Place: Biblioteca Classense, Hall of Mosaics
Curated by: Maria Rita Bentini
Opening: 14 October 2023 | 4 p.m.
Period: 14 October 2023 – 14 January 2024 
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 3 p.m. till 6:30 p.m.; Saturday from 9 a.m. till 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. till 6:30 p.m.; Sunday closed 
Admission: free entry

“Palianytsia” means bread, typically a large round wheat bread, baked in an oven. It’s a word that, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has taken on a new meaning; since Russian occupiers cannot pronounce the word properly, it’s become a type of shibboleth, distinguishing friends from enemies. These works therefore take on an extra meaning, representing not only a fundamental life source that crosses all boundaries of society but an identifier. They are a symbol of sustenance and resistance made from a standard, found material that in its new form represents a profound and life-changing experience being lived by a whole nation.

Zhanna Kadyrova has always worked with recycled and commonly used materials associated with the construction and architectural industry, such as tiles, ceramics, bricks, and concrete. Her artistic research is linked to the historical context, to Soviet propaganda materials, to post-Soviet modernity, to the idea of community, to the concept of public space in relation to the private and the collective, and to the relationship between works of art and visitors. Rather than offering the viewer images or representations of elements of civilization, her works highlight the visual systems used to convey messages and influence society.