Museums' daring feat brings major Ukraine art exhibit to Spain

A painting by Ukrainian artist Vasyl Sedliar called 'Portrait of Oksana Pavlenko' seen at the exhibition preview. Photo: AP

Against a backdrop of Russian bombardments, border closures and a nail-biting 3,500km truck journey across Europe, Spain's Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum has teamed up with the National Art Museum of Ukraine to secretly bring dozens of 20th century Ukrainian avant garde artworks to Madrid for a unique exhibition and a show of support for the war-torn country.

In The Eye Of The Hurricane. Modernism In Ukraine 1900-1930s, opens to the public on Tuesday, featuring some 70 works mostly from the Kyiv gallery and the country's theatre, music and cinema museum. It will run until next April.