Counselor of the Embassy of Ukraine Samvel Arustamian took part in the opening of the exhibition "Comics at War", which took place on April 10 in Basel.

The exhibition of Ukrainian comics, organized with the support of the University of Basel and Ukrainian Research in Switzerland, will last from April 11 to 24 at the Salon Mondial.

The story of war has always played an important role in European comics. In Ukraine, comic creativity is experiencing a special rise since 2022: this genre combines the search for artistic expression in an extreme situation with journalistic and documentary concerns and is a platform for social self-discovery.

The same idea is embedded in the exhibition. The focus is on a humorous magazine that was launched in 2021 as a human rights project, and since February 2022 has been devoted to stories about Russia's war against Ukraine.

Supported by famous cartoonists and journalists, this project combines social reporting, documentary ideas and journalistic integrity. In a variety of styles, comics tell stories that go beyond newspaper headlines: from children, women, civilians, LGBTQIA+ people, guerrillas, lovers and other everyday heroes to the inner views of survivors in Mariupol and Azov.

In the conditions of a full-scale and barbaric war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the sound of Ukraine on international platforms is very important.

"Thanks to art, we strengthen the possibilities of Ukrainian culture in communication with the world. Ukraine is flourishing, so is Ukrainian art, so is the genre of Ukrainian comics," noted the diplomat of the Embassy during the opening of the exhibition. Special gratitude was expressed to the organizers of the exhibition for their support and attention to our country.

More information about the project can be found at the link https://uris.ch/events/comics-im-krieg-the-ukrainian-cartoon-magazine-inker-2022-2023-the-intersection-of-art-and-journalism