Rethinking the Goals and Values of Nanoart During the War: an Artists’ Statement

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, we analyze the development conditions of and trends in Ukrainian scientific art during the ongoing war with the Russian Federation. Based on our own experience, we demonstrate how the emphasis, values, and goals of scientific art shift under martial law. We also highlight the challenges and difficulties faced by Ukrainian artists and researchers who found themselves in the occupied territories. Our own experience involves the promotion of the scientific and artistic project “Nanoart. Science is art” and its transformation into a socio-patriotic project “Nanoart. New symbolism of science.” We use this example to show how trends in art, culture, and science change very quickly under critical conditions. Art during the war has military and liberation themes, while artists and scientists during the war are warriors on the cultural and scientific fronts.