Presented by Voloshyn Gallery, Nikita Kadan’s sound installation ‘Tryvoha (The Sirens and the Mast)’ explores the intersections of history, memory, and the contemporary Ukrainian moral landscape. At the annual Art Basel fair in Switzerland, it was exhibited as part of the Unlimited sector, dedicated to large-scale artistic projects
‘Tryvoha’ consists of a circular, translucent white curtain and a metal rod, accompanied by the sound of an air-raid siren recreated through singing.
The installation’s sound component was created by composers Roman Hryhoriv and Illia Razumeiko and performed by Ukrainian mezzo-soprano Olena Bielkina. Reimagining the sound of danger, her voice evokes the Sirens of ancient Greek mythology, traditionally perceived as harbingers of death.
‘The sound unfolds in waves, alternating with brief pauses, instantly instilling a feeling of anxiety in the viewers. The circular translucent white curtain simultaneously resembles a stage and a medical screen, separating the living from the dead, and Ukrainians from the rest of the world’, the description reads.
At the same time, the metal rod symbolizes a metaphorical anchor and a ‘place of certainty’ amid the sound of the air-raid siren. It also serves as a symbol of death, which the air raid alert brings to some.
The title of the work refers to the Ukrainian word ‘tryvoha’, which means both an air-raid alert and a state of anxiety.
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In 2023, Kadan’s ‘Tryvoha (The Sirens and the Mast)’ was exhibited at St. Peter’s Church in Ypres, Belgium. In 2025, it was presented in Kyiv as part of Nikita Kadan’s solo exhibition ‘Siren Sickle Satellite’ at the National Art Museum of Ukraine.
It will be on view at Art Basel Unlimited until June 21.
