Olga Polyak
Olga works at the intersection of art, history, and education, developing educational programs and residencies that help artists, teenagers, and educators engage with complex topics through artistic practices. Her work combines an interest in memory, facilitation experience, and an understanding of how art and culture can serve as tools for dialogue and reflection.
As an artist, she focuses on participatory practices, art in public spaces, collage, and hand printing, using a non-directive, method-based approach and improvisation. She is the founder and curator of the art community for young people 20P_, founder of NGO Tretia sproba, co-founder and curator of the self-publishing magazine SVAYA, curator of the teenage program at the Frankivsk School of Contemporary Art, and a member of the NGOs Insha Osvita and Ukrainian-German Cultural Society of Chernivtsi.
"History should not be just a collection of facts but a living space for reflection and empathy. That’s why I lead workshops for teachers as part of Centropa seminars, showing how artistic methods can make the past heard, understood, and personally meaningful for students. Visual practices create new ways to engage with history, especially for neurodivergent students, making education more inclusive and accessible."