Polina Zubenko Artist from Ukraine
Polina was born and raised in Kharkiv, Ukraine, a city where a unique art, music, theater and literature scene meets a few dozen universities, huge factories and hundreds of IT start-ups. At the age of 14, she moved to Germany to attend school in the Black Forest. Polina currently lives in Munich and is about to finish her law studies with a focus on intellectual property law.
During her studies she worked in a charity foundation, as an interpreter, in the legal departments of an aerospace company and a TV station. She devotes every free second to music and writing. In songwriting she experiments a lot with her voice and guitar, with different styles, and is in the process of teaching herself music production. She writes poetry and short stories, but also enjoys trying her hand at longer forms of storytelling and other art forms.
In her future work, Polina hopes to combine her passion for music, literature and art with her knowledge and practical experience in the legal field in a creative, innovative and useful way.
We had this interview with Polina in 2022.
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What brought you to your art?
I think it's just always been a part of me, a side effect of inquisitiveness and slightly wild imagination, my way to process the world. So much so that it's tough for me to refer to it as "my art". Not necessarily because I discount or dismiss it in any way, but rather because I rarely put pen to paper, setting out to create something. It's not a ritual with designated time or place (although having those helps tremendously) and more of a constant in my life, on walks, trains, in museums, at concerts and of course in important work meetings. More often than not, I'm just trying to get a better look at something I'd just caught a glimpse of.
Everything I've ever made is a closer examination of and the total surrender to a word, shape, melody, or something I've just experienced. And everything to me is a story, even math problems, but especially the pirouettes of falling leaves or first snowflakes and swelling crescendos of symphonies. There's nothing quite like diving headfirst into a story.
In a nutshell, it's much harder for me not to make anything than to make something.
How did you get the opportunity to participate in Cornelia's 'Artists in Residence Program?
One day in the spring of 2022 I energetically waved at my friends standing on the opposite side of the Odeonsplatz in Munich while attending the weekly demonstration for peace in Ukraine. When they finally noticed me, they walked on over and kindly invited me to participate in a literary project for children in Ukraine and all around the world suffering from war trauma. My joy and excitement knew no bounds when I found out that one of my absolute favourite writers and the instrumental inspiration for my move to Germany — Cornelia — had agreed to help us develop a solid concept for the project. I was lucky enough to be a part of the group invited to Fraggina for a brain-storming session and Cornelia generously invited me to come back to look for my own story there.
How did you like your time at Fraggina? Did you find inspiration there?
It feels like I stole those sizzling hot beautiful days at Fraggina from a lucky stranger's life. My year up until that point had been a very literal nightmare of the worst kind. As I watched my deepest fears come true. I, like everyone else around me, became fixated on the practicalities of assuring the welfare of my family and sending as much help home as possible. "Wasting" time or energy on anything not immediately beneficial to either of those causes felt criminal. And frankly I was convinced that whatever spark there had been, it was gone for good.
My week at Fraggina was a dream I'd never dared to dream. I was surrounded by the purest unadulterated magic. The breathtaking nature, the vast book collection, the ancient and mysterious streets of Volterra, the mesmerizing art, the wonderful people I met, the fascinating conversations and the invaluable advice were a salve for my slightly battered soul and set it alive with a whole new fire. Suddenly, everything sang and was once again a story to me. So yes, heaps and heaps of inspiration that'll last me a long time!
What did you take home from there?
A few stories I love, one in particular, which I am fully devoted to and hone and lose sleep over. The intoxicating aroma of high summer accompanied by the almost deafening chorus of the cicadas. So many bursts of light and color that keep seeping through into my dreams even now and visit me often when I let my imagination run free. A joyful excitement for whatever comes next and a love for people and the world that's deeper than ever before. A confidence in my love for what I do and the understanding that I have to keep doing it for my own sake and fulfillment. And a few pretty life-changing lessons which I'll carry with me and keep learning from forever. All in all — no less than a new outlook on life.
