Founded in 1991 in Lviv, the Masoch Fund stands as a Ukrainian art association spearheaded by Roman Viktyuk, Ihor Podolchak, and Ihor Dyurych. Grounded in the tradition of European actionism and influenced by Nicolas Bourriaud’s “relational aesthetics,” the association’s artistic expression navigates these creative currents. Named in honor of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the fund taps into the peripheries of culture and society while also underscoring its local roots (given Sacher-Masoch’s Lviv origins).
At the core of the Masoch Fund’s ideology lies the principle of “Aesthetics contra Ethics.” Podolchak and Dyurych have earned the reputation of being masters in meticulously crafted provocations, demonstrating the Fund’s adeptness at exposing and critiquing the fetishistic mindset pervasive in contemporary society. Furthermore, the Fund tests and pushes the boundaries of contemporary art institutions.
While the Masoch Fund delves into the social, political, and economic facets of Ukrainian society, it distinctively places emphasis on audience participation, setting it apart from other action artists who might focus on personal experiences (à la Marina Abramović) or mystical opaqueness (akin to the Viennese Actionists). For a comparative perspective, the Masoch Fund’s approach resonates with the methodologies of collectives such as Slovenian artists’ collective IRWIN, Danish artists’ group Superflex, and the collaborative efforts of Svetlana Heger and Plamen Dejanov.
