As part of the large-scale “Days of Ideas” forum hosted by the Aspen Institute Kyiv at the Menorah Center, two major cultural events were presented — “The Heart of Ukraine” and “The Garden of Life.” Though physically unrelated, both are united by a shared conceptual and symbolic field.
The authors and creative forces behind these events are our fellow Dnipro natives — now internationally recognized figures and Aspen program alumni. Mykola Kabluk, founder of Expolight, presented the “Heart of Ukraine” installation, while Alina Gaeva, fondly remembered in Dnipro for her “Chorna Yashchirka” (Black Lizard) gallery and now a globally renowned artist, illustrator, and designer of art objects in various media, brought to life the “Garden of Life” in Menorah.
“The Heart of Ukraine” came to life in the Menorah Gallery, in the part facing Uspenska Square. It is a complex network of interwoven elements that interact with viewers through light, sound, and emotion. Special sensors combined with artificial intelligence technology adapt the rhythm, color, and sound of the installation depending on how people behave around it. “For the first time, we used new spatial sensor algorithms that allow the heart to ‘feel’ collective interaction. The ‘Heart’ embodies the pulse of civic dialogue and a shared idea essential to democratic society. It symbolizes values-based leadership, openness and responsibility, the desire to create and improve the world, synergy, and unity of action,” says Mykola Kabluk.
The “Garden of Life” bloomed in the Pcholkin House, where Alina Gaeva presented eight out of fifty “Trees of Life” she created. Each tree was shown in three different forms — as a graphic artwork, as large colorful textile variations on chiffon, and as jewelry. All trees are rooted in traditional Ukrainian patterns dating back to the Cossack era, encoded in traditional embroidery. Alina revealed this foundational image, concentrating its energy in precise lines, and demonstrated how rich and diverse it is — capable of manifesting through color and fabric, metal and stone, or even as a simple outline on a white sheet. “It’s not just an image — it’s something much deeper. Each tree is paired with a word,” explains Alina. “The word came to me after I had created the image, and sometimes I wanted to change it — but I couldn’t. It’s the unified fabric of being. We can only capture its projections. It’s a metaphor that gives us the strength to live and create life.”
The “Garden of Life” with Alina Gaeva’s art and jewelry designed by renowned jeweler Olena Zavorotna bloomed for only one day at Menorah. However, the “Heart of Ukraine” installation will remain on display at Menorah until June 17 — anyone can visit, interact with it, and invite friends to experience this powerful symbol.
