SET ASIDE (Kyiv, 2023) is an art installation that consists of a selection of 22 bullet and shrapnel-riddled wooden planks retrieved from destroyed houses in different war-torn regions of Ukraine. It serves as a poignant representation of the enduring and devastating impact of the war on the affected civilian population.

Following the aftermath of World War I, European sawmills faced a rather unique problem. The trees that had suffered the impact of bombings and warfare were filled with bullets and shrapnel. Embedded within the wood, these remnants caused the saw blades to jam, rendering these planks unusable. Consequently, they were set aside, while other untarnished sections of the trees were repurposed for the reconstruction of war-torn Europe. Despite being deprived of their original purpose, these planks held the potential for future revival.

I imagined all these 'scarred' planks standing next to each other against the wall of a sawmill, bereft of their intended function due to the ravages of war. Patiently awaiting a new purpose. Within this imagery, I saw a potent metaphor for the profound impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine on its civilian population. Similar to those trees, numerous Ukrainian civilians have been physically and psychologically scarred by this relentless war. Robbed of their goals and ambitions, yet resiliently standing, they now confront the challenge of finding renewed purpose in their lives.

To recreate this evocative image, I gathered several wooden planks and beams from demolished houses in various war-torn locations throughout Ukraine. They underwent meticulous re-sawing and charring processes, meticulously emulating the appearance of charred wood frequently witnessed in countless devastated villages across the nation. Embedded within the wood are distinctive fragments of metal sourced from bullet casings and shrapnel that I personally collected.