Oleksiy Say’s 'Black Cloud' spans 30m by 15m, weighs nearly 8 tonnes, and uses 4km of fabric. Photo: Reuters
A massive black cloud has stood in Kyiv's historic Sophia Square this week, emitting flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder in evocation of war, before it travels to the Burning Man art festival in the United States later this year.
The Black Cloud installation, by Ukrainian artist Oleksiy Say, measures 30m (100 feet) long and 15m (49 feet) high, weighs nearly eight tonnes and is made from four kilometres of fabric.
The work also includes the sounds of artillery fire, explosions, drones and military vehicles in a chilling evocation of Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine since February 2022.
"Get ready. Evil is just around the corner. It makes sense to face it," Say told Reuters, standing beside his work, in a message to others beyond Ukraine.
The 50-year-old, who studied at the Kyiv Art and Industrial Technical School, lives and works in the capital of Ukraine where there has been a surge of "war art" during the conflict.
In central Kyiv, a child inspects Oleksiy Sai’s 'Black Cloud', a chilling installation echoing Russia’s invasion with sounds of war. Photo: Reuters
Say's installation will be a Ukrainian contribution to the annual, eight-day independent art festival in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada in August.
"Perhaps the next time someone watches news about Ukraine they will register not only the information but also experience an emotion that goes with it. That's how it (the Black Cloud) is intended to work," said Maria Moroz, executive producer of the project.
For Kyiv residents, the Black Cloud is a stark symbol.
On a recent day, some took photos while others stood quietly, one couple hugging in silence under its shadow.
"Had it been somewhere up in the sky, I would have associated it with a cloud, but as it is, it evoked images of explosions and destruction in me," said Natalia, 58, from Kyiv.
"I was walking to work when I saw this installation. It made me think of something evil. It reminded me of the war," said Tetiana, 54.
"Constant air raid alerts, missiles, ... drones, this is what it makes me think of." - Reuters
