KYIV — The Art Kyiv contemporary art fair, titled This is Normal, opened at the Lavra Gallery with hundreds of works on display, marking only the second edition of the event since Russia's invasion began. The fair launched in October and presents itself with the premise that art can help society come to terms with what war has made normal.

The hall, occasionally pierced by air-raid sirens warning of Russian strikes, has united Ukraine's most prominent galleries, artists, collectors, and cultural institutions. Art Kyiv describes itself as a cultural platform where artistic experience, public discourse and contemporary Ukrainian reality meet. None of the works on display focus directly on the war.

"Holding the event during wartime means not waiting for a better moment, but working with reality as it is." Art Kyiv fair director Anna Avetova said. "In this context, art does not stand apart from life — it helps make sense of the present, preserve cultural continuity, and lay the groundwork for the future."

Avetova also said the absence of overt wartime imagery was a deliberate choice. "Art is one of the things that keeps us human. It sustains us and warms our soul when things are very hard," she said.

Organizers intended the event to boost the domestic art market, which had stagnated under COVID-19 and worsened during the Russian war. The market is gradually beginning to recover.

Ceramic artist Tala Vovk is showing her work at the fair for the first time. "Art is a place where the everyday doesn't exist," Vovk said. "That would give strength in any situation."

Among the participating artists is Yuriy Vatkin, who in the first weeks of Russia's invasion found himself trapped under occupation between Kharkiv and the Russian border. According to his representative, painting helped Vatkin to survive and maintain his mental health even after his studio was damaged in an attack. He is represented at the fair by works in his signature style, featuring thick, layered brushstrokes, fragmented forms, and a vivid use of color to create a sense of motion and instability.