We Know Who They Are… (WTWTA) is a comprehensive exhibition project featuring the artworks and wartime artifacts of over 20 Ukrainian artists. The traveling exhibition comes to Baltimore July 31–October 2, 2026 at The Peale museum. There are several companion events during this time, hosted by The Peale in collaboration with the Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee and Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee. Admission to the exhibition and most or all of the companion events will be free.
Exhibition
July 31 – October 2, 2026
Location: The Peale museum, 225 Holliday Street Baltimore, Maryland, USA 21202
In this exhibition, visitors will see the conflict through various artistic interpretations by contemporary Ukrainian artists and come to understand the events as they unfolded in paintings, drawings, sculptures, assemblages, collages, etc.
We Know Who They Are (WKWTA) is a project by Conflicted Art that reveals hidden truths and unseen dimensions of the Russian war with Ukraine. Its main theme is the one most others will not dare touch — Russian war atrocities in Ukraine. The project was conceived when Conflicted Art founder Yevgen Nemchenko met with George Washington University Fine Arts and Public Policy student Benjamin Cunningham in early 2023.
The project quickly expanded to become an immersive multimedia experience. Visitors will see the conflict through various artistic interpretations by contemporary Ukrainian artists and come to understand the events as they unfolded in paintings, drawings, sculptures, assemblages, collages, etc. Some of the works depict the tragedy directly, some figuratively, while others expose the resilience of the Ukrainian people and their disdain towards the aggressor.
A video, put together from submissions by artists and average Ukrainians, injects the attendee into the situation and gives a first-hand account. For a part of the exhibit viewers will have to use their electronic device in order to fully engage. Artifacts on display, also obtained through personal connections, include fragments of Russian jets and tanks, a propeller from a downed Iranian Shahed suicide drone and personal affects of a Ukrainian soldier. Visitors will be able to touch, smell, and interact with some of the objects.
About the traveling exhibition: wkwta.com/exhibition
Companion events
Friday July 31 at 6-8pm ET
Exhibition opening reception
(More details to come, about this event.)
Friday, August 14 at 6pm ET
Film screening:
The Porcelain War: Art, Resistance, and the Human Story of Ukraine
In times of war, what role does art play? Can creativity protect identity, preserve culture, and offer hope amid devastation? Join us for a screening of The Porcelain War, an intimate documentary that follows Ukrainian artists creating and preserving beauty in the midst of invasion. (More details to come, about this event.)
In-person event at The Peale museum.
Saturday, August 15 at 2-4pm ET
Artists Panel Talk
An interactive discussion with the curators of the “We Know Who They Are” exhibition and local artists that have ties to Ukraine. (More details to come, about this event.)
In-person event at The Peale museum.
Sunday, August 16, 12-4pm ET
Ukrainian Arts and Crafts Afternoon
An afternoon of activities for families and kids. (More details to come, about this event.)
In-person event at The Peale museum.
Thursday, September 17, 12pm ET
Virtual event:
Preserving Cultural Heritage in Times of Conflict: Lessons from Ukraine
12pm ET (Baltimore time) – 19.00 EET (Ukraine time) – 18.00 CET (Netherlands time)
This virtual panel convenes museum professionals, cultural workers, and heritage advocates to explore the urgent question: How do we preserve and maintain cultural heritage in times of conflict?
Centering on the ongoing war and occupation of Ukraine, this program brings together international voices to examine the role of museums and cultural institutions in safeguarding collections, protecting sites, and sustaining cultural identity during crisis. The discussion will feature live-streamed presentations from speakers across multiple time zones, followed by a live, moderated Q&A session to encourage dialogue and exchange among participants. (More details to come, about this event.)
Conflicted Art
As a traveling exhibition, WKWTA is conducted under Conflicted Art, an art-based organization developed by Nemchenko and Cunningham in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Conflicted Art is a collection of paintings, sculptures, and other artworks by Ukrainian artists created during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was conceived a few days into the war and was meant to show the war through the artists’ eyes as it was unfolding. Some works are an artist’s attitude to a specific event during the conflict, while others show an artist’s reflection on their feelings and current situation.
The project revealed a theme that while a certain amount of social change or even instability might be helpful for an artist to draw inspiration from, the overall conditions and situation in which an artist creates must be at least somewhat comfortable. Otherwise, work might stop or take unpredictable forms.
The project’s founders, Benjamin and Yevgen, are committed to expanding their efforts. They are currently in discussions with galleries both domestically and internationally that may be interested in exhibiting the project. As Yevgen emphasizes, “People everywhere must see what is happening there, because this conflict is not confined to just Ukraine. If left unchecked, the dictator will always go further, giving a signal to others that they can do the same”.
About Conflicted Art: www.conflictedart.com
