the artist gerald leow in artist residency in muzychi, ukraine

“I truly believe that one person can expand the history of a place – particularly when it comes to small towns or villages. Such places can be particularly famous because some “great” person was born or spent some part of his or her life there. Mostly it is connected to tourism, but still we must agree to the fact that a person does expand the history of a place.


Recently I moved from the capital to a village. The name of the village is Muzychi – which probably stems from the word “music” – that’s all I know. From a distance I haven’t noticed any speed of life here or artistic activity, something that I have been so involved in for all my adult life... So, believing in the idea that “a person expands the history of a place” I have decided to bring people from the art world here to Muzychi through The Muzychi Expanded History project. I will lend them my studio for two months a year so that they can stay and work in Muzychi. During this time I will work from my home, which is next door. The studio has two rooms: one room can be for living and the second for work; there is water, a shower and a toilet, furniture, a small kitchen, Internet and electricity. There is a bike donated to the program by previous resident Stefka Ammon.


I know that residency program policies require that something particular be done within the context of the place where the artist is staying. I do not have such rules and invite artists – including those without any specific project goals and concepts – to Muzychi. I will not require them to give a presentation, do research, or prepare an exhibition. I will invite people just for their presence here – just to be themselves, just to be in Muzychi.


In a few years a book called ‘Expanded History of Muzychi’ will be published. The book will consist of information about the residents in Muzychi – their biographies and descriptions of their art; in a metaphoric way, their presence here expands the history of the place. The book is supposed to be in Ukrainian and presented to a local audience in the village.”



Alevtina Kakhidze, Muzychi host

Photos Gerald Leow