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Saturday, May 24, 2008

Ukraine social commentary through art

In Shevchenko Park yesterday there was advertised the Festival of Ukrainian Cartoons. A long line of satirical cartoons about Ukrainian politics, business, society and culture were along the the ground. Ukrainians can have a very dry and dark sense of humor about Ukraine's past and current challenges, problems and shortcomings. But they are also very insightful, creative and funny.

I snapped some photos of the cartoons which I thought were clever and clearly communictated their message. Of course, this is from a foreign, albeit well-informed, perspective. The ones I chose address issues like corruption, Ukraine's future, media freedom, and the artist's opinion about the intelligence of Ukraine's leadership. I think this kind of creativity is not something most people see coming out of Ukraine, and to me illustrate more of Ukraine's vast untapped potential.