UNITY

STRENGHT IS IN UNITY

UNITY is my first public sculpture. Embodying resilience through connection, prominently situated in Lviv, Ukraine, in front of the Hnat Khotkevych Palace of Culture, the city’s oldest cultural institution.

Positioned in a public space, it invites community engagement and contemplation. Inside the sculpture are items of personal belongings donated by participants from the community – some of them physically broken, some of them representing the diverse forms of damage – and pieces of buildings destroyed by Russian missiles, which I collected from the streets of Lviv. Each piece telling a unique story and contributing to a shared narrative that spans across human experiences.

This work is a testament to our collective strength; just as concrete binds these fragments, so too does human solidarity give us the inner fortitude to endure turbulent times. In UNITY strength is not only a physical quality but an emotional anchor, as enduring as the concrete that holds each piece firmly, almost unbreakably, in place.

These fragments, though disparate, are united into a cohesive geometric form, symbolizing the transformation of chaos into order. Each side of the cube bears a single word from the motto “Strength is in unity” reinforcing the sculpture’s core message of solidarity and shared resilience.

It was an honour to realise this project as a laureate of residency program SoliDare. Special thanks goes to Mariana, Pavlo, Lukas and Kristina.
Made possible thanks to Hnat Khotkevych Palace of Culture and Kino Úsmev.

Supported under IZOLYATSIA, Trans Europe Halles and Malý Berlín.

Co-funded by the European Union.

Dimensions: 75x75x75 cm
Year: 2024
Material: Concrete, fragments of buildings destroyed by Russians, damaged objects donated by participants
Author: Peter Baran