Icons on Ammo Boxes - Exhibition

Icons on Ammo Boxes: Transforming Death into Life - Exhibition
In the South West Transept
Tuesday 20 January - Sunday 1 February

Icons on Ammo Boxes is a project by Kyiv-based artists Sonya Atlantova and Oleksandr Klymenko, which is dedicated to artistic meditations on the topic of the Ukrainian-Russian war.

Since its launch, this extraordinary exhibition has been shown in over 20 countries, as well as being on display in the EU Parliament and at the 2023 NATO Summit. 

The artists paint the icons on the lids, bottoms, and other fragments of wooden boxes that used to store various types of ammunition and weaponry. The boards are brought from the combat zone by PFVMH (Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital) volunteers as well as servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guards of Ukraine.

Sofia Atlantova and Oleksandr Klymenko are graduates of the National Academy of Fine Art and Architecture, and both live and work in Kyiv. Speaking to Reuters, Klymenko said: “It was important for me to show people that the war is real, that this ammunition box is real, and it stored real weapons that killed real people.” He then went on to say: “I don’t want this war to exist. And I don’t want this project to exist either.”

All the paintings in the exhibition are available to buy and have already attracted a lot of interest and have included a purchase by King Charles. All the money raised from the sale of the art goes to providing medical aid to both militants and civilians in the armed conflict areas in Eastern Ukraine.

Icons on Ammo Boxes is free to access and takes place in the South West Transept of the Cathedral.
No tickets are required.
Please check for any changes to opening hours.

For permanent possession of one of the icons, please contact primavera.uanb@gmail.com