CLOSE THE SKY

The Statue of Engelbrekt is covered with red-and-white barrier tape. The monument, which is a symbol of the Swedish struggle for freedom against foreign powers, is now barricaded off. The artist draws parallels to war-torn Ukraine, where Russia is destroying both human lives and cultural heritage. Waldemart Klyuzko reminds us that artworks and cultural buildings are part of a country’s history, culture and traditions – and thereby fundamental to people’s identities. When the war broke out, Ukrainians tried to protect their cultural environments, but no one can escape bombs from the air. More than two thousand cultural objects have now been destroyed. Museums have been plundered and buildings devastated.

High over the work fly birds as a warning of air strikes – and as witnesses of the freedom that every person deserves.