Diaries of Time exhibition opens in Odesa featuring artifacts made from Russian missile fragments and spent bullets

The materials used for creating the sculptures are provided to the artist by the military. However, for the first piece, the debris was collected by Mykhailo Reva's neighbors after a Russian missile struck their summer homes.

"A huge, expensive missile destroyed about 15 small huts. My neighbors collected the debris of this missile for me. From them, I created my first sculpture, "Flower." At the same time, I saw an amazing thing: through this metal, nature still shows us harmony. We know that this metal is intended to kill us, but nature still shows us beauty. This is a paradox between life and death," the artist shared.

The exhibition features a unique piece that, as Reva notes, was crafted not by him but by time itself—a door delivered by the sea to the shores of Odesa after the Russians destroyed the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station.

"My friends found the door and brought it to my studio. I saw that there was a seal on the door. The owners made it of bread crumbs. Any thief could break the glass and open it, but there was something personal in this seal. This door is a symbol of our time, when the strength of the family is tested, how we can support each other in this cycle of evil," Reva said.

These exhibits, along with other works by the artist centered on the theme of war, are scheduled to be displayed at an exhibition in Rome in July.

"The exhibition "Circle", dedicated to the war, will be held in Rome. My works will be exhibited in a former slaughterhouse, which is about 800 years old. This place is permeated with terrible energy, and the municipality of Rome decided to reformat it. They left there some of the vats, the tracks on which the carcasses were transported – this resonates with the spirit of my sculptures made of debris and parts of missiles, with this energy of murder. The Italians are "healing" this place through art. I really liked this idea," the sculptor said.

The artist also plans to create several more sculptures that will be installed in Odesa in the Greek Park this year.

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Mykhailo Reva, an Honored Artist of Ukraine, is a distinguished sculptor and artist specializing in architectural and decorative plastic arts. He is also the founder of the RevaFoundation and a co-founder of the Maybutne charity foundation. His first significant work in Odesa was the bas-relief "Four Sides of the World," complementing Ernst Nevidy's monumental sculpture "The Golden Child," which graces the area near the Sea Station. Another notable creation, the "Angel of Mercy," adorned a children's rehabilitation center, earning the building the nickname "House with an Angel."

Reva is also credited with creating the sculpture "Source" near the Vorontsov Palace, "House of the Sun" on Lanzheron Beach, and "Beginning of Beginnings" in the Greek Park, among others. He conceptualized a memorial dedicated to soldiers who perished in the Anti-Terroristic Operation/Joint Forces Operation area. This memorial park was intended to be constructed behind the Odesa Regional Military Administration building; however, its completion was halted due to the outbreak of the war. With the onset of the invasion, Reva began incorporating bullets, fragments of Russian missiles, and other war artifacts into his artwork.