Nikita Kadan

Nikita Kadan interweaves his activist work in Kiev with his artistic practice, creating pieces that co-opt a historical framework to comment on contemporary issues. Featured in the 2015 Venice and Istanbul Biennials, Kadan uses architecture and history to unpack the legacy of the Soviet Union and the impact of recent Ukrainian events, particularly the protests of the Orange Revolution and subsequent fallout. His series “Procedure Room” (2009–10) includes appropriated didactic visuals from the Popular Medical Dictionary—a well-known medical volume from the Soviet period—and features serene instructive drawings of police torture techniques. Printed on ceramic plates and posters, the series employs the conventions of Soviet design to critique contemporary Ukraine. “In this period of Ukrainian life, the position of a citizen, a normal citizen, and the position of an activist have became very close,” Kadan has said. “To be a conscious citizen means to be a social-political activist now.”