Prospekt Peremohy (“Victory Avenue”) in Kyiv has eyes now. Two huge eyes look out of the braches of a tree that grows by the road near Zhytomyrska subway station. The first impression is that it may be a lamp or a traffic control device. But the eyes turn out to be an installation with which Kyiv’s Sviatoshynsky district has launched DUCK (Dynamic Urban Culture Kyiv), an urban development project. “This wonder can see everything around. This little joke harbors a serious question: are we ready to assume responsibility for our living space and care about the beauty and comfort of our city?” says Illia Sahaidak, chairman of the Kyiv Sviatoshyn district administration and initiator of the DUCK art project.
Soon after, a gigantic red clothespin loomed on the hill at the intersection of Akademika Palladina and Peremohy avenues. It is also a DUCK initiative. The colorful installation symbolizes the idea and the result of its implementation, for it consists of three joint elements. A few days later, a new surprise from the DUCK team – a five-meter-long slingshot appeared on a glade in the Skarbovy woods. Naturally, it is not a weapon for a bully but an original place of rest. For the installation authors have placed a bench in the slingshot’s part where rowdies put a stone or some other missile.
This kind of art initiatives beautify the life of local residents and attract the attention of artists and investors. Sahaidak told us the DUCK project’s history: “Earlier, I dealt with investments and traveled all over the world. In these travels, I analyzed the culture of public space. When I became a district administration head, I was engaged for some time in crisis management, saving the district from bankruptcy. After the first successes in reforms, I began to map out a wide-scale concept of district development. I saw that we had very few investments. I decided to change this by creating an art space in Sviatoshynsky district. For art will save the district! Naturally, everything should have a strategy. I supported City Art, Geo Leros’ Kyiv urban development project, namely, the creation of two murals by an Australian and an Icelandic artist. This process really carried me away, and the result pleasantly struck me. In my view, public art is not only an interesting solution of gentrification problems, but also the development of people’s creative talents, taste, and imagination.”
The DUCK project is not only of an artistic, but also of a sporting importance. Sviatoshynsky district recently saw the first joint morning exercise – “The City Is Awakening!” Children and adults were running, doing push-ups and pull-ups under the guidance of a professional coach. It is planned to continue holding this kind of trainings.
The DUCK team promises to present new projects every week. Everybody can join this initiative. One can suggest an idea or help on the project’s Facebook page – facebook.com/letDUCKrule. Incidentally, project organizers are now looking for mural masters to paint on building walls. “Our first installations are among the worldwide examples of urbanistic art. In general, we are drawing the attention of Ukrainian and foreign artists whom we will help carry out their own projects,” Sahaidak says. “We have a very active program, but I don’t like spoilers. So, the next initiatives are a secret. We are just working on ten new projects which will fill the city space. A world-level star is coming one of these days to help us create a wonderful mural.”
