On January 23, 2026, the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts hosted a creative meeting and guided tour as part of a socio-cultural project initiated by Oleksandr RIDNYI, lecturer at the Sculpture Section. The project aims to actively involve the residents of Kharkiv in the city’s cultural life.

This event once again highlighted the Academy’s social mission: to serve as an open cultural hub that fosters dialogue, supports artistic initiatives, and makes contemporary art accessible to the wider community. KSADA consistently reaffirms its role not only as an educational institution but also as an active participant in the city’s cultural processes.

Yuri PUTNIK, a Kharkiv-based public figure and blogger who systematically supports social and cultural initiatives aimed at the broad public and the development of social dialogue, took an active part in organising the event.

The meeting brought together art enthusiasts around the already open exhibition of the art project “KHARKIV SCHOOL OF SCULPTURE: FREEDOM OF FORM”, which functions as an open public space for interaction between artists and the community.

Participants had the opportunity not only to explore the works of leading Kharkiv sculptors — Oleksandr Ridnyi, Anna Ivanova, Serhii Sbitniev, Oleksandr and Maksym Demchenko, as well as the young artist Illia Chornomaz — but also to engage in live discussion, hear the artists’ own comments, and gain a deeper understanding of contemporary sculptural language.

The event’s format was primarily oriented towards city residents — open, accessible, and barrier-free. This allowed visitors to feel not as passive observers, but as active participants in the cultural process. The event clearly demonstrated that culture in Kharkiv remains a living, open and unifying force. Such initiatives, supported by the Academy, contribute to the formation of a shared cultural space, strengthen urban identity, and foster an engaged and conscious community.