Artwork by: Oleg Kira
Glaube: experimental performance
What is your stronghold?
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In the heart of Vienna, within the city’s oldest church of St. Ruprecht, an immersive artistic performance brings together video art, performance, poetry, opera, Ukrainian folk singing, and experimental electronic music.​ GLAUBE becomes a search, an open journey rather than a fixed answer — a dialogue between silence and sound, shadow and light, the sacred and the contemporary.
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Artists: Oleg Kira, Ganna Gnedkova, Vladyslav Panfilenko, Kompaniia​​
Curated by: Yana Gryniv​
Project management: Olena Dvoretska
Event Support: Ruslana Kryshevska
Scenography&Videography: Djuliia Mykhalska
Photography: Philipp Kreidl
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Free entry
During the event a water color painting of the Ruprechtskirche was presented to P. Alois Riedlsperger SJ, Rector of Ruprechtskirche, by Oksana Chobitko, a Ukrainian architect and artist based in Vienna.​​
Opening hours ​​
Thursday 06.11: 19:00-20:30 (AT/UA/EN)​​
Find out more about our event on the Ruprechtskirche website
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Photo Credits:
Georg Löffler
Djuliia Mykhalska
Oleg Kira
Audio-visual artwork, 2025
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Olko Kira is an emerging Ukrainian artist whose practice bridges sculpture and monumental painting. A graduate of the Lviv College of Decorative and Applied Arts named after Ivan Trush, he obtained a master’s degree at the Lviv National Academy of Arts in 2023. His work has been presented in numerous international exhibitions, including Buy Art, Help Ukraine and Sight of U (Vienna, Austria), Exhibition of Young Ukrainian Art (Tokyo, Japan), and Let’s Go (Berlin, Germany), as well as in collaborative projects such as the military art book Reflection of the Rear. Through experimental forms and emotionally charged imagery, Olko explores art’s potential to heal, to awaken empathy, and to preserve the inner strength of the human spirit in times of turmoil.
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About the artwork:
The immersive video performance “Glaube” unfolds the act of transcendental creation of faith — through the prism of internal reflection. It is natural for a person to give birth to faith in what resonates with him the most. But what does it mean to believe in oneself? This question became the key question in the “Glaube” project. I sought to recreate a special state of awakening of faith — the one that has been sleeping in silence for a long time and overshadowing human possibilities. We usually begin to believe in ourselves when we go through difficult stages of life. And it is with faith that overcoming becomes possible. The visual component of the project is video art, which intertwines elements of experimental cinema and psychedelic aesthetics. Stylistically, there is a closeness to the work of Brian Eno — a British musician, composer and media artist, one of the pioneers of ambient music and experimental video art. His approach to sound and image as a living environment that affects the perception of time became an important inspiration for this project. The sound space acts as a spiritual guide. At the beginning, the Christmas song “Stille Nacht” (Silent Night) sounds - as a symbol of primordial silence, a state of peace and expectation of a miracle. The miracle unfolds to the accompaniment of an experimental electronic composition of my authorship, with the same name “GLAUBE” - it embodies the moment of inner awakening, a break with staticity, a search for one’s own strength. At the climax, the authentic Ukrainian song “The Sun is Rising” sounds - as a sign of purification, acceptance and the birth of a new light. This performance-reflection embodies the essence of faith as a complex but deeply human process - acceptance of one’s own strength and possibilities. And only then does our inner existential Sun rise.
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The artwork includes excerpts from the "Surviving the War" (Yana Gryniv, Mariia Yeroshkina, Sofiia Matsevko).
Vladyslav Panfilenko
Opera singing
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Vladyslav Panfilenko is a Ukrainian bass-baritone who has gained international recognition for his powerful voice and emotional playing. He actively participates in charity events, supporting Ukraine during the war. On April 3, 2022, Panfilenko performed at a benefit concert in support of Ukraine at the Institute for Polish Studies in Vienna. The concert, which was broadcast online, brought together musicians from different countries and cultures, and the funds raised were donated to Ukrainian refugees through the organization Caritas Austria. Vladyslav is currently studying at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts. Vladyslav Panfilenko's performances are characterized by their depth of interpretation and technical skill.
Kompaniia
Folk singing
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Kompaniia is a Ukrainian folk ensemble dedicated to the preservation and contemporary presentation of Ukraine’s diverse vocal traditions. The group’s repertoire includes traditional songs from various regions of Ukraine, each distinguished by its own melodic structure, dialect, and performance manner.
Through their practice, Kompaniia seeks to convey the vitality, emotional depth, and spiritual energy embedded in these songs—an enduring legacy passed down from previous generations. Their performances are marked by authenticity and a deep respect for the source material, creating an atmosphere that evokes both intimacy and collective resonance.
The ensemble’s mission is to make the cultural richness and regional diversity of Ukraine visible through folk singing, and to foster appreciation for this art form among international audiences. Based in Vienna, Kompaniia has been performing for over half a year in Austria and abroad, collaborating with cultural institutions and organizations to promote Ukrainian culture with artistic integrity and dedication.
Ganna Gnedkova
Poem, 2025
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Ganna Gnedkova is a cultural mediator and writer, founder of Medienzentrum der Ukrainischen Community, based in Vienna.
