IZOLYATSIA

IZOLYATSIA is a non-profit, non-governmental platform for cultural initiatives, founded in 2010 on the site of a former insulation factory based in Donetsk. The foundation takes its name from the original manufacturer.

In June 2014 the territory was seized by armed representatives of the self-proclaimed ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’. The foundation was forced to move to Kyiv. To this day, IZOLYATSIA remains focused on the Donbas.

Mission

IZOLYATSIA aims to effect systemic change in Ukrainian society through the agency of cultural projects. The foundation is developing an institutional environment, which promotes networking between cultural agents and creates the necessary conditions for the emergence of new players. IZOLYATSIA orientates its activity toward the new Ukrainian generation that is involved in the creative and cultural sectors.

IZOLYATSIA is a platform for research, discussion, and the presentation of substantiated socio-political problems at differing scales of the local and global context. Through artistic practice, the foundation aims to change public opinion on politically sensitive themes and marginalised communities. IZOLYATSIA realises projects that lie on the boundary between modern art and civil society, and works in the following areas: research, site-specific projects, exhibitions, and residencies.

Values

• Belief in culture as a catalyst for social change
• Subjectivity and a proactive position
• A partnership is more important than personal interests
• Diversity and inclusivity
• Experimentation and innovation
• Transparency

Objectives

• To be a catalyst of cultural decentralisation, implementing projects in regional Ukraine.
• To produce and spread knowledge about the social and cultural characteristics of East Ukraine
• То promote the professional growth of cultural agents in Ukraine with the goal of developing the cultural sector in the direction of greater stability and diversity
• To encourage a contemporary visual culture for marginalised voices in society, especially their practices and key figures.
• To develop the potential of Ukrainian specialists and activists in art.
• To search for points of contiguity shared by representatives of different social groups as a means of realising interdisciplinary projects
• To increase international collaboration via the residency programme and expand our partnership network
• To create deeper connections between local and global contexts
• To stimulate critical thought, in opposition to apathy towards the development of civil society