Deeply personal work tells stories of invasion in Ukraine
With Vertical Video we show new video work in public space every two months. In March and April that is the personal and layered work of Sophia Bulgakova: We all woke up today from some kind of explosions.
3 March 2025, interview
In March and April your video artwork will be on display in Amare. Can you tell us more about its meaning?
“We all woke up today from some kind of explosions is a deeply personal work that draws from my experience from the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, where I am from. The title itself is one of the first text messages I received that day, and the whole work is based on the constantly growing archive of text messages from the telegram chat with my two friends who are currently living in Ukraine and experiencing the war on a daily basis.
The work aims to draw attention to the ongoing conflict from a deeply personal side and explores how personal and collective memories intertwine, confronting the challenge of conveying my lived reality to a broader audience — especially as media coverage of the war diminishes for a while now. It’s an invitation to look through fractured layers of memory, loss, and a continuously unfolding present.”
Is there a connection between Amare and your artwork?
“I studied at the Royal Conservatoire before it moved to Amare, and after that, the old location became a living space for Ukrainian refugees as the invasion began in 2022. So making this work now to be shown in a public space of Amare, is almost like closing a circle between my life in the Netherlands and the reality unfolding back home.”
Can you tell us more about the making process?
“The video was recorded as a live performance, where I mixed digital and analogue video processing effects in real time. I was moving the texts and controlling the disintegration effects of the images live, which added a sense of immediacy and unpredictability to the piece. This hands-on approach allowed me to capture the fragile and fleeting nature of memory, making the process itself feel like a form of storytelling — raw and constantly shifting, much like the experiences that inspired the work.”
What else do you do as an artist and where does your inspiration come from?
“As an artist, I work with a combination of digital technologies and analogue mediums to create immersive installations and performances that explore the intersections of memory, identity, and perception. I’m fascinated by the interplay between old and new media — using analogue projectors, video synthesis, AI-generated imagery, and XR technologies to build layered, multisensory experiences.
While my Ukrainian heritage and the impact of the war are significant themes for me right now, I also draw inspiration from collective consciousness, Ukrainian and worldwide folklore, and magical practices, as well as the ways in which technology shapes our understanding of reality.”
What do you hope passers-by and visitors take away from your video artwork?
“I hope that passers-by and visitors pause for a moment to connect with the personal experiences I’ve woven into the video — stories from the past three years of living through the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With the recent three-year anniversary and the constant struggles and attacks still unfolding, it feels more important than ever to keep highlighting these realities.
I want the work to serve as a reminder that the war is far from over, urging people not to become desensitised or forget. If viewers leave with a deeper understanding of the human impact behind the headlines, then I feel the work has done its job.”
Discover more about Sophia Bulgakova and about Vertical Video
More Amare Stories
