Miracles do happen – you just have to learn to see them.
In October 2022, the Kultur Aktiv association opened its doors to people from Ukraine – to those who had lost their familiar world, their homes and their friends as a result of the war. Many of them were suddenly left with nothing, without a roof over their heads, but with a deep desire to continue creating and shaping. Every Wednesday, strangers gathered around a large table. They shared their stories, talked about pain and hope – and they sewed. With their bare hands and small pieces of fabric, they created pictures, piece by piece. Yuliya Firsova, a teacher from Odessa, came up with the idea. Our grandmothers used to sew blankets from scraps of old clothes – something new was born from the old. In those days, we ourselves resembled these little pieces of fabric: scattered all over the world, uprooted, separated from everything familiar. With each meeting, we grew closer together. A new network of friends and companions emerged. And unique works of art emerged from the individual fragments.
Each work tells its own story of “home”: for some it is the endless blue of the sea, for others a fragrant field of flowers or small Ukrainian houses. These first pictures still hang in the gallery today – and invite all visitors to pause and feel. Our meetings attracted many people who helped us with materials, yarn, needles, kind words and their support. We are eternally grateful for this.
Two years have passed, filled with ideas, encounters and workshops. Today we return to our first inspiration: the pictures made from pieces of fabric. But now they are not just memories of a lost home – they have grown into a form of real art. Immerse yourself in the stories of the people who have created these unique works with their hearts and hands.
Join us on our journey – we look forward to your visit!
Voices from the sewing café
I`m Ljudmyla.
Time flies so quickly – it’s hard to believe that my journey began in the middle of the last century. I was born in the small, picturesque town of Chuhujiv in the Kharkiv region in north-eastern Ukraine.
I spent my childhood, the years in kindergarten, at school and later at the institute, in Kharkiv – a beautiful and lively city. I am an electrical engineer for power plants and substations by profession.
When my brother and I were still small, we lost our father. Our mother brought us up alone – at a time when there was a shortage of everything: food, clothing and housing. Our generation therefore learned to handle everything with care – especially the fabrics from which clothes were sewn. No leftover fabric was thrown away. The small pieces were intended for us children – for the clothes of our dolls.
My grandmother lovingly embroidered shirts for her sons and grandsons, and she sewed dresses for me – using cross-stitch and satin stitch. I started sewing my own clothes as a schoolgirl – later I also sewed for my husband, my children, my mother and other relatives.
I love books, classical music, theater, museums, traveling and taking care of flowers. The idea of using fabric scraps for creative projects immediately appealed to me. That’s how I found my way to the “Loskutotschky” (“Sewing Café”) group – a circle of talented women who meet here out of an inner drive to create beautiful things and experience joy together.
Perhaps our work will inspire others too.
Ljudmyla
Open Gallery
In our gallery Galerie nEUROPA we not only present exhibitions of contemporary photographers related to Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, but the room is also available for open meetings, coffee rounds, game nights, workshops, seminars, think tanks, etc.
Period
since 08.2022
Project coordination
Employees at the office
Project partners
Yuliya Firsova (Sewing-Café, since 2022), Viktoriia Borysiuk (Art and Meditation, since 2023), Laura Schulze (Mushroom hike, 2023) and other volunteers
Supported by
The project is funded by the State Ministry for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion. This measure is co-financed with tax revenue on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon state parliament as part of the »Wir für Sachsen« funding programme.
