Oleksiy Koval ⏐ Loore

BIO

Oleksiy Koval studied painting at the National Art School of T.G. Shevchenko and the National Academy of Art and Architecture in Kyiv from 1990. He came to Munich in 1999 and received his diploma from the Academy of Fine Arts Munich in 2005. After rigorous Soviet-style art studies in Ukraine, he encountered the diversity and freedom of art which allowed him to develop his own unique language. In 2010-2012, Koval founded the artist groups RHYTHM SECTION and THE BEAUTIFUL FORMULA COLLECTIVE. Oleksiy Koval is represented in group and solo exhibitions and public collections worldwide, including Amsterdam, Athens, Istanbul, London, Odessa, Berlin, Munich, Barcelona and Wuhan. Since 2012, Koval has held various lectureships at academies in Germany and abroad: he has given lectures and workshops in Singapore, Wuhan, Kyiv, Zurich, Hertfordshire, Tehran and Tbilisi, among other places.

PROJECT

During the Narva Art Residency as a LOORE Artist-in-Residence at NART, Oleksiy Koval created four visual compositions in the series “Muta Poesis.” “Muta poesis, pictura loquens” (Latin for “silent poetry, speaking painting”) is a famous dictum originally attributed to the Greek poet Simonides of Ceos and transmitted by Plutarch. Three of the compositions he was able to realise within the residency time and one will be exhibited later this year. 

The wall painting “Must sinivalgel” inside the Kreenholm Manufaktuur in Narva was the first composition in the series. The movement across the surface of the wall combined a fixed sequence of zones with a spontaneous selection. Rhythmic motifs such as 1,1,1,2,3 / 2,2,3,1 / 1,2,1,3,1,5 or 1,2,3,4,5,6 are extended and partly replaced by spontaneous rhythms. The second composition “Must hallil” was painted also in the Kreenholmi Manufaktuur on the six façade windows on the second floor above the gateway, boarded up with oriented strand board. While the composition “Must sinivalgel” made the invisible interior rhythms of the Kreenholmi Manufaktuur visible, then “Must hallil” made the invisible façade rhythms of the Kreenholmi Manufaktuur visible. 

The composition “Rauasõnad” was the fourth one Oleksiy Koval wrote in Narva and the third one realised in the form of a live painting performance together with Mariliis Haljasorg and Veronika Wenger as The Beautiful Formula Trio in front of an audience at ARS Kunstilinnak Project Space in Tallinn. The score of this composition in the series Muta Poesis was written entirely in The Beautiful Formula Language and followed the movement and rhythm of the legend in six parts: the separation of air and water, the three mothers of iron and their milk, the forge and the fire, the poisoned tempering water, the breaking of the oath, and the closing incantation. “Rauasõnad” made the invisible rhythms of Estonian folklore visible.

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Within the framework of a joint project, 9 residency spaces from LOORE network will host Ukrainian artists. The two-month residencies in diverse creative spaces around Estonia offer Ukrainian artists a nourishing work environment and networking opportunities. The scholarships cover accommodation, transportation and a stipend.  Similar to the previous joint residency offer for Ukrainian artists in 2023–2024, there was even higher competition for the available residency spots this time. The Open Call received over 230 applications for just 9 available spots, highlighting the strong demand and clear need for such opportunities. 

The project is funded by the Nordic Culture Point (1/24 Additional funding for artist residencies to support Ukrainian Artists, project ID34149).
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