Mershon's faculty and graduate student grants funded some extraordinary research last summer! This week we highlight the curatorial work of Associate Professor of Architecture, Ashley Bigham.

This year, I had the privilege of co-curating the Constructing Hope: Ukraine exhibition at the Center for Architecture in New York City. The first exhibition of this work in the United States, Constructing Hope: Ukraine, focuses on decentralized reconstruction efforts, presenting the work of grassroots initiatives inside and outside Ukraine. My academic research at Ohio State University focuses on the study of architecture in Eastern Europe and Eurasia, with a specific focus on Ukraine. I have been developing this research and engaging with the Ukrainian architecture community since 2014 when I lived in Lviv, Ukraine as a Fulbright Fellow.

Due to the ongoing war, I am unable to travel to Ukraine for field research. However, curating the exhibition provided me with an opportunity to continue and expand my research on Ukrainian architecture and to connect with the architectural community in Ukraine. Community engagement is an integral part of my architectural research, so the exhibition was significant in two ways: first, by bridging the New York City community with Ukraine, and second, by connecting Ukrainian designers with educational institutions in the US to foster future partnerships. 

Some highlights of my travels included meeting with Ukrainian architects to learn about how their architectural practices have changed significantly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Over several days, we discussed their work and the challenges they face including a high number of internally displaced people who need housing. They also shared how they balance everyday life during war with their academic or professional pursuits. We also organized a series of public talks where Ukrainian designers could share their work with the public. I moderated several of these talks, including the themes of memory, housing, and wartime architectural logistics. These events were free and open to the public and held at the Center for Architecture. 

Constructing Hope: Ukraine presents the work of over a dozen participants currently applying architectural thinking to support Ukraine’s short- and long-term reconstruction efforts. Showcasing their work and ideas, Constructing Hope: Ukraine reveals the power of collaboration, horizontal organizing, and knowledge exchange, illuminating architecture’s critical role in building a collective resistance that can generate hope for imperiled communities in Ukraine and beyond. The exhibition combines a wide range of projects—from modular furniture designs and housing for internally displaced individuals to detailed documentation of destroyed buildings and spatial memories—to illustrate how architecture can foster mutual aid and facilitate crucial support networks for entire communities. Constructing Hope: Ukraine presents these resourceful initiatives to demonstrate how, even during wartime destruction, these actions provide the hope necessary to move forward.

Links about the project: 

Press release: Constructing Hope: Ukraine" Opens This Spring at the Center for Architecture

Exhibition reviews:

How Architecture Became One of Ukraine's Essential Defenses - New York Times

Constructing Hope: Ukraine foregrounds memory, communal organizing, and resiliency at Center for Architecture - The Architect's Newspaper

Photo credits to Matthew Carasella and Prykarpattian Theater