Daria was our Distance and Resistance 2022 fellow from March to June 2022

Daria Pugachova is an artist, performer and art-activist based in Kyiv, Ukraine. She studied architecture at Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture. From 2013–2019 she played drums in the female trio Panivalkova. After musicians split up Daria dived into a field of contemporary art. 

In her projects, Daria uses participatory practices to unite a community and integrate art into daily life. She works with performance, video and artivism. Her artistic approach lies in the presence of the artist and direct interaction with the audience in public space. Her work explores history of place to awaken memories with the community, and to visualize its possible future. “By performing in public places, I connect with all kinds of people” says Daria, “Some of them may never attend exhibitions. So art should step out of galleries and become a part of everyday life, thereby changing it”.

While in Bulgaria on our invitation, Daria received the Golden Aesop Grand Prix at Gabrovo Biennial of Contemporary Art for the work ’Stones’ and the project Dasha+Zhanar.

• Performance “I Will Close the Sky So You Could Breathe” was produced by Radar Sofia and took place in Sofia on 11th of June 2022. It was part of the festival New Stages Southeast, organized by Goethe Institut.
• Her new work is dedicated to the war in Ukraine.
• The performance is part of the Drama Pact platform.
• The event is organized also with the financial support of the National Culture Fund.

Daria Pugachova is among the award winners of State of the Art(ist) 2022 at Ars Electronica festival in Linz, Austria with “I Will Close the Sky So You Could Breathe”, the performance she created while in residence with us in Sofia, with the support of Goethe-Institut Bulgarien, The National Culture Funds and later exhibited at Swimming Pool.

During her stay in Sofia she took part in Pocket Festival at Atelier Plastelin and in Sofia Undergound Festival.