Choni Polina

Memory Wall is a woven tapestry created on an old Ukrainian loom housed at the Mykhailo Boychuk Kyiv State Academy of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design. The loom survived the destruction of the academy’s building during a Russian shelling in March 2024. This tapestry stands as a poignant reflection on memory, history, and the passage of time. 

The artwork depicts a topography of layers, each representative of a different moment in time, now faded and fragmented like a wall with many layers of peeling wallpaper, each with their own story and lifetime. These layers metaphorically illustrate the complex nature of memory – our internal strata – how experiences accumulate, overlap, and erode, leaving behind only traces of what once was.

The thread, hand-dyed with natural pigments, anchors the piece in the organic world. As these colours fade over time, echoing the natural processes of ageing and decay, the tapestry itself will evolve.

Memory Wall not only invites viewers to reflect on personal and collective memory but also serves as a testament to resilience in the face of destruction. It underscores the fragile yet enduring nature of cultural heritage, encapsulating both the losses and the remnants that shape our understanding of the past.

Colour Guide:

Yellow from Dyer’s broom 

Shades of red from Madder root 

From purple-pink to cool green and blue from Hibiscus 

Grey-blue from soaked Black beans

Light Green from Indigofera

Blue, Purple and Grey from Mulberry

Navy Blue from Aronia berries