"The Fifth Spring" by Serhii Zapadnia

Serhii Zapadnia’s exhibition "The Fifth Spring" opens on May 15 at 6:00 PM at the Kyiv City Art Gallery "Lavra." The exhibition is held as part of the youth program of the "Museum of Modern Art" project.

This series was born from a desire to capture the state of these spring days, conveying a sense of a spring that is beautiful and warm, yet at the same time harsh, anxious, and dangerous.

The narrative is formed by Ukrainian flowers, where the petals are made of various caliber shell casings printed using the relief printing method (letterpress), completing the image and creating an antagonistic effect.

In fine arts, flowers hold not only decorative but also deep philosophical meaning. Artists have used flowers as a unique language of symbols to convey their worldview. In Baroque still lifes, wilted petals or fallen leaves recalled the philosophical idea of "memento mori" — "remember that you must die." In Buddhist tradition, the lotus symbolizes spiritual purification and enlightenment. In Japanese culture, the sakura represents the beauty of the moment and the acceptance of life’s fleeting nature. During the Renaissance, flowers embodied divine perfection and the harmony of the world, emphasizing the connection between nature and the idea of beauty as a supreme value. In contemporary art, flowers often become a symbol of ecological awareness and the fragility of civilization.

The "The Fifth Spring" series is a visual image of our transformation, hope, thirst for life, and memory.