Mariia Kozyrieva
Engraving on the Ukrainian body

How do images and symbols take on new meanings in changing circumstances? Can they cause us to deform our bodies at will? What do permanent body marks mean in relation to people’s  experiences, contexts and perceptions of tragedy?
Our thoughts and imagination about war must focus on the experiences, bodies and people affected by it. The body is directly involved in politics. Power relations have an immediate hold on it, investing, marking, training, torturing it and forcing it to carry out tasks, perform ceremonies and emit signs.
The life realities of the war in Ukraine are outlined through the  individuals’ stories, with tattoos acting as a prism. Look at the outer shell and touch its surface, in the hope that it will touch our hearts.