Viktoriia Tymonova / Вікторія Тимонова was born in 1996 in Dnipropetrovsk in the eastern part of Ukraine (as a result of decommunization and desovietization of Ukraine, the city was renamed Dnipro in 2016). In 2020, she obtained a master’s degree in journalism at Oles Honchar Dnipro National University (Дніпровський національний університет імені Олеся Гончара). In the same year, she relocated to the Czech Republic and fully devoted herself to photography – first at the University of Ostrava where she obtained a bachelor’s degree, and in 2023, she entered UMPRUM in Prague (Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design). She has studied at the Studio of Fine Arts IV headed by Aleksandra Vajd and Martins Kohout; since 2024, she has studied under the new heads, Jiří Thýn and Václav Kopecký. Viktoriia has cooperated with several cultural institutions in the Czech Republic and Ukraine – such as PLATO Gallery, Artsvit (Dnipro) or Fotograf Gallery – both as an artist and as a lecturer of education programs and art courses. She participated in contemporary photography showcases OFF Bratislava or Circulation(s) in France and presented her works in several group exhibitions. In 2024, she had a solo exhibition in NIKA Gallery in Prague with her project Válení vajec (Egg rolling rituals) in which she draws on folk traditions and witchcraft rituals still present in Ukrainian culture as well as on analyses of 1990s TV shows featuring psychics. She also develops her work during artistic residency programs, most recently in MeetFactory in Prague.
Viktoriia Tymonova oscillates between photography, object and installation, with the practices and principles of photography as the starting point. In her artistic research, the author draws on the analysis of Ukrainian culture and mythology, on the phenomenon of “magično” (magicalness), divination and on fascination by conspiracies in contemporary society. She transplants real, often forgotten stories into imagined worlds, offering an alternative history viewed from a feminist and postcolonial perspective. In the long term, she has been developing a project dedicated to Ukrainian witchcraft as part of the local folk culture; and through its manifestations, she explores both her own and collective identity.
VERONIKA SOUKUPOVÁ’S INTERVIEW WITH VIKTORIIA TYMONOVA, CONDUCTED VIA EMAIL, AUGUST 2024
Veronika Soukupová: Where exactly are you from? What is happening in your hometown right now? Is your family with you in Prague? Under what circumstances did you come to Prague and why did you choose UMPRUM?
Viktoriia Tymonova: I come from Dnipro. Before studying at UMPRUM, I completed my bachelor studies at the University of Ostrava. I chose UMPRUM to develop my master’s project primarily because of the people that head my studio, and because of the workshops. I’m delighted with the fact I get to try different media during my studies and choose the most suitable one. At UMPRUM, you can reach out to any head of a workshop, and they always try to help find solutions to ideas and answer all your questions. I am very grateful for this openness and support.
VS: How do you feel about UMPRUM and your studio? Why did you choose this studio in particular?
VT: I chose the studio because I like the work ofAleksandra Vajd and Martins Kohout. I like the moderate freedom in the studio and the deep focus on the current photographic practices and up-to-date photographic language. Alexandra and Martins were very supportive of my witchcraft project. They helped me regain confidence in what I was doing.
VS: Describe what you deal with in your artistic work, what are your thoughts in this context, what kind of approaches you employ in your projects. Feel free to elaborate.
VT: I focus on several issues that occasionally change. Currently it’s magical thinking, conspiracy theories, nostalgia, fiction and memory. I also deal with issues of postcolonialism and feminism in my work. My primary medium is photography. I love photography in all its forms and formats. However, I have recently started working with objects, which I perceive as an interesting opportunity to expand my photography projects. I am inspired by archives, archival photographs, hoaxes and conspiracies, family history, Ukrainian culture and my own memories.
VS: Do you feel you need to become socially and politically engaged in connection with Ukraine? If so, in what form?
VT: I have been dealing with the topic of witchcraft for a long time and I focus particularly on the Ukrainian locality. It is a very important part of Ukrainian culture that allows me to rethink certain moments, seek answers and restore lost memories and history. Everything I do in my art practice always draws on my Ukrainian identity. In addition, I’m still involved in the events in Ukraine and I’m trying to participate in demonstrations and contribute financially and in other possible ways.
