The Zelenyi Val Eco-Space team invites you to the opening of “Shadow Over Water”, a large-scale artistic project by Ukrainian artist Lera Litvinova (Lera Tevfikova) and Scottish composer Michael Begg. The exhibition is dedicated to the fragility of Ukraine’s marine ecosystems and the challenges they face due to climate change, human activity, and the consequences of war.

The opening will take place on June 11, 2026, at 6:00 PM at the Green Val Eco-Space, Greenpeace Ukraine, 40 Verkhniy Val Street, Kyiv (entrance on the right side of the building).

Visitor registration is required: https://forms.gle/nLvEZ4G6D5ChGMmv9

“Shadow Over Water” is an open dialogue between art, science, and ecology. At the heart of the exhibition is “Under the Surface”, a series of ceramic works by Lera Litvinova created during the international EMBracing the Ocean residency, alongside works from the artist’s other creative cycles. The exhibition is accompanied by a musical composition specially created for the project by Michael Begg.

The “Under the Surface” series reflects on the current state of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, whose study is now significantly restricted due to the temporary Russian occupation of parts of the coastline, the mining of marine areas, and ongoing military operations. Created from Ukrainian clay extracted from the quarries of Sloviansk, the works metaphorically recreate the wounded relief of the seabed and the invisible life beneath the water’s surface.

A special place in the exhibition is given to a sound portrait of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov created by Michael Begg using sonification—the transformation of scientific data into music. The composition is based on satellite Earth observation data, water salinity measurements, plankton density information, and data from the grain corridor operating from Odesa. Enhanced with field recordings of marine environments, sonar signals, military equipment and explosions sounds, the composition enables visitors to experience the otherwise invisible impact of war on marine ecosystems.

The exhibition opening will take the form of an open conversation with Lera Litvinova. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the artist, learn more about the project’s concept, and hear about her experience participating in the international residency both as a 2022 participant and as a current expert of the EMBracing the Ocean residency. The program supports interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of art and science and provides grants of up to €10,000 for environmentally oriented initiatives.

We invite everyone who cares about the future of Ukraine’s seas, ecology, and contemporary art to join the exhibition opening and become part of an important conversation about responsibility, memory, and recovery.

Exhibition dates: June 11, 2026 – June 10, 2027

For inquiries:

+380 93 862 80 78 (Anna)

Artist’s social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lera.litvynova/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artplace.litvinovalera/