Spievy

Spievy

Performance of female choir accompanying The Shield exhibition

Gunia Nowik Gallery
Bracka 20a, Warsaw
Saturday, Jan 18, 2025
6 pm

To welcome the new year, we had the pleasure of hosting a special performance by Spievy, a women’s choir of Belarusian and Ukrainian emigrants. The choir shared traditional songs from Belarus and the borderlands of Slavic territories, including Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania. Their repertoire, rich with ancient melodies once sung by women during pagan ceremonies and rituals, carried echoes of a deep and enduring heritage.

These songs, deceptively simple yet profoundly symbolic, reflected the intricate connections between humans, nature, and one another. They narrated pivotal life moments and rites of passage—leaving one’s mother, transitioning from maidenhood to marriage, childbirth, and funerals—offering the audience a rare glimpse into these enduring traditions.

The performance concluded with a shared feast, symbolizing prosperity for the year ahead. The evening also brought together artists from our group show, The Shield, alongside Liberty Adrien, curator at Portikus Frankfurt and author of the exhibition text accompanying the show. It was a moment of resonance and community, marking the start of the year with voices lifted in song and celebration.

Art Director: Rusia Šukiurava
Director: Palina Dabravoĺskaja
Feast Set Designer: Eleonora Rogińska

Special Thanks: Jakub Antosz, Katarzyna Legendź, Radek Nowik, Karolina Zajączkowska, Eden Bistro, Natural Rascal

Preserving Belarusian culture, supporting women in exile, and fostering unity through shared traditions.