The exhibition MEMORY BRIDGES sheds light on the situation of Roma people in Ukraine. Between the remembrance of the Roma Holocaust during World War II and the ongoing war today, the traumas of persecution, exclusion, and destruction intertwine.
The historical memory of the Roma — especially the long-suppressed events of the genocide against them — has shifted from silence to civic engagement. Through an installation, films, and a digital archive, the exhibition illustrates how memory work, oral testimonies, and cultural initiatives have become the foundation for the activism of young Roma today, as well as for archives and transnational projects.
The experiences of young Roma who live “between two wars” — between the historical trauma of the Holocaust and their current displacement caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — form the core of the project. Their voices, testimonies, and artistic works create a new “living memory” that is both deeply personal and collectively significant. This transnational art project reinterprets the history and resilience of the Roma through the voices of young people, creative activism, and digital storytelling.
The forum and the exhibition Memory Bridges demonstrate that memory is not only about the past. It is also a tool for solidarity, empowerment, and social change. By combining oral history, contemporary refugee accounts, youth-created art, and digital storytelling, the project highlights the continuity of Roma struggles across generations — and the power of memory to inspire agency in the present.
Participating artists: Serhii Kamforovych, Solomiia Dziuba, Anna Skoriak, Olena Kukhar
Curated by: Artur Ivanenko and Tetiana Storozhko
Exhibition opening: October 30, 6:00 p.m.
Exhibition dates: October 31 – November 29, 2025
A project by TENET – Center for Social Transformations (Ukraine) in collaboration with Kherson Youth Roma Society – KYRS (Ukraine), Documentation and Cultural Center of German Sinti and Roma (Germany), TernYpe – International Roma Youth Network (Europe), Jaw Dikh Foundation (Poland), GO Ketane (Ukraine), and NGO Terne Bersha (Ukraine)
In cooperation with the Kai Dikhas Foundation and the Educational Forum against Antigypsyism
Funded by House of Europe (funded by the European Union, implemented by the Goethe-Institut Ukraine), EVZ Foundation, and other institutional partners, as well as the Goethe-Institut.
