Interest in the prize has only grown in recent years, with over 12,000 people applying from 177 countries-up from 5,000 in 2009. There is no pre-selection and all applicants are welcome-with one exception: artists who are citizens of Russia and Belarus, which supported the invasion. "We cannot allow them," said Geldhof. "I think that would be deeply disrespectful for Ukrainian artists, and deeply disrespectful for all Ukrainians."
The PinchukArtCentre was closed for several months after the 24 February 2022 invasion. Bjorn Geldhof, the centre's artistic director, recalls when "Kyiv was threatened by Russian forces that were at less than 20 km from the city". The centre reopened in June 2022, but not without challenges. "We basically came to a situation where we didn't have any electricity for a very long time," Geldhof told The Art Newspaper ahead of the exhibition's opening.
While the war has disrupted the prize's rhythm-it should have been tied to this year's Venice Biennale-it has also turned this edition into both a 15th anniversary celebration, and a testimony to Ukrainian resilience.
This "also means that the art centre can become a hotspot for people" to serve the community, the artistic director explains.
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