...they pierced the ground to find food of the starving

Year Created: 2024 Medium: Bread, Plaster Size: 24 x 18 x 5 in ... they pierced the ground to find food of the starving. is about the trauma of the Holodomor (genocide caused by the artificial starvation by the Soviet government) and its impact on the Ukrainian nation, viewed through one of the stories that was passed in the families, including mine. "they": police, military, or civilians supporting the government would walk around the towns that were starving and take away anything edible. Then peasants started to hide the food in the ground to which "they" responded by piercing the ground with metal rods. The plaster here is the stove and ground; it had to appear as a natural and historical protection for the food, the one that was always there, and withstood the fires even when the house would burn - but failed to protect this time. After the genocide, Ukrainians started to reflect on the impact of the Holodomor with the hope of healing. However, this process is lengthy and painful, like a wound that has to be pulled together with stitches. The cracks and scars are inevitable and will bleed once again if touched, just like with the burning fields of wheat that Russia intentionally started.