In 17 cities, the collective Gareleya Neotodryosh, which translates as "a gallery that cannot be torn down," will present itself. Which accurately describes the beginnings, when initiator Vitaliy Matukhno pasted his art on the concrete walls under a blown-up bridge in 2020 - encouraging others to join in. Together with the Goethe-Institut in Bonn and Ströer, a company known for its projection screens in public spaces, Gareleya Neotodryosh is presenting itself on 720 digital screens at train stops in 17 cities until the end of September. Bonn is participating with the main station and the station in Bad Godesberg.

Founded in 2020, the collective - created as a protest against the lack of public, uncensored exhibition spaces - specifically promotes young artists from the Donbas It currently has 100 members, most of whom are between 18 and 25 years old. "The youngest member is 14," says Raoul Cyril Humpert of the Goethe-Institut Bonn, who developed the exhibition project together with the Goethe-Institut Ukraine. Twenty of the artists are still in the Donbas, working in bunkers and shelters, among other places. 40 have fled to Germany, Poland or Georgia, the rest have taken shelter in western Ukraine.

At the beginning of the considerations to present Gareleya Neotodryosh in Germany, there were still single gallery exhibitions in the Cologne-Bonn area. But the project grew and grew. And when Ströer got involved, it expanded to 720 projections in 17 cities. Twenty-seven artists were selected to be presented along with their works in individual time slots. Five portraits will kick off the program nationwide. The program changes weekly. On display are photographs, paintings, drawings, pictograms and collages. The range of topics is enormous: the bizarre, the fantastic, the documentary, the historical, many observations from everyday life, sometimes excellent portraits, exciting architectural studies and interior views of an exciting subculture.

What is not on display: images from the immediate war scene. It was agreed not to show anything in public that could lead to additional traumatization for refugees, says Humpert. For him, the most important thing is that the young artists from the Donbas get a forum, a platform, become visible, present themselves as part of the European family.

And there's Makhrova's dream: "My dream is that art from the Donbas will no longer be associated with war." (Original text: Thomas Kliemann / Translation: Mareike Graepel)