State of Latitude
Khrystyna Kirik with myk rudik and alen hast from u2203
Developed during ∄’s Echoes of the Earth residency, this four-chapter audiovisual installation traces the fragile beauty and devastation of southern and eastern Ukrainian landscapes — unfolding as a slow drift through sound and image. Sviati Hory (Donetsk region) – chalk fields, pure white; there are fortifications and bunkers overgrown with invasive species. The soil remains, but vegetation dies, the green carpet and turf are destroyed. This creates opportunities for the settlement of alien species – they are more competitive, aggressive, and displace native ones. The uniqueness of nature is lost; everything becomes uniform. Sivash Island (Kherson region) – here, fire is used as one of the management tools to remove the excess biomass that accumulates in grassland ecosystems. Some organisms inevitably perish in the fire, but this is the price for preserving populations of rare species and maintaining the overall “health” of the ecosystem. Ultimately, if the steppe turns into shrub thickets, the animals that once inhabited it will inevitably disappear. Hyacinthus pallasi, Scilla, and Colchicum – all bulbous plants – grow much better after fire because they are delicate and struggle to break through the thick dry felt layer. They barely survive, but when the dry undergrowth burns away, these plants experience a population boom. Currently, examples such as vast tulip fields are located in occupied territories. Velykyi Chapelsky Pod (Kherson region) – another example of a unique area in Ukraine. A biodiversity hotspot shaped like a bowl – several kilometers in diameter with a slight depression, located in the steppe. Pods are a source of endemism; the species found here exist nowhere else. For example: Althenia filiformis, Tulipa scythica, Limonium ukrainica. Drier plants grow along the edges, then meadow species, and below that moisture-loving ones. The pods flood once every 7–10 years. Several conditions are required for this to happen: a frosty, snowless winter causing the ground to freeze deeply, followed by a late winter snowfall and a sudden thaw. As the snow melts, it doesn’t soak in because of the frozen ground, and the pod forms. When flooded, these areas attract many birds. These landscapes are often destroyed by agricultural plowing and road construction. The pod is located within the Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve – currently under occupation. Kamianska Sich (Kherson region) – a petrophytic steppe. The soil is brownish, resembling dry grass; there are craters, limestone, and a yellowish hue. Bedrock lies very close to the surface, made up of small stones, and the grass cover is poorly developed. The craters are deep due to the loose soil. These areas quickly become overgrown with grasses, but due to the rocky surface, only a few plant species can survive. There are many invasive species here, and the area is heavily mined. Skeletons of two snakes killed by shelling were found. The “wounds” of the earth do not heal with feather grass or beautiful flowers – they are overgrown with ragweed and goosefoot. The soil is filled with heavy metals, as the chemicals from shells remain in the earth. Missile strikes have created large craters in the ground, and the drop in the Kakhovka reservoir’s water level has led to the drying of coastal ecosystems. Here, the pale hyacinth is one of the first plants to grow after the burned steppe – delicate pale-blue flowers blooming against a black backdrop.
Yalgun
noorj and sevilâ nariman-qızı
Through a layered descent into aquatic depths, this sonic and visual performance explores the ecocide of the Black Sea, driven by militarization and extractivist colonial logics. It reveals how war and climate collapse distort marine life and fracture the organic order. At its core lies the body of a dolphin expelled by the sea — a witness from below, signaling a reality that grows increasingly alien the deeper we go.
Heavy Waters
undo despot, Zeynep Schilling, u2203, and dance performance from mahym
The piece reflects on how rivers carry both contamination and collective memory. Bombings have embedded heavy metals into the riverbeds, posing silent threats that echo the buried traumas of the past — lingering, unseen, and potentially shaping what’s to come.
The Core
Khrystyna Kirik and Mark Bain
Drawing on seismic data from missile strikes, artists transform deep, low-frequency tremors into sound. Work engages the architecture of a space as a resonant body; transforms voice and data into immersive sonic textures. It invites the audience to listen with their entire body.