Exhibition Preview: 'I Shook This World'
A major exhibition titled 'I Shook This World,' celebrating the 90th birthday of renowned Ukrainian artist Ivan Marchuk, will be previewed on March 12, 2026, at the Kyiv City History Museum. The exhibition itself will run from March 13 through May 17, 2026, occupying four floors of the museum. It will bring together nearly 250 of Marchuk's works, loaned by 11 Ukrainian museums and over 30 private collectors. The project is supported by art historian Tamara Strypko and scientific consultant Yuriy Kukharchuk.
Visiting Hours and Ticket Prices
The exhibition will be open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with Monday and Tuesday being closed days. The ticket office operates from 12:00 PM to 6:30 PM. Admission is priced at:
- 320 UAH for a standard ticket;
- 160 UAH for eligible concessionary groups.
The event will be held at the Museum-Exhibition Center of the Kyiv City History Museum, located at 7 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Street. Marchuk, the creator of a unique painting technique called 'plontanism,' is the author of more than 5,000 works and holds the honor of 'National Legend of Ukraine.'
This major retrospective is taking shape against the backdrop of an ongoing legal battle over the rights to images of Marchuk's paintings, which began in 2020. The plaintiff is the artist himself, with four individuals named as defendants. The litigation started on May 12, 2020—Marchuk's 84th birthday. A central element of the case is a licensing agreement signed by five parties, including Marchuk, which allegedly granted an exclusive 100-year license for the use of copyrights to his paintings in exchange for a 10,000 UAH fee, a sum the artist claims he never received.
The court proceedings have now lasted over five months, and Marchuk's lawyer has informed the court that reconciliation between the parties is impossible. One of the defendants has filed a motion to recuse the presiding judge, Taras Yakimets. Following an investigation, Kyiv law enforcement opened a criminal case. In 2021, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered the creation of an Ivan Marchuk museum and cultural center, but it has yet to be established. In February 2026, the artist announced the need to temporarily scale back exhibition activities in the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
Today, Ivan Marchuk's art resonates with renewed power, reminding us that culture is also a form of resilience—a space where we find inner balance and the strength to move forward.
Viktoriia Mukha
The 'I Shook This World' exhibition is a significant event for Ukrainian art, highlighting Ivan Marchuk's contribution to the nation's culture and his distinctive technique. Despite the legal complexities surrounding the rights to his works, Marchuk remains an influential figure. The exhibition's organization demonstrates efforts to support his legacy, which may help raise awareness of his work and its importance to Ukrainian cultural identity. The protracted legal dispute, however, could have implications not only for the artist but also for a wide circle of collectors and admirers of his art.