Let Earth Become the Sky is an anticipation of a landscape that may be recovered from invasive and colonial forces. Yet, how realistic is such a possibility when entire human history has been shaped by survival, and more often by taking than by giving? With an abundance of metaphors drawn from the artist’s hometown, Donetsk, we encounter a warring of duality: invasiveness and fragility, nature and human control, resilience and surrender. These tensions unfold through the strong persistence of the landscape and the generational perseverance of the lives that have long been marked by a tragic and seemingly perpetual fate.
Through the concepts of home and memory, artists invite us to enter the soft fields of childhood nostalgia, hoping that someone might catch us at the edge of the abyss, surrounded by guard reeds. The dialogue between personal and collective reminiscence is embodied in Mykhailovena’s day-to-day photography, full of optical illusion, geometric forms, and the ordinariness of life. This composition enters into an instinctive visual conversation with Taras` piece Body without Organs, cultivating a sharp tension between the past and the future.
Ultimately, the mind emerges as a singular field of infinite creative force. Whether that force is experienced as positive or negative can only be determined by each viewer personally as one moves along this path. Either way, the eternity of the cosmos leaves us with a sense of terrifying hope.
The exhibition also includes an antique piece of Kozma Lajos, whose experiences of exile and shifting identity resonate with broader questions of belonging.
An exhibition by vegyeskereskedés.
Artists: Taras Tolstikov, Mykhailovena
Curator: Sasha Hubarieva
Opening July 2nd, at 19:00, Ráday u. 47
July 2 – 11, 2026.
Event link: https://fb.me/e/ak9CqjK9W
Taras Tolstikov is a multidisciplinary artist working through traditional mediums, installations, and artificial intelligence. After studying architecture at DonDABA (Donetsk) and KNUBA (Kyiv), he moved to Hungary in 2017 to focus on his artistic practice. His work explores themes of freedom, displacement, memory, and the relationship between human systems and natural forces. He has exhibited internationally in cities including Budapest, Berlin, Paris, New York, and Amsterdam, and is a co-founder of an art collective vegyeskereskedés.
MYKHAILOVENA has been taking photos of her daily life, her beloved garden and pets. The passion for photography started when her grandchildren moved away from Donetsk in 2014. Sharing photos is a way for her to reconnect with loved ones. Mykhailovena says her garden is an endless passion and the place where she can delight in reflection. She believes working with soil preserves connection with nature and everything that surrounds it. In 2024 she had her solo exhibition in Paris.
Vegyeskereskedes is an experimental art collective originated in Józsefváros. Through the concept of “universal store”, they explore everyday community life and create an open space for dialogue, addressing social and political issues.
