwaz has always been positive,” says Nadja Ayoub. “People reacted more emotionally, were more affected, and shared their concerns and fears about the war with us. It is more tangible to sit across from someone who comes from the war zone than to read daily news from the media that leave out so much essential information and often reflect only one-sided reporting. Sitting across from him or her, listening to how they talk about their work means a complete engagement, a ‘now I’m here and can’t look away.’ This was particularly noticeable at the artist talk ‘Myth of the Landscape’ with Alina Panasenko at the end of her stay in Schwaz. Even several days later, people from the area came to see her work and to talk to us about the war. It was a touching moment.”