Future for Ukraine - Illustrators Residency in Prague and Presentation at LUSTR Festival of Illustration and Comics 2024

Vision of the project

This project, in collaboration with Pictoric, aimed to introduce Ukrainian illustrators to the Czech audience while exploring themes of post-war rebuilding. Curated by Anna Sarvira, the project selected five artists, with four participating in a residency in Prague. Under Sarvira’s guidance, they created works on the theme ‘Future’, which were showcased at LUSTR Festival.

The accompanying programme included presentations, artist talks, a masterclass workshop, and discussions on cultural wars and the rebuilding of culture after war. The project culminated in an exhibition featuring the artists' works, alongside presentations and a curator talk on the restoration of Ukrainian cultural identity.

This initiative provided a platform for illustrators to foster creative development, network with international peers, and share perspectives on resilience and cultural restoration. Through their works, the artists contributed to the broader dialogue on renewal, artistic expression, and the role of culture in post-war recovery.

The project’s outcomes included increased visibility for Ukrainian artists, strengthened cross-cultural dialogue, and enrichment of the international illustration community, reinforcing the transformative power of art in rebuilding societies.

Meet the Key Partner

LUSTR is a festival of contemporary original illustration and comics and the largest illustration exhibition in the Czech Republic, held in Prague - serving as a meeting point for professionals as well as amateurs -to inspire each other and collectively showcase their work to over 4000 visiors. The LUSTR festival has been held in the city center at the end of September annually since 2014.

Since 2019, the LUSTR association has been organising residential stays for six selected visual artists for a period of 14 days at the Broumov Monastery, Czech Republic. In 2023, the LUSTR festival organized a 14-day residential stay as part of the international project Remix Comix for five artists from partner countries (Serbia, the Netherlands, Slovenia) in Prague.

Start Date: June 14, 2024
End Date: Dec. 31, 2024