The media project Ukrainian Witness has unveiled the installation "I'm Fine" at the 2024 Burning Man festival, held annually in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, USA. Created by artist Oleksii Sai and Ukrainian Witness founder Vitaliy Deynega, the installation measures 32 meters long and 7 meters high, constructed from real war artifacts collected from liberated areas: bullet-riddled road signs, solar panels, satellite dishes, destroyed city signs, and broken fences.
The artwork highlights the impact of armed aggression, which has led to the destruction of over 2,024 cultural institutions, including 334 that are completely ruined and irreparable. The artist hopes that the installation's scale will allow people to grasp the extent of the human stories behind these signs.
"The sculpture is as real as the war itself. I want the audience to feel closer to the people of Ukraine who have suffered and to understand that we are fighting for our culture and identity. When festival-goers stand next to the sculpture and physically touch the damaged materials, bullet holes, and debris, they will be able to sense the scale and impact of the war — and this is our reality," said Oleksii Sai.
Project leader Vitaliy Deynega shared the first impressions from festival visitors.
"People stand and look. Sometimes for a long time. The braver ones touch the sharp edges. Many cry. It seems our idea has worked and will be heard by tens of thousands of people here. Our absolutely inadequate life situation has become our norm; we have learned to be strong and celebrate life even under these circumstances. We react less to rockets and death, grief and the tremendous effort it takes just to keep from losing our minds from the fear of war and the guilt of not doing enough," wrote Vitaliy Deynega.
"We are truly 'fine'; our norm is just scarier than night terrors. But we live, fight, and even try to find joy sometimes. We are 'okay.' We are even ready to sincerely ask the world, 'How are you doing?'"
DJ Tapolsky, a Ukrainian military DJ, plans to support the "I'm Fine" sculpture presentation with a unique DJ set that combines the voices of Ukrainians answering the question "How are you?". This musical interpretation of a frequently asked question aims to foster empathy for the state of Ukrainians.
Visitors to the installation can engage with the project on social media. The organizers encourage sharing short stories and reactions on Instagram using hashtags to support the project.
Photo: Installation "I'm Fine" by Ukrainian Witness at Burning Man 2024 / Oleksii Repik
