ALEVTINA KAKHIDZE’S WORKSHOP FOR IT-GRANNY COMMUNITY
On December 20, 2024, members of IT-Granny, an NGO that brings together older people, Odesa residents, and internally displaced persons, had an opportunity to work through their experiences of war at Alevtina Kakhidze’s workshop held as part of her Dad, I’m in Odesa! exhibition.
Ukrainian artist Alevtina Kakhidze invited the IT-Granny members to work together through their memories of lost cities and homes. As most participants were older people who came to Odesa fleeing the Russian invasion in 2014 and 2022, remembering their homes—so close but lost—was painful to them. Still, it helped them reminisce on happy events from their pre-war lives instead of ruminating on the tragedy. Recounting their stories to the people who had gone through similar experiences made processing heavy memories easier.
The idea to hold the workshop emerged during the installation of Dad, I am in Odesa!: an Odesa National Fine Arts Museum visitor who curiously watched the process approached Alevtina Kakhidze to ask about the technique used to make the exhibition pieces. Ultimately, the artist invited those interested to share their life stories through their own collages created from family photos, personal archive items, pictures, and written reflections. As the participants had to leave their family albums and relics behind while fleeing occupation, Alevtina Kakhidze took it upon herself to provide photos and postcards from their cities. Together, they created collages and presented them if they felt like it, sharing memories about their native Kherson, Donetsk, Tokmak, Kakhovka, and Oleshky.
The workshop turned into four hours of soul-stirring stories, laughter, tears, and shared experiences, demonstrating that memories can be engaged with even in the absence of mementos, and art, in particular, helps reclaim one’s past and provide the strength to build one’s future.
Photos of the Alevtina Kakhidze’s workshop for IT-Granny community at the Odesa National Fine Arts Museum, December 20, 2025
Photographer — Alex Kuper, camera — Oleksii Antashchuk, video editing — ARTS PRODUCTION by Arina Tsymbal