19th to 31st January 2024 (11am to 5:45pm, Monday to Saturday)
*Open Call for U.K. Artists To Turn Armour into Art*
Pictured left to right: Invite to exhibition showing painted armour plate, orthodox style ‘spiritual icon’ painted plate, soldiers wearing NP Aerospace body armour in Ukraine, President Zelenskyy signing one of the plates.
A unique art exhibition showing armour that has saved the lives of Ukrainians is heading to London for the first time to the High Commission of Canada Gallery on Trafalgar Square from 19th to 31st January 2024.
ArtArmor is a collection of 50 body armour plates, from manufacturers including NP Aerospace, that have been worn by Ukrainians and saved their lives by stopping bullets. Each plate returned from the frontline has been transformed into iconic pieces of art by talented Ukrainian artists or children to tell their story of war. The exhibition has so far toured Poland, Germany and Sweden and is heading to the U.K. just one month before the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.
The exhibition is the brainchild of Ukrainian Member of Parliament Oleksandr Kovalchuk, Founder of ArtArmor and the charity ‘Ukraine for Heroes’2. Kovalchuk noted that “ArtArmor gets to the heart of what is going on in our country and expresses the thoughts of our brave and creative people. The terrifying marks from bullets and shrapnel that these plates stopped in battle tells the story of the ongoing war in Ukraine better than words. Countries like the U.K., Canada and the U.S. have done a huge amount to support the frontline with lifesaving kit and we extend our gratitude.”
Following the exhibition, the ArtArmor team will hold an art auction aimed at raising funds to purchase additional protective equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Thereby, their mission of art saving lives will be realised. They are also looking for U.K. artists to get on board with the initiative by turning further armour plates into pieces of art.
His Excellency The Honourable Ralph E. Goodale, PC, High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom, said: “The High Commission of Canada in the U.K. is proud to present this unique exhibition in its Canada Gallery, a dedicated gallery space in the heart of London. I can think of no better place to showcase body armour plates turned into iconic pieces of art that saved the lives of Ukrainian soldiers – literally. Canada deeply admires the bravery and courage of Ukrainians who are fighting to defend their independence and freedom, and we will continue to work closely with our Allies and partners to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty and security. I look forward to welcoming many visitors to this exquisite exhibition in support of Ukraine.”
James Kempston, CEO of NP Aerospace, said: “As a key supporter to Ukraine3, collaborating with ArtArmor, the High Commission of Canada and the Ukraine Embassy to the U.K. is an absolute honour. It enables us to highlight the amazing job that companies from around the world are doing to support the frontline but also helps ArtArmor to bring the plates to auction, in order to give them a second chance to save lives.”
1. Since February 2022, Canada has committed over $2.4 billion in military assistance donations to Ukraine. The UK is also a significant donor having committed £4.6bn in military assistance to Ukraine so far, including £2.3bn in 2022 and a commitment to match that funding in 2023
2. Charity Foundation ‘Ukraine for Heroes’ has delivered humanitarian support to de-occupied territories during the conflict equating to approximately 10 million USD
3. NP Aerospace is a key supporter to Ukraine, having supplied 150,000 body armour plates and other lifesaving kit such as ballistic helmets since the war started.
A proper exhibit would just be a pile of US dollars and bottles of the sweat of the American worker, since that is what’s really doing any of the life saving there.
Sir thank you for dropping some facts.
Yawnz,
So how much did we spend in money and lives in Muslim crap-holes? They still hate us. Being Ukrainian and a US combat vet, I find your armchair quarterbacking to be distasteful and ignorant. Ukraine didn’t ask to have women killed and raped, and babies murdered. But I guess you’re ok with that. You’re a mental midget if you think that Putin will stop with Ukraine. when he attacks a NATO country, we’ll be sending American troops. Then you’d wish we would have supported Ukraine more. Drop dead! Slava Ukraini, Heroyam Slava!
Ukraine learned the hard way about letting the CIA run a coup in their country. I don’t root for either “side” in this conflict. It’s none of my business.
Correct Phil, predictably pedantic…again.
Canada.
Billions to Ukraine and Israel… need to go to an emergency room? 10-13 hour wait times. You might die waiting to see a doctor.
Standing ovation for a real live Nazi.
Slava commy Canada! Crushing it.
13 hour wait times are because the uninsured and undocumented use Emergency Rooms as primary care centers. Over-regulation of private insurance and government stifling both innovation and competition within healthcare are to blame for the system’s inefficiency, not foreign aid.
The problem is government interference.
Res ipsa loquitur – The Thing Speaks for itself AKA Let a Moron be a Moron..
ER in a major US city and it’s a similar story. I grabbed a mylar blanket out of my truck for a shivering elderly woman in the waiting room. Several hours later when I got admitted for some x rays, I found out she was just coming down from her crack pipe high and was there for dialysis for uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. Our actions and inaction have netted us the governments we have around the world.
All that said, personalized gear with art is pretty cool.
I had a stroke a little over three years ago and was made to wait for over an hour at the E.D. while people with scrapes and cuts were going ahead of me. Did I mention that I could barely speak and the right side of my body didn’t work?! They kicked my mom out and I’m pretty sure I was made to wait because I refused to put a damn mask on as the admitting lady chewed me out repeatedly and admitted that she was a proud Biden supporter. I told her she was a moron. Then, the nurses had the balls to push the vaccine on me 6 times (I refused politely until the last time when I flat-out told her to FUCK OFF as I had bigger issues that possibly catching Covid). I’ve always been pretty blunt, but almost dying from a pretty rare thing at 41 made it worse(or better, depending on what side you’re on, haha). I don’t like being talked down to, especially when trying to get help for something that happened to me that was not a result of stupidity.
It was an unreal experience on E.D., but the neurotrauma department was amazing and they told me what to say to jump the line if I had further issues, which I did and I have.
This is a great exhibit – honoring people who have the courage to fight against a genocidal invader.
Ol’ Yawnz back again with another predictably brain-dead hot take.
Yay Israel!