Zhanna Kadyrova's »The Forest« is a multi-layered artistic work that combines installation, video, photography, and an exhibition project. The work explores the ecological disaster that unfolded in the former Kakhovka Reservoir in southern Ukraine after Russian troops blew up the dam in 2023.
At the centre of the project is an installation of a boat located at the former water level of the now-vanished reservoir. Installed on-site in 2024, the boat now seems to be sinking into the dense undergrowth of a new forest that has grown rapidly on the dry bottom of the reservoir in just one year — an unexpected and almost miraculous phenomenon. However, this area remains mined and is increasingly near the front line, posing serious and unpredictable risks to the future of the ecosystem.
Over the course of a year, Kadyrova observed the reservoir’s transformation, recording the movement of trees, changes in light, weather conditions, and seasons. The video captures the rhythm of natural change, while the photographs, taken with a camera obscura, convey the passage of time and the formation of a new landscape.
As part of the installation, Kadyrova's works are combined with archival materials and documents from the Dovzhenko Centre, as well as works by other artists. This approach allows for a more comprehensive view of the history of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, the scale of flooding and loss of cultural heritage both during the dam’s construction during the Soviet Union in the 1950s and its destruction by the Russian army in 2023, and the potentials of nature's recovery.
The exhibition project was created as part of IHME Helsinki Commission 2025 with the support of curator Paula Topilo, the Dovzhenko Centre and the IHME team. It was first presented at the Vanhakaupunki Power Station Museum in Helsinki. At CTM 2026 it is shown with the kind support of Goethe-Institut Ukraine.
CTM 2026 Exhibition
24.1. – 22.3.2026 | Free entry
daadgalerie & Kunstraum Kreuzberg