“Okolotok”– when scary tales turn into reality
Ukraine
2024
“Okolotok” is an old Ukrainian word for a self-sufficient village. This story is about a village full of children. There is a mad king, a jester who dreams of seizing power, and a princess who lives in the dark. These are allegories that come from childhood, the refuge of the imagination, dreams, chimeras, love and friendship; but fairy tales are not always beautiful and are sometimes populated by monsters and demons. The story came full circle when Russian troops entered my real, non-fictional village. On 24 February 2022, I saw a line of Russian tanks marching on Kharkiv. For the first time, the mad king was actually smiling at me. Jesters in military uniform told us: ‘Everything will be alright; you just have to join our side’. Reality turned out to be more terrible than the frightening fairy tales. Okolotok became a reality.” – YL
With the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in France and of the Ukrainian Institute in France
In partnership with WhiteWall
Portfolio
About the artist
Born in Kharkiv in 1992, Yevheniia Laptii graduated at the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts. Since 2016, she has taken part in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Ukraine and abroad. Since 24 February 2022, she has been devoting her work, hitherto dedicated to the physical, to the Russo-Ukrainian war.