Three years ago Kyiv's elegant Khanenko Museum , home to the largest collection of global art in Ukraine, suffered extensive damage in the first wave of missile attacks on the city by Russia. The famous glass ceiling collapsed and windows shattered, but luckily the collections, which include Byzantine icons and Islamic artwork, were unharmed, having been safely evacuated to museums across Europe.
In a testament to the spirit and determination of the Ukrainian people, the museum was quick to reopen, becoming a local community hub for residents, artists and families in the aftermath of the attack, even as the city continues to suffer bombardment. Some of the glass fragments from the initial bombing were turned into brooches by a local goldsmith and gifted to local residents.
Now, its rooms are once again filled with colour and life. Africa Direct, a landmark exhibition bringing together 40 works from 18 African countries and spanning two centuries, has opened in the restored museum, in a gesture of artistic solidarity between two regions that both know the price of conflict and the value of resilience. Africa Direct invites visitors to take a deeper look at Africa's growing presence in global culture, and at the unexpected kinship between its post-colonial struggles and Ukraine's fight for sovereignty.
