This lecture explores how war, despite its destruction and loss, can also serve as a catalyst for unexpected cultural transformations. Based on Olha Volynska’s book Art Against Artillery: Voices of Resilience, the discussion highlights how Ukrainian artists respond to trauma through creativity, turning art into a powerful tool for healing, resistance, and the preservation of collective memory.

By showcasing stories from the frontlines of culture, the lecture reveals how artistic expression not only reflects resilience but also actively shapes it, offering inspiration for societies facing crisis worldwide.

Olha Volynska is a Ukrainian journalist, author of five books, documentary filmmaker, and human rights defender. She has received numerous journalism awards and is the founder of Human Rights Video Production, a platform that produces documentaries to promote human rights and raise awareness of Russia’s war crimes. Her books Wie der Krieg uns verändert (2023) and ART AGAINST ARTILLERY: Ukrainische Künstler im Krieg (2025) were both released by Klingenberg Publishing House in Graz, Austria.