Time and again the world is experiencing armed conflicts; they continue to provide a recurring background for numerous decisions, actions and reactions. So different from the notion of ‘culture’, wars and art have co-existed since the dawn of time. Art is a powerful tool for depicting wars, capable of recreating both their grandeur and their devastating consequences depending on the period, the artist’s point of view and the political context.
For this exhibition, the National Gallery has selected works from its collection that reflect the suffering experienced by everyone: by direct participants in those wars, and by their ‘collateral victims’. In this visual narrative, there is no place for scenes of triumph, heroisation or praise of valour. Nor are there the features of a ‘just war’ or a collective will for victory. ‘The Disasters of War’, Francisco Goya’s great and unbiased cycle, produced more than 200 years ago, is the invisible reference point for the selection now on exhibition.
These artworks were created during different periods: they relate to a number of wars, and the experience of their artists was also diverse. Some had themselves participated in acts of warfare, others had witnessed them closely and in real time; for yet others, war changed their lives or took away what was most precious. Through the language of art, the focus is on specific events; the emphasis is on fear and pain, and the depiction not only of destruction, but also of innermost experience, emotional dissonance, psychological trauma. Mythology and history, abstract compositions and symbolic elements express the horror and confusion caused to every person affected by each war.
The works on display were largely created by artists of reputation, but also by those who had rarely taken part even in exhibitions on historical thematics. The images originate from various geographical locations, while the reasons for their creation may remain almost unknown, even forgotten, but indelibly held in the mind. Ultimately, art possesses the power to shape public perceptions of war, foster empathy, and contribute to a dialogue on its causes, consequences, and morality.
Iaroslava Boubnova and Nikolay Ushtavaliiski, exhibition curators.
Media partner: БТА / Bulgarian News Agency
