Kraków – “Pure and ready to rise to the stars”, a line from Dante’s Divine Comedy that marks the poet’s passage from purgatory to paradise, serves as the starting point for an art exhibition reflecting on the human condition today: inner contradictions, the search for light, and resilience amid chaos.
The exhibition, held at the Italian Cultural Institute in Kraków from September 16 to 30 in collaboration with the Fundacja Jedność, reinterprets Dante’s journey through hell as envisioned by young Ukrainian artists. The works on display were created by children, teenagers, and young adults hosted in Kraków by the foundation as part of a 2024 educational project.
The initiative aims to support the civil and cultural resistance of the Ukrainian community displaced by Russia’s invasion. Through their art, the young participants pose urgent questions: Is there a way out? Where do we find support in a collapsing world? How can hope be found amid despair? Their artistic voices suggest deeply personal paths toward the stars—symbols of light and hope.