#5 Pop-up Kunsthalle zu Kiel
Open Group. Repeat After Me II
25 April to 20 September 2026
An exhibition by the Kunsthalle zu Kiel at the Flandernbunker
The Kunsthalle zu Kiel is presenting the two-channel video installation Repeat After Me II by the Ukrainian artist collective Open Group (Yuriy Biley, Pavlo Kovach, Anton Varga) at the Flandernbunker. The work, which addresses russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, was first presented in the Polish Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, curated by Marta Czyż.
In the films, made in 2022 and 2024, civilian witnesses mimic the sounds of war as if they were part of a karaoke event. The sounds of drones, air raid sirens, tanks, missiles and defence systems, mimicked from memory, coalesce into a haunting soundscape that, in the face of the real machinery of war, is both moving and makes one feel one’s own powerlessness. The karaoke setting constructed in the exhibition space potentially turns visitors into imitators themselves, thereby encouraging active listening.
The Flandernbunker, now in ruins, stands as a testament to the madness of war and defeat. The Wehrmacht built the bunker in 1943 using forced labour as a shelter for the 5th Submarine Flotilla of the Naval High Command East, as well as a coordination centre for the Baltic Sea region and the city of Kiel. The Mahnmal Kilian association has developed and established the site as a regional centre for education and remembrance of the Nazi era. The naval base and other Bundeswehr buildings are located in the immediate vicinity today.
The presentation of Repeat After Me II within this historic wartime architecture imbues the work with a powerful atmosphere. The karaoke scenario, which at first glance appears mundane, loses its innocence in this setting. The video works give a voice to the refugees, which is documented by the artists and transformed into a collective space of resonance.
Flandernbunker | Opening hours: Daily 10 am to 5 pm | Admission: €4; concessions €3
Mahnmal Kilian e.V.
Kiellinie 249
24106 Kiel
OPENING
FRIDAY, 24 APRIL 2026, 6 PM
The installation will be open from 5 pm.
Welcome
Dr Jens Rönnau, Chairman of Mahnmal Kilian e. V.
Dr habil. Regina Göckede, Acting Director of the Kunsthalle zu Kiel
Followed by a discussion with
Yuriy Biley and Anton Varga, two of the three artists from Open Group
Marta Czyż, curator of Repeat After Me II (first presented in the Polish Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale)
Muriel Meyer, Curator of the Kunsthalle zu Kiel’s pop-up programme
As places are limited, we recommend registering for the discussion by 22 April 2026 at: buero@kunsthalle-kiel.de
Content Note
The interactive multimedia installation on the war in Ukraine is presented in a historic bunker. The combination of audio recordings and the spatial setting can make for an intense experience. This may trigger feelings of unease, anxiety or distressing memories in sensitive or traumatised individuals.