“Flower Bullets” by Maria Kulikovska

March 12, 2026 — The Ukrainian pavilion “Flower Bullets” by artist Maria Kulikovska opened at the Birgu Old Armoury at Malta Biennale 2026.
The opening featured a video address by Tetiana Berezhna, Ukraine’s Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, alongside a live performance by the artist. Remarks were also delivered by commissioner Mariana Dzhulai and curator Eszter Csillag. The installation unfolds as a journey through the cycle of life, shaped by the lived reality of war experienced both by Ukrainian society and the artist herself. Throughout the space, visitors hear the final composition by renowned Ukrainian composer Valentyn Sylvestrov, “Sonata of Sorrow and Curse,” performed by pianist Yevgen Gromov. Conceived as a curse directed at the enemy, the piece evokes a ritualistic, almost protective gesture. The soundscape is layered with the artist’s whispering voice, repeating her grandmother’s herbal healing recipes. “Maria is exposing us the visitors to a world where human emotions are at the center stage. Where emotions, where fragility, where vulnerability instead of being bullied are celebrated because all of them just underline how strong she is nonetheless."— Eszter Csillag, curator. At the heart of the installation is a new body of work combining watercolor depictions of flora with photographs of the artist’s own body, embedded within transparent epoxy panels. This gesture symbolically exposes the body to the viewer, presenting it as another fragile form—like a flower—caught between intimacy and the violence of public conflict. “This project reflects on resilience and survival, while also addressing fragility and corporeality. It draws on herbal knowledge passed down through generations of women—from great-grandmothers to granddaughters. It speaks to the experiences of millions of women today: those fighting alongside soldiers, those giving birth during wartime, and those living in exile while supporting their families from afar.”— Mariana Dzhulai, commissioner. Scattered across the floor are damaged epoxy sculptures from the series “After Death Comes Life.” These casts of the artist’s body were previously vandalized during a public display “My Body is a Battlefield” near the Ukrainian House in Copenhagen. At the Malta Biennale, however, Kulikovska shifts the focus toward.