"People touch the sharp edges and cry". What does the Ukrainian installation I'm Fine at Burning Man 2024 mean?

The Burning Man 2024 festival of independent contemporary art presented a work by Ukrainian artists called "I'm Fine" to remind the world of the war in Ukraine. The installation was created by sculptor Oleksiy Say and founder of the Ukrainian Witness project Vitaliy Deynega. This year's Burning Man takes place in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA.

The sculpture consists of colorful letters that look like toy figures from a distance. However, when you get closer, you can see what the inscription is actually made of. The creators used artifacts collected in the de-occupied territories: street signs with bullet holes, satellite dishes and solar panels, mangled signs with the names of cities and broken fences of civilians. Photos of the 32-meter sculpture, which weighs more than 10 tons, were shared by its authors. It is worth noting that the height of the inscription is 7 meters, NV.

Interestingly, the installation is based on an ironic meme with a similar title "This Is Fine". It depicts a dog sitting in the middle of a burning house, claiming that everything is fine.

According to artist Oleksiy Say, it perfectly illustrates what Ukrainians have to live with. "The sculpture is real, just like the war," he explained. "When festival visitors stand next to the sculpture, physically touch the shattered materials, bullet holes, and debris, they will be able to feel the scale and impact of the war - and this is our reality.

Vitaliy Deynega, the co-author of the idea, told us how the audience reacts to the installation. According to him, people look at the letters for a long time. "The braver ones touch the sharp edges. Many people are crying," the Ukrainian said on Instagram. "We are reacting less and less to missiles and death, grief and the extra effort that we have to make to not go crazy with fears of war and guilt for not doing enough. We are really "normal," but our normal is more terrifying than nightmares."

The founder of Ukrainian Witness adds that Ukrainians honestly write "I'm fine" despite the fact that they are living in "the worst possible dream." Moreover, Deynega continues, our people sincerely ask how others are doing and thank them for their help, not realizing how much power is behind these words. "This contrast is very much felt here. And it evokes very deep empathy, respect and admiration for us. That's why so many people cry at our work. But not because they feel sorry for us. But because they admire what we go through and how we go through it together, saying 'we're okay,'" the post reads.

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