Exhibition Opening by the INDEX Resident Alina Sarnatska

On 27 February, an exhibition by Alina Sarnatska, a resident of the INDEX Veteran Programme, opened at the Urban Mobility Centre.

The 'Connected' project explores the social and scientific interdependence of various species and the societies they inhabit. The exhibition’s initiator, Alina Sarnatska—a PhD in Social Work, author, and playwright—seeks to draw a parallel between two seemingly distinct yet comparable groups: humans (specifically homeless women) and sparrows, a species whose survival is directly tied to human activity.

At the heart of the exhibition are photographs of the hands of homeless women, produced with the support of the 'Eney Club' organisation, alongside images of sparrows and scientific data exploring their behaviour and ecological dependencies.

We decided to focus specifically on photographs of these women’s hands because they are a highly vulnerable group whose privacy is often disregarded. Even when receiving aid—whether from organisations or individual benefactors—they are frequently photographed for reports in very exposed states. However, they are people just like anyone else, and they deserve to have their privacy respected.
Alina Sarnatska

During the opening, ornithologist Hanna Kuzio delivered a lecture on sparrow species, their habitats, and the mutual reliance between birds and humans.

It is impossible to claim that one species is more or less 'useful' in nature than another. Every species exists for a reason. There was a precedent in China where sparrows were exterminated because it was calculated how much rice they consumed annually. This led to a national famine because scientists had overlooked the fact that sparrows also eat pests. It is not for us to decide who may exist alongside us or how much we 'need' them.
Hanna Kuzio

The exhibition is open until 27 March at the Urban Mobility Centre, 24 Stepana Bandery St (entrance via Starosolskykh St).

Public Events in March:

• 7 March, 14:00: A public discussion with Marta Chumalo and Yana Dotsenko on the development of feminism in Ukraine: achievements, wartime challenges, and future horizons.
• 10 March, 18:00: A lecture by ornithologist Hanna Kuzio: 'Where are the Sparrows Vanishing To?'
• 12 March, 18:30: A screening of the film Displaced (Vytisneni), followed by a Q&A with directors Maryna Ya and Kostiantyn Maleoniuk.
• 21 March, 08:30: A Bird Watching tour in Ivan Franko Park with binoculars, led by Hanna Kuzio.
• 27 March, 18:00: A curatorial tour of the  'Connected exhibition led by Alina Sarnatska and Halyna Brulova.

The INDEX Veteran Programme is implemented with the support of the Razom Foundation.