NUCLEAR (OFF)SPRING

In the organizer's words:

NUCLEAR (OFF)SPRING - on the 40th anniversary of the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor

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with Arthur Bondar, Serafima Bresler, Alisa Sizykh, and Oksana Yushko

Exhibition at xpon-art gallery and complementary program at SENDER e.V.

Opening April 16, 2026 at 7 pm. Open daily until April 26.

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The NUCLEAR (OFF)SPRING at xpon-art gallery and SENDER e.V. ends exactly forty years to the day after the explosion in reactor 4 of the Chernobyl* nuclear power plant.

The exhibition brings together four artists currently living in Hamburg - ARTHUR BONDAR, SERAFIMA BRESLER, ALISA SIZYKH and OKSANA YUSHKO - who have a direct connection to the catastrophe through their origins, personal and collective memories and family biographies.

The artistic positions trace how the disaster and its consequences changed everyday life and transformed the exclusion zone into an area that continues to shape the politics, environment and shared history of several countries to this day. The zone has gradually transformed into a timeless place that unites past, present and future and is perceived as a new nuclear threat in the context of the war in Ukraine.

The accompanying public program will take place from 22 to 26 April 2026 at Kunstort SENDER e.V. For five days, the artists will open the space as a residency and present their artistic research and historical testimonies from the exclusion zone, as well as artist talks and performances by invited guest artists, film screenings, etc.

* Internationally often referred to by the Russian transliteration, the Ukrainian name "Chornobyl" has its own political meaning.

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Free admission because everyone should have access to culture. We make exhibitions like this possible and run this space because we think it is important that there are constant and challenging positions between state museums and commercial galleries on the one hand and changing platforms for emerging art with often short opening hours on the other, and that there is the opportunity to work artistically in a timely manner - on the one hand to better promote artists, and on the other to create a more vibrant culture for the dialog between art and society. The narratives in this exhibition were created by the artists.

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xpon-art gallery exhibition and program:

Thu April 16, 7 pm

opening

Sat April 18 6 pm

Kristina Savutsina, artist talk and presentation "Representing Invisibility:

The Chornobyl Disaster and Belarus" (English language)

Sun April 26 11 am - 4 pm

Finissage

Opening hours:

Daily 6 - 9 pm

Venue:

Repsoldstraße 45, 20097 Hamburg, @xponartgallery | www.xpon-art.de

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SENDER Event Program:

Wed April 22, 7 pm

Opening, presentation and artist talks (appx. 1 hour)

Thu April 23, 7 pm

Valeria Khripatch: 'Body Mapping', a somatic-inspired practice (1.5 hours)

English language. Registration required. Limited to 8-10 people.

Sat April 25, 12 noon

Cyanotype Workshop 'The Herbarium Stories' (Appx. 2-3 hours)

English, German, Ukrainian, Russian language. No age restr., limited to 13 people.

Sun April 26 18:00h

Finissage / Film Screening

Location:

Billhorner Deich 126, 20539 Hamburg, @sender_126

- We will inform you about deviating opening hours on the social channels -

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With the kind support of the Hamburg Ministry of Culture and Media

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Price information:

Free admission, because everyone should have access to culture. However, you are welcome to make a donation if you would otherwise honor it. Drinks are available for a donation. We don't offer anything that we wouldn't drink ourselves. We conceive these exhibitions and run this space because we think it is important that there are constant and challenging positions between state museums and commercial galleries on the one hand and changing platforms for emerging art on the other - on the one hand to better promote artists who are not yet established, and on the other to create a more vibrant culture for communication between art and the public.