What is the Value of Art? The Ukrainian Art Market and the Impact of the Russian Full-Scale Invasion | Kultura 2025
Date and time:
Thursday 13 November, 2025
18:30 - 20:00
Location:
ONLINE
Constance Uzwyshyn (PhD Candidate)
📍 University of Cambridge
PhD Candidate, University of Cambridge
Lecture Title:
What is the Value of Art? An Exploration of the Ukrainian Art Market and the Impact of the Russian Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine
Lecture Synopsis:
The seminar investigates the evolving relationship between art, economics, and conflict in Ukraine, tracing the trajectory of the Ukrainian art market from independence in 1991 to the present day. Set against the backdrop of revolutions and Russian aggression, it highlights the resilience and ingenuity of Ukrainian artists, institutions, and cultural actors as they navigate systemic upheaval and existential threat.
The lecture addresses how perceptions of art’s value shift in times of crisis, both in terms of market dynamics and symbolic significance. It examines the dual role of art as a commodity and a vehicle for resistance, testimony, and national identity.
Special attention is given to the impact of the full-scale Russian invasion, with a focus on how war has reshaped the creation, circulation, and commodification of Ukrainian art. Through this lens, the seminar aims to understand the broader implications of armed conflict on cultural heritage, the ethics of preservation, and the enduring power of artistic expression in confronting violence and asserting sovereignty.
To conclude Kultura, guest lecturers and a select group of Ukrainian artists will join for a final Q&A session. Together, we will reflect on the central question: How do you value art in times of crisis?
Lecturer
Constance Uzwyshyn
Constance Uzwyshyn is a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge, specialising in post-independence Ukrainian contemporary and war art. Her research engages visual culture, trauma theory, and postcolonial critique to examine the epistemological and political dimensions of Ukrainian art in the context of Russian aggression. She founded Kyiv’s first private gallery, ARTEast (1997–2004), curated landmark exhibitions including The Great Ukrainian Women’s Art Exhibitions (1995–1998), and established Ukraine’s first art auction (1993).
She holds an MA in Art Market and Appraisal (now Art Business) from Kingston University London, where her dissertation, The Emergence of the Ukrainian Art Market (2021), informs her current lectures on value, commodification, art law, and market structures in post-Soviet Ukrainian art economies. She currently serves as Creative Industries Advisor at the Ukrainian Institute London, where she manages and co-curates Kultura. Uzwyshyn is also Art Advisor to the Cambridge Journal of Law, Politics and Art. Her projects have been featured internationally, including Windows, Signs of Peace (SCHUNCK, 2024). She is Director of Art Arsenal World, a charity supporting acquisitions for Mystetskyi Arsenal, Ukraine’s largest state museum, and developing strategic initiatives to promote Ukrainian art education and cultural resilience.
