Constellation of Kryvorivnia

This creative research program for children and teenagers in Kryvorivnia focuses on exploring identity within this Hutsul village through the lens of its distinct hamlets and family histories. Participants investigate domestic archives, collect oral testimonies from older relatives, and learn documentary and artistic photography to capture contemporary everyday life, residents, and mountain landscapes. Inspired by the multidisciplinary legacy of Paraska Plytka-Horytsvit, the youth create collages, drawings, and handmade books that blend text and image. They also analyze the writings of Stanisław Vincenz and the musical research of Hnat Khotkevych, culminating the process with a large public exhibition and community celebration to showcase their artistic findings.

Over the course of several months, we work with children and teenagers from Kryvorivnia, exploring the relationship between place, memory, family history, and creative expression through the legacy of Paraska Plytka-Horytsvit.

The starting point for this work emerged during earlier meetings with local children, when conversations repeatedly returned to the themes of home, family, and the hamlets from which they come. Although Kryvorivnia is often spoken of as a single village, it is experienced by its residents as a constellation of distinct places, each with its own stories, landscapes, and sense of belonging. This observation is central to our approach.

Through a series of regular gatherings, walks, and creative workshops, participants explore the histories of their families, photographs preserved in home archives, memories shared by grandparents, and stories connected to the different hamlets of Kryvorivnia. Particular attention is given to the life and artistic practice of Paraska Plytka-Horytsvit, whose work remains deeply rooted in the local landscape and imagination of the village.

Photography serves as one of the principal methods of inquiry. Participants create photographic portraits of their surroundings, documenting everyday life, family members, landscapes, and places that hold personal significance. Alongside this, they experiment with drawing, collage, handmade books, storytelling, music, and collective artistic practices inspired by Paraska's unique way of combining text, image, memory, and imagination.

The work also engages with wider cultural figures connected to Hutsulshchyna, including the writings of Stanisław Vincenz and the legacy of Hnat Khotkevych, whose fascination with Hutsul musical traditions continues to resonate in the region. These influences provide additional pathways for participants to connect local histories with broader cultural narratives.

Throughout the fellowship, we are interested not only in introducing children to cultural heritage, but in creating conditions for them to become active interpreters of it. By working with their own family histories, landscapes, and experiences, participants develop personal connections to the places they inhabit and contribute their own voices to the ongoing story of Kryvorivnia.

The process culminates in a collective public celebration inspired by the creative spirit of Paraska Plytka-Horytsvit. Bringing together artworks, photographs, handmade books, music, stories, and contributions from local families, this gathering becomes an opportunity to share what is discovered, remembered, and imagined together.

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