GraffitiStreet

Art United Us will see 200 walls painted over the next few years, starting in Kiev. Are you based in kiev?

Iryna

I was born in Lviv, a city in west Ukraine, however, I consider Kiev rather as my hometown, because I spent an important part of my conscience adulthood there. I have lived in the USA for four years now and previously I lived in France for two years.

Mata Ruda, Kiev, Ukraine

GraffitiStreet

Please tell us about your background? How did you get into urban art?

Iryna

I have a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Technologies and Bachelor of Science in Business Management. Kind of completely different direction…. My last occupation in Ukraine was Sales/Field Force Manager in a pharmaceutical company, I was in charge of a group of medical representatives. I believe this experience helped me to learn how to be organised, plan my time and work with people. I have always been creative, even in such a serious kind of work. At that time, I liked taking pictures of capsules and pills; and those photographs were exhibited in our office, haha. I always liked to document some urban/brutal things, graffiti obviously was a part of it. While living in France I became deeply interested in this culture.

GraffitiStreet

Before you ignited such a huge project with Art United Us, did you have previous experience curating urban art projects and how did it all start?

Iryna

When I moved to Gainesville (Florida), as I normally do when I travel, I tried to find some murals and was disappointed: there was no urban art scene here. It was weird for me that Gainesville city, with the University of Florida (one of the biggest in the USA) and such a young population (the average age of about 27) that this relevant art form had not been developed. I decided to try to bring something new to this city… I wrote a detailed proposal, with examples of similar events, my own photographs from around the world, approximate budget, and all the benefits… I got permissions for all the walls, found a sponsor and the City of Gainesville helped me to produce the event. That’s how it was started, from Gainesville 352walls.

GraffitiStreet

Which artists did you invite for Gainesville 352walls project? Were they local/International?

Iryna

I wanted to represent different countries and to show a variety of styles and techniques. Eleven murals were done by internationally recognised artists: 2501 (Italy), Axel Void (Spain), Pastel (Argentina), Elian (Argentina), Franco Fasoli JAZ (Argentina), L.E.O. (Miami, FL), Interesni Kazki (Ukraine), 2Alas (Cuba & Puerto Rico), Evoca1 (Dominican Republic), Gaia (Baltimore, MD), Add Fuel (Portugal) plus seven art interventions throughout downtown by Add Fuel. One of the most important goals was to find new talented local artists who could represent Gainesville on the international urban art scene in the future. That’s why we decided to give over ten local artists a chance. The selected group worked with stencils, spray paint, brushes, abstract styles, classical styles and even pieces of cloth when creating their murals.

GraffitiStreet

Had you worked with these artists in the past?

Iryna

I have never known any artists in person at all! Including the Ukrainian duo Interesni Kazki from my hometown that I had been admiring for many years. I’ve never had any reason to write to the artists before… There is a big difference to speak as a curator or just a stranger with nice words, in most cases they would not even reply. But many things had happened during 2016. At the moment, over 200 artists are in my personal database and many contact me themselves for participation and sometimes I not even sure which project they mean!

GraffitiStreet

After 352walls you went on to curate 'Art United Us'. The event has a political message. How did 'Art United Us' begin?

Iryna

We started working on this project with Waone of Interesni Kazki and Geo Leros. Some other known curators were invited at the beginning, but finally it turned out to be just two people: Geo Leros and myself. Kiev is our hometown, my soul still lives there, that’s why it was very important for me to organise a great project there. Due to the current situation in Ukraine, it was obvious that we must dedicate it somehow, bring awareness to the problem of war and violence.

Guido Van Helton, Street Art Project, Art United Us, Avdiyivka, Ukraine. Photo Credit Anton Kuleba

GraffitiStreet

What were your main objectives and motivations to do this project?

Iryna

One of the main goals of the project is to attract the world’s attention to Ukraine. There is still war in the eastern part. People die, but not so many in order to speak about it on TV, many countries start to forget about what is going on… At the same time, we want to show that Ukrainians are still alive, they work hard and create amazing things for cultural and economic development, revitalising Ukraine. We love the idea of uniting two hundred of the best artists in the world under one project. Finally, people in Ukraine started thinking and talking more about art, not only the economic problems.

Guido Van Helton, Street Art Project, Art United Us, Avdiyivka, Ukraine. Photo Credit Amos Chapple/RFE/RL

GraffitiStreet

Do the artists have a creative license to paint what they want, or do you prefer to see designs/sketches first?

Iryna

Artists are free to choose the subject of their murals. We didn’t have any themes for 352walls nor for Art United Us. A really unique experience was with 352walls produced by the City without even asking for sketches! For Art United Us we do revise ideas in case they contain something potentially offensive for Ukrainians, who are really sensitive to many things now. Many artists want to include a hint to what is going on in Ukraine now. For example, “Instability” by Greek artist INO, the 48m-high image shows a ballerina dancing on a bomb. Ricky Lee Gordon changed the direction of the horse from facing North (Russia) to now face away to the South of famous statue of Bohdan Khmelnytsky.  2501 based his record beating mural (the tallest in Europe so far) on the word “ВОЛЯ” (liberty). MTO created a gift, a digital love-cannonball sent from Moscow (Russia) to Kiev (Ukraine) “From Russia with love”. An interpretation of the Love / Hate relationship between Russia and Ukraine.

Ricky Lee Gordon, Kiev , Ukraine

GraffitiStreet

As a curator giving artists their artistic freedom is vital to achieving the best results. Would you elaborate on any projects that have pushed art in this way and what were the challenges you were faced to make them happen?

Iryna

In most cases freedom encourages artists to produce the best things. I had an issue only once with Axel Void, who never told us what the word across his beautiful landscape meant … When we learned it from his blogpost the whole city was offended … We barely saved it, many wanted to paint the “C10H15N/Methamphetamine” over, because it gives the wrong impression of a pretty quiet college town… But some people still do not know what it means and even take pictures in front of it, haha.

Axel Void, Gainesville Street art mural, 2017

GraffitiStreet

How has the urban art changed Kiev as a city?

Iryna

We have done some really important things for the culture. Our first mural took 4th place in the TOP10 the most popular street art pieces in the world according to Street Art News. During the first three months we painted the tallest wall in Europe by 2501, the first “legal whole train” by Kenor, created unique artwork in Chernobyl by Guido van Helten to acknowledge the 30th anniversary of the disaster, and an artwork in ATO zone named one of the most thought provoking murals of 2016 according to GraffitiStreet just to name a few!
It is the first time such a big mural project in Ukraine has made Kiev one of the leading cities in street art . Murals are part of guided tourist tours in Kiev now, along the historical and architectural landmarks. This project attracts many journalists, photographers and street art lovers. Tourism supports local businesses. We support local businesses, creating new market for paint and involving our community. We encourage city and landlords to do reconstructions.  A lot of talks and discussions about integrity of culture in Ukraine were initiated. Plenty of publications about our murals in the most relevant urban art blogs around the world made Ukraine known.

InnerFields, Art United Us, Kiev, Ukraine, 2016 Photo credit @dronarium

GraffitiStreet

Your attentions have gone back to America with your latest project 'Art (Re)public' in Jacksonville. What was your main objectives here?

Iryna

I was invited to be Urban Art Consultant for the project. I was responsible for the line-up which I am really proud of: Reka, Guido van Helten, Borondo, Waone of Interesni Kazki, Phlegm, Kenor, Ino, Case and some other cool guys. I was managing all the communications between artists, suggested walls for each of them among available, possible other buildings, equipment etc. In addition, I have photographed the progress and finished murals that were later sent to and published in many blogs.

GraffitiStreet

How does the urban art scene differ in Kiev compared to Jacksonville?

Iryna

Totally different… Kiev is one of the street art leading cities in Europe while Jacksonville is still very conservative. Also, Art (Re)public curator’s vision differs greatly… They mixed street art with fashion show and elite parties from Tiffany whereas Art United Us is more “underground project”, open to any wild ideas by artists and nothing fancy. Finally, the size of the walls in Kiev is 15-20 stories taller than in the USA!

Ernesto Maranje, Art United Us, Kiev. Photo credit Geo Leros

GraffitiStreet

What have been the challenges or struggles with creating such huge projects?

Iryna

Struggles are always the same, doesn’t matter how big the project is. Sponsors, landlords, strangers. We always have to find a balance between everyone’s needs and save the artistic freedom.

Paola Delfin, Art United Us Street Art Project, Kiev Photo credit @dronarium

GraffitiStreet

Any other projects in the horizon? If so, where?

Iryna

I will still work on ‘Art United Us’ with Geo Leros, we have some really cool ideas for the spring, but I do plan another project, totally different from all the existing, some kind of experiment. I think this world is full of similar street art festivals, we need some fresh ideas. I want to concentrate more on artists, art and people who are able to recognise the value, without imposing it to everyone.
Meanwhile, I’m working on a new community project Grove Street Neighborhood . This is a very unique occasion where ordinary people, the neighbours, got together to revitalise their area, the inner city of Gainesville, FL. Everything was organised for just one month, over ten murals created using only one scissor lift and very small budget! For the grand celebration event we collected many regional artists, musicians, performers, art vendors etc. I will even speak about it in my TED talk in three weeks, April 1st in Gainesville, FL.

Just a few days ago, my big friend Gaia and I collaborated for Changeville Social Change Festival, where he created a mural in Virtual Reality. The 3-day film, music, comedy, and VR festival highlights individuals using these platforms for positive social change, building empathy.

GraffitiStreet

You enjoy Photography...What else do you get up to?

Iryna

I own a community oriented GNVUrbanArt.com website , the first and the only source related to urban art culture in Gainesville, where I currently live. There are only my photographs, so it can be considered as a portfolio. I’m writing about all the projects happening here, including classical graffiti. You can find information about murals location, street art books available for free in Branch Library, interviews with artists, videos and many other things. I have done a few community projects to raise awareness about what street art really is. These are: repurpose project (making a mural using expired donated paint), yarn bombing with a MS affected girl, Graff Art party for kids in the library…

2501, 352 Walls, Gainesville Street art mural, 2017

GraffitiStreet

Over time how many murals do you think you have organised?

Iryna

I have been involved with organising a minimum of eighty murals/public art interventions, the best of them can be seen in the list on my website.

GraffitiStreet

Do you have a special love for a particular wall and why? ...

Iryna

Borondo’s last piece in Jacksonville, Florida. It was created on the background of the Trump election events. I admired the whole creative process from looking for a subject, idea developing, technical progress and then the final result.

Borondo, Street art mural, Jacksonville, Florida. Photo Credit Iryna Kanishcheva

GraffitiStreet

Is there any particular artist you would like to work with and haven't yet, and why? 

Iryna

I have a big list of artists that I would like to work with, but haven’t had a chance yet, never worked and not going, already worked and would collaborate again and again. What I would really want to do is to include some sculpture artists… In this case, Edoardo Tresoldi would be my first choice

GraffitiStreet

What has been your proudest moment? 

Iryna

The Public Art Award 2015. When I just started developing the 352walls proposal I wasn’t sure if it was possible. I didn’t have any connections, mentors, advisers, my English was horrible and I had to go through hundreds of talks, emails and presentations. This award gifted by The City of Gainesville means a lot for me. Not sure if I will live here forever, but I have left my mark on the streets of the city and also honoured to have a tree with my name on it!

GraffitiStreet

You must of learn't some important lessons over the years! Any words of wisdom to share? 

Iryna

Never have any personal relationships/attitude to artists, it helps to keep your mind clear and percept their skills or manage the project expediently.

Street artist MTO, Art United Us, Kiev, Ukraine Photo credit MTO FB

GraffitiStreet

What is your favorite motivational quote?

Iryna

Everything is possible if you really want it (c)

Pastel Photo © Iryna Kanishcheva

GraffitiStreet

This years IWD theme is 'BE BOLD FOR CHANGE', What does that mean to you?

Iryna

‘BE BOLD FOR CHANGE’  for me means to be ready to completely change in order to achieve better results. I’m pretty much familiar with it changing my field from Pharmaceutical Industry to Art, or moving to another country, learning another language, rules, traditions etc.

“In Ukraine, we have a tradition to gift flowers to all women on March 8th, especially teachers, wives, etc.” Iryna