The exhibition »Do Frogs Sing in the Walls?« brings together military and civilian artists in a shared artistic correspondence—an attempt to bridge experiences shaped by the war in Ukraine and relative safety. It is a dialogue between those on the front lines and those in the rear, between direct exposure and mediated perception.

The exhibition takes its name from the song Evening of Toads, shared by artist and military officer Stanislav Krul. In it, he describes how toads have taken shelter in mouse holes in the walls of buildings now occupied by his unit. Once abandoned by residents—and even by mice—these spaces are now inhabited by new life, alongside the military.

Time cannot be accumulated. It simply exists. It slips away, burns, disappears into black holes—between shelling and brief exchanges in messaging apps. It cannot be postponed or frozen. No matter what we do, no matter how much effort we make, we are irrevocably moving forward—towards death.

War intensifies this feeling. »How are you? Normal. And you?« now carries more than those words were ever meant to hold. At first, it seemed that the rhythm of war left no space for conversation—only for action. But this war has lasted long enough to make one thing clear: it will not be quick, and it will not be easy. Avoiding conversation is no longer possible—and perhaps, it never was.

The exhibition will take place at Asortymnentna kimnata in Ivano-Frankivsk.

Header image: Taras Telischak / Asortymentna kimnata