Exhibition “My Body Is a Battlefield” Vandalised in Copenhagen

The exhibition “My Body Is a Battlefield. Copenhagen” by Ukrainian artist Mariia Kulykivska has been vandalised in Copenhagen. Ukraine House in Denmark and Spilne Art strongly condemn the damage to the sculptures, which occurred in broad daylight on 22 December near the premises of Ukraine House in Denmark. The exhibition was organised by Spilne Art in cooperation with Ukraine House in Denmark.

The exhibition opened on 18 November and was scheduled to run until 26 December 2025. It followed a meeting in early November between culture ministers from more than 40 countries in Copenhagen, organised by the Danish Ministry of Culture during Denmark’s EU presidency, focusing on the role of culture and media in strengthening democratic resilience. As part of this high-level programme, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture, Tetyana Berezhna, together with the Spilne Art team, presented Mariia Kulykivska’s works to international delegations.

-“We are deeply affected to report that the sculptures from the exhibition ‘My Body Is a Battlefield’ have been destroyed in broad daylight in the heart of Copenhagen. This exhibition, created in collaboration with Spilne Art, was more than an installation. It carried the memory of war, vulnerability, and the resilience of Ukrainian women. The destruction of the sculptures is not only damage to art, but an attack on the stories and dignity they were meant to protect. We strongly condemn this hateful act. At the same time, we place our trust in the Danish authorities, police, and courts, and sincerely hope that the perpetrator will be identified and held accountable. We remain firmly committed to protecting art, truth, and the values of freedom and human dignity that this exhibition represents,” says Nataliia Popovych, Chair of Ukraine House in Denmark.

-“This has happened before,” said Mariia Kulykivska when she was informed that her sculptures had been deliberately destroyed shortly before Christmas in Copenhagen: two figures depicting pregnant female bodies and a memorial figure made of flowers.

-“This was not a random incident, but a targeted act of violence against the female body – my own body, cast in sculptural form. The destroyed sculptures were created in Kyiv at Garage33 Gallery-Shelter, an independent, artist-run space where these works were produced collectively during the war. In 2014, my sculptures were shot by militants from the so-called ‘DNR’ at the Izolyatsia Art Centre. After my performance 254 at the Hermitage Museum, I was detained and threatened with forced psychiatric institutionalisation. What happened in Copenhagen follows the same logic: the destruction of art as a form of political pressure, an attack on a defenceless, hopeful body. A violent act without accountability. My works did not resist. The heads and bellies were deliberately destroyed. This is not vandalism. It is systematic violence repeating itself. These three sculptures were among the last remaining works from my previous life. Their destruction marks the beginning of mourning and a decisive turn toward a more radical artistic language.”

Following the official statement from Ukraine House in Denmark, Nataliia Tkachenko, founder of Spilne Art, said: “We regard this incident as vandalism and violence against artistic expression. Any aggression directed at artworks is unacceptable and undermines the principles of open cultural dialogue. The incident was discovered and documented via a video surveillance system. We are currently cooperating with Ukraine House in Denmark and local law enforcement authorities to clarify all the circumstances surrounding the incident. Further decisions regarding the future presentation of the works will be announced in due course. We express our full solidarity with the artist and reaffirm our position: art must be allowed to exist freely, without fear of violence or destruction.”

Ukraine House in Denmark and Spilne Art are working closely with local authorities as part of the ongoing investigation.