Sergei Yakunin’s place in Ukrainian contemporary art is defined both by the spirit of his work and the locations. The artist prefers to shy away from commercial projects, demonstrating a preference for large urban spaces and natural landscapes. Sometimes these settings are empty, sometimes they are teeming with people, but Yakunin’s work effortlessly reflects its specific locale: this is what makes site-specific art different from other art forms.
This publication represents an overview of Yakunin’s work from 1970—2018 as a pioneer of Ukrainian site-specific art showing the artist’s development from easel painting, through environmental sculpture, installation, so-called land art, actionism and performance art. All of these are part of the wider definition of site-specific art — designed specifically for a particular location and constructed to explore the context in which it exists, integrated with the artist’s specific message.