Open Group - Ukraine and the sounds of war [pl]

# 59 [original] - in conversation with Open Group - a Ukrainian art collective representing Poland at the 60th La Biennale di Venezia.

In this episode, Patrycja sits down with Yuriy Biley and Anton Varga, two members of Open Group, to explore their thought-provoking audiovisual installation, Repeat after Me II.

This powerful work serves as a collective portrait of civilian witnesses to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Featuring two videos created in 2022 and 2024, the installation presents refugee stories through the haunting sounds of weaponry they recall. Using a unique karaoke format, the piece invites viewers to mimic these sounds, teaching them to identify weapons by ear—a skill that could, in a dystopian future, be the key to survival.

References:

Open Group website http://open-group.org.ua/en/about-us

Polish Pavillion in Venice https://labiennale.art.pl/en/

Repeat after Me II publication https://zacheta.art.pl/en/e-sklep/katalog/repeat-after-me-ii

Yuriy Biley https://www.instagram.com/yuriy.biley/

Anton Varga https://www.instagram.com/anton.varga/

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Podcast thumbnail: (from the left) Pavlo Kovach, Yuriy Biley, Anton Varga at the opening of the 60th La Biennale di Venezia.

Recording & editing: Patrycja Rozwora

Mix & master: Jonas Kröper