Harlem Sculpture Gardens presents Ukrainian culture and art to Morningside Park

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Post Tango by artist Mikhailo Levchenko is a sculpture about
the aftermath of human devastation, the state where one
has to face unpleasant circumstances, where emotions
may have passed but the body still remembers the physical
pain. It is about the search for form
after destruction, about a danceturned into an architecture of

(00:22):
survival. According to the artist post,
tango represents the tension between rhythm and stillness,
passion and formalism. At its core, it is born from the
intersection of dance and trauma, reflecting the
experience of displaced and migrant individuals where
movement is impossible, yet memories still move within the

(00:44):
bones. It is not a body, it is its
echo, its trace. The sculpture breathes space,
inviting viewers to feel its inner movement rather than just
see it. The sculpture was first designed
as a 3D model, then digitally sliced into layers using CAD
software. These layers were converted into

(01:06):
vector files for fabrication. Each slice was cut from steel
sheets using a combination of laser and CNC milling, depending
on the thickness. After cutting, the elements were
assembled and welded internally,then painted for outdoor
durability. Post Tango is 6 feet 5 inches

(01:27):
high with a width that is 5 feet8 inches and a depth of five
feet and five inches dot. The weight is approximately
£500. Public art matters.
It makes creativity part of everyday life and brings it
right into our neighborhoods. Not everyone goes to galleries
or museums, but everyone deserves the chance to

(01:49):
experience art. That S what makes installations
like this so powerful. I'm thankful to the West Harlem
Art Fund, New York Artist EquityAssociation and NYC Parks for
bringing this to Morningside Park, said council member Shawna
Brew. New York Artists Equity

(02:09):
Association NYAE was founded in 1947 by a diverse group of
artists, including Jacob Lawrence and his wife Gwendolyn
Knight, with the expressed purpose of supporting emerging
artists from underserved communities.
NYAE has steadfastly honored that mandate, regardless of
passing political wins for or against.

(02:31):
By extension, we continue to advocate for immigrant artists
who have historically ceded cultural advancement into the
city, and we are proud to partner with the Harlem Art Fund
in support of the Ukrainian sculptor Michael Levchenko and
his timely work Post Tango, being featured in Harlem
Sculpture Gardens 2025, said Michael Gormley, executive

(02:53):
director of New York Artist Equity Association.
About the Artist Mikhailo Levchenko was born in 1976 in
Kiev, Ukraine. He grew up in an artistic
environment which allowed his creativity to develop.
Michael Levchenko started painting at an early age and

(03:14):
began sculpting when he was only15 years old.
His first works were mainly figurative, but over the years
his art evolved into abstraction.
It was an abstraction that gave the talented artist complete
freedom to create his art and share his vision, shaping his
space both emotionally and intellectually.

(03:35):
Today, Mikhailo Lavchenko is a prominent Ukrainian abstract
sculptor working in stone, granite, sandstone and marble.
His incredible sculptures have been featured at several
national and international exhibitions and are in many
private and public collections worldwide, including the Museum
of Contemporary Art enrolled in Argentina, the Museum of

(03:58):
Contemporary Art in Volterra, Italy, and the International
Sculpture Park in Ianapa, Cyprus.
Monumental works by Michael Levchenko are also installed in
public spaces in Ukraine, China,Belgium, France, Germany,
Norway, Israel, Turkey, Canada and other countries.

(04:19):
Many of his works belong to private and public collections
in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Chile, China, Cyprus,
the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Iran, Israel, Italy,
Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Syria,

(04:43):
Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine. the United States in 2019 took part
in the Shadow of Dreamcast at Giardini della Biennel, within
the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennel, Savona
Bailey McClain, executive director of the West Harlem Art

(05:03):
Fund, shears. The art capital of the United
States is New York City. People from all over the world
live here, speaking different languages and interacting with
different cultures. The city's fine art scene,
however, has been largely concentrated in a few areas for
too long. In a meaningful way, our

(05:26):
exhibition introduces this worldto New York's broader
population. There should be a celebration of
other cultures in Harlem, a world famous place about the
West Harlem Art Fund. HTTPS www.westharlem.art The
West Harlem Art Fund WHAF is a 27 year old public art and

(05:50):
design organization. WHAF seek opportunities for
artists and creative professionals throughout NYC and
beyond wishing to showcase and share their talent.
The West Harlem Art Fund presents art and culture in open
and public spaces to add aesthetic interest, promote
historical and cultural heritage, and support community

(06:13):
involvement in local development.
Our heritage symbol off onto Meyerkudenkayamtreku is the
double crocodile from West Africa, Ghana, which means unity
in diversity. About New York Artist Equity
Association HTTPS www.newyorkartistsequity.org New

(06:34):
York Artist Equity Association was founded in 1947 to promote
opportunities for artists and address economic issues
affecting American artists. More than 160 leading American
artists of the 1940s founded theorganization, including Will
Barnett, Thomas Hart Benton, George Biddle, Paul Cadmus,

(06:56):
Stuart Davis, Arthur Dove, Marsden Hartley, Edward Hopper,
Leon Kroll, Jacob Lawrence, JohnMarin, Louise Nevilson, John
Sloan, and the 1st President Yasuo Kuniyashi.
These diverse artists were all clear on one point.
They had to band together to establish and protect artists
economic well-being. Today, NYAE continues to support

(07:19):
the professional aspirations of unrecognized and emerging
artists, particularly those fromunderrepresented groups, by
providing them with exhibition opportunities, educational
programming, and a vibrant community of artists,
collectors, curators, and art educators.
Special thanks Elizabeth Massiella, Temporary public Art

(07:44):
Coordinator, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation and
Manhattan Community Board 9.