MATERIAL AND MEDIA NARRATIVITY IN UKRAINIAN INSTALLATIONS OF THE 1990S–2020S: FEATURES OF THE UNFOLDING OF ARTISTIC NARRATIVE

Abstract

The article examines the specifics of the formation and unfolding of narrative in Ukrainian installations of the 1990s–2020s from the perspective of contemporary art theory. It is emphasized that the problem of narrativity in the context of installation has not previously been the subject of a separate systematic study, which determines the relevance of this research. The purpose of the study is to identify the differences between material (object-based) and media narrativity, as well as to analyze how the type of materiality influences the construction of plot, the spatial structure, and the role of the viewer. The research methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach that combines methods of art-historical analysis and narratological analysis. The study includes a formal and compositional analysis of installations and a comparative analysis of material and media-based modes of narrative unfolding. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the synthesis of approaches developed by classical narratologists (M. Bal, G. Prince, R. Barthes) and scholars of installation art (C. Bishop, R. Krauss, J. Crary), on the basis of which the concept of narrative installation is formulated as a spatial and medial structure in which an event unfolds through the interaction of objects, media, and perception. Key criteria for evaluating narrative installations are identified: plot, temporality, type of focalization, materiality/mediality, the role of the viewer, and spatial architectonics.The research section analyzes three material installations (V. Tsagolov, the R.E.P. group, Zh. Kadyrova) and three media installations (O. Chepelyk, M. Shalennyi, O. Vereshchak – M. Zinets). It is demonstrated that in material installations the narrative is constructed through objects and spatial architectonics, where the event appears as a trace from which the viewer reconstructs the plot. In media installations, the event is formed in a processual, temporal format through video imagery, montage, and sound; here the viewer does not reconstruct but experiences the narrative. Conclusions. It is concluded that the fundamental difference between the two types of installations lies in the mode of event representation: material installations model the event as a result, whereas media installations present the event as a process. The study emphasizes that Ukrainian installations of the 1990s–2020s combine documentary qualities, social critique, spatial direction, and multimedia practices, which determine the distinctive character of their narrativity. The results obtained provide a foundation for further research into the interaction between narrative structures and artistic media in contemporary visual culture.