The Price of Peace

How does war transform daily life, and how does it differ from life untouched by conflict? How can art inspire, empower, and give voice during times of hardship?

From 24 February to 5 March, two different yet complementing exhibitions will be on portrayal at The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) to shed light and new perspectives on these questions.

The first exhibition, called The Price of Peace, consists of 12 posters made by students of the National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture of Ukraine reflecting the way the ongoing war influences daily life.

The second, called aHOUSEforHOME consists of an installation with photo collage and soundscapes made by teenage Ukrainians who fled to The Netherlands after the fullscale invasion by Russia in ‘22. They reflect on the meaning of home, being away from home. 

The Price of Peace

Contrasting before and after

While life in Ukraine and the Netherlands was not so different, everything changed the 24th of February, 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. Suddenly, time became contrasted into “before” and “after”.

The contrast between war-torn Ukraine and peaceful life in the Netherlands is expressed in a creative way by the first exhibition The Price of Peace. Students of the National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture of Ukraine reflected the way the ongoing war influences daily life. The posters were created by students of the National Academy of Visual Arts and Architecture of Ukraine under the supervision and curatorship of Olena Batenko and Svitlana Koshkina, both lecturers at the Academy.

In addition, all posters are mirrored by a set of photos of Dutch daily life, taken by IPPL students Jurjen Van Gelderen and Andrii Lysenko to invite the viewer to reflect on differences and similarities, the impact of a “before” and “after”.

aHOUSEforHOME

Where past and future find a place to belong

Where do the borders between countries blur? When does the city merge with nature and change through human interaction? 

These questions form the starting point of aHOUSEforHOME, a creative programme where young Ukrainians explore what “home” means to them — somewhere between memory and imagination, between the city they live in now and the one they had to leave behind. A workshop programme at the crossroads of art, architecture and urban design.

During the Autumn School The Hague (autumn break 2025), fifteen Ukrainian teenagers (aged 15 to 19) worked closely with artists and designers Hanna Hrabarska, Anna Khvyl, Nazar Gresko and Anastasiia Palii. They explored the city both as researchers and storytellers. 

Through photography, sound, drawing, mapping, writing and installation, they listened to the rhythm of unfamiliar streets, noticed small details, and linked these discoveries to memories of their favourite places in Ukraine.

Step by step, their ideas and collected materials grew into the installation My City is -?, an immersive work that invites the public to see the city through their eyes and feel how a new place can slowly become a home.

Visit the Exhibitions

Both exhibitions are free for students and staff.

• 24 February | Atrium
• 25 February to 5 March | Hallway next to the THUAS Library

Opening Ceremony

Please join us for the Opening Ceremony on 24 February:

More info & registration

Photo:
© Lera Manzovitova

This event is organized by Agora Student Union in close collaboration with The Lighthouse, Kyiv National University of Fine Arts and Architecture, Vataha (aHOUSEforHOME) and THUAS Research Group Urban Social Development.