Outernet and ADOT present VLADA - an Immersive Experience Marking The Second Anniversary of The War in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine following the Russian invasion of 2022 has resulted in vast amounts of videos and photographs being uploaded online. With most people able to use their phones to upload information the war has become one of the most documented conflicts in history. This video installation by Nick Crowe and Ian Rawlinson has been created from over 27,000 videos uploaded to a Ukrainian Telegram Channel.

VLADA is an 11 hour long continuous artwork made from this material that will play in full for one day only on Saturday 24th February between1pm and midnight.

The piece looks at the phenomena of mass, distributed journalism. Visitors will witness over 320 videos showing simultaneously across the floor to ceiling, 16K wrap around screens at Outernet in what is a deliberately overwhelming experience. Having taken a year to build the visuals are combined with a driving soundtrack creating a single, ever shifting, entity – simultaneously thought provoking and disturbing.

ADOT, Outernet’s affiliated charity has brought the piece with artists Nick and Ian to the screens. ADOT is focused on making a difference through thought provoking campaigns with an aim to encourage acceptance of the similarities between us rather than the small differences to undo the epidemic of disconnect and conflict that confronts the world. VLADA also hopes to encourage the public to Choose Love and donate to chooselove.org to support displaced Ukrainian communities today.

ADOT said:

“ADOT are proud to present VLADA at Outernet – this poignant exhibition provides a unique and impactful reflection on the war on Ukraine. ADOT has provided this space to engage in reflection that will bring us closer to each other, enabling us to see that our hopes, fears and love for each other are all shared as one.” 

Nick and Ian said:

“We’re proud to be showing this work at Outernet to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. If art has a role to play in such a conflict it is to help us to not forget. When the full-scale invasion began we knew this was an era-defining moment in world politics. As artists we could not ignore it.

VLADA came about because like the rest of the world we were glued to our phones watching the horror unfold.  It’s also our way of not letting that horror be forgotten, nor allowing it to overwhelm or paralyse us.  After all, that’s what Putin would like.

It’s a long form video and had to be meticulously pieced together. You’d imagine you could automate something like this, but in reality is requires a human eye to check that every element it sitting just as it should.”

Outernet sees the UK premiere of this work which was first shown at the M17 Centre for Contemporary Art in Kyiv in October 2023.

About the artists

Nick Crowe & Ian Rawlinson started working together while sharing a studio in Manchester 1994.  They soon built a reputation for their 24 hour long performances and spectacular video works.  The latter often combined densely layered allusions to faith, politics, national identity and the environment. Their collaboration has continued since Crowe moved to Germany in the early 2000s and their work has been included in Museum shows in Europe, Asia and the United States as well as regularly in the UK. Both have combined their art careers with teaching, respectively at Goldsmiths, London and MMU, Manchester.