The event is organised within the framework of the Japanese presentation of Coloropera, a major work by Ukrainian contemporary artist Alevtina Kakhidze. It brings together artists, educators, and civil society representatives from Ukraine and Japan to examine the role of culture, education, and international cooperation in sustaining societies shaped by Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.

The event positions Ukraine not only as a country under attack, but as a society actively engaged in democratic transformation, European integration, and the long-term rebuilding of its cultural and civic life — a dimension of particular resonance for Japan's own values-based international engagement.

Event Information

Venue:  Delegation of the European Union to Japan | Europa House, 4-6-28 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Date:  Monday, 27 April 2026

Time:  Panel Discussion and Artist Talk 16:00-18:00
　　　 Networking Reception 18:00-20:00

Language:  English and Japanese (simultaneous interpretation provided)

Registration: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/a16b1d71-b4bf-1422-d5c8-dce80f1645ae　（Deadline: Wednesday 22 April）

Programme

• Opening remarks by Thomas Gnocchi, Deputy Head of Mission, the Delegation of the European Union to Japan

• Panel discussion with: Anastasiia Dieieva (CEO, Tokarev Foundation), Natalia Tkachenko (Founder, Spilne Art),  and Professor Atsuko Higashino (University of Tsukuba)

• Artist talk by Alevtina Kakhidze,  moderated by Hlib Rodchenkov

• Audience Q&A

• Networking Reception

Speakers & Moderator

Alevtina Kakhidze

Artist 

Alevtina Kakhidze is an artist, performer, curator, designer, educator, and gardener. She has served as a UN Tolerance Envoy in Ukraine since 2018 and is a recipient of the Kazimir Malevich Award (2008), the Women in Arts Award (2023), and a Special Mention of Ars Electronica.

Education: National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (Kyiv), Jan Van Eyck Academie (Maastricht, Netherlands).

With more than 20 years of artistic practice, she has participated in Manifesta 10, Manifesta 14, and the 7th Berlin Biennale (2012), and has presented numerous solo exhibitions in Ukraine, including at the National Art Museum of Ukraine, PinchukArtCentre, and Ya Gallery Art Centre. She is also the author of the project “Klubnika Andriiivna” (2014–2019), dedicated to life in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

For over two decades—especially during the last five years—Alevtina Kakhidze has consistently acted as an important artistic ambassador of contemporary Ukrainian art internationally. Through her ongoing “nomadic” artistic practice, she not only presents her own work but also actively promotes Ukrainian culture more broadly. Her works have been shown in France, Belgium, Italy, the United States, Germany, and many other countries.

Since 2009, she has worked as a curator, co-founding the Expanded Muzychi Program residency and initiating several art projects, including Working for Change for the Moroccan Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale.

Since 2014, she has also been teaching art and has developed her own course for children based on a process-oriented approach to thinking through drawing.

She is the author of the concepts and projects “The Adult Garden” and “The Totalitarian Flowerbed,” which explore the intersections between gardening and politics.

Anastasiia Dieieva

CEO, Tokarev Foundation | Panellist

Anastasiia Dieieva is the CEO of Tokarev Foundation Ukraine, a pioneering philanthropic organization driving innovation and systemic change in Ukraine's tech ecosystem during wartime. The foundation represents a new generation of tech philanthropy, leveraging technology and data-driven approaches to catalyze progress in education, health, and community resilience. The Foundation supports positive social change and the development of human capital by implementing innovative projects in EdTech and HealthTech: STEM acceleration for women entrepreneurs, healthtech innovation, mathematics education, and opening up DIY laboratories for students in remote areas of Ukraine. As of 2025, Tokarev Foundation is positioned at the frontier of impact finance and tech-enabled philanthropy, going beyond traditional grant-making to create sustainable ecosystems that empower Ukrainian communities and entrepreneurs. Anastasiia brings over a decade of executive leadership in driving systemic reform. As Deputy Minister of Interior of Ukraine (2016-2017), she led the transformation of the country's patrol police and pioneered gender equality policy implementation at the ministerial level. She served as national coordinator for the UN Women-supported HeForShe movement in Ukraine. Through her work, Anastasiia is contributing to Ukraine's emergence as a tech powerhouse, empowering communities to not only survive but thrive despite adversity.

Natalia Tkachenko

Founder, Spilne Art | Panellist

Spilne Art focuses on promoting contemporary art, curating private and public collections, and fostering a conscious art community in Ukraine while integrating Ukrainian art into the global context. The platform also operates at the intersection of art, business, and cultural diplomacy, developing international projects that position Ukrainian art within broader global conversations. Nataliia's experience in finance, process management, and leading teams in large businesses provided the foundation for a bold professional shift: the creation of an art platform and the promotion of Ukrainian art in Ukraine and abroad. Through art management studies at leading Ukrainian and international institutions (Sotheby's Institute of Art, University of Vienna, UC Berkeley) and growing experience working with artists and collectors, Spilne Art has developed from a creative startup into a recognized art platform in Ukraine and internationally.Nataliia consults on building value-driven partnerships between business and art, initiates cross-sector collaborations, and integrates artistic projects into cultural and institutional programs in Ukraine and abroad. A separate component of Nataliia's and Spilne Art’s work is art market analytics in Ukraine and GR practices in the art industry. Nataliia is actively engaged in educational activities, participating in art forums, thematic panels, and public discussions as a speaker, as well as hosting podcasts, lectures, and courses. Her lecture practice covers both artistic processes and the practical aspects of how the art market and institutions function.

Professor Atsuko Higashino
 

Visiting Fellow, Centre for European Studies, Australian National University | Panellist

Dr. Atsuko Higashino is Professor in the faculty of International Studies at University of Tsukuba, Japan. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from University of Birmingham, the United Kingdom, and an MA and BA in Political Science from Keio University, Japan. Before working at University of Tsukuba, she was a Lecturer at University of Birmingham and Associate Professor at Hiroshima City University. She also worked as a special assistant for the Japanese Delegation to the OECD in Paris, where she was in charge of researches on the outreach activities of the OECD. Dr. Higashino is currently teaching International Relations, International History, and politics and policies of the European Union. Her research interests include EU enlargement (Turkey and the Western Balkans), European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), Eastern Partnership (EaP), EU-China relationship. She has written extensively on the Ukraine Crisis (since 2014) as well as Russia-Ukraine War (since 2022) and EU's response to it.

Hlib Rodchenkov

Cultural Manager & Festival Producer | Moderator

Strategic communications lead and cultural producer specialising in international cultural diplomacy, philanthropy, and large-scale programming — across Kyiv, London, Paris,, and Berlin. He led the relaunch of the Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival — Ukraine’s oldest and largest — at its 50th anniversary, and has worked with the teams of Berlinale, and Edinburgh International Film Festival. He curated the events programme for Ukraine’s Not For Sale Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, recognised with the BIE Silver Award for Best Engagement. An expert for the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and Izolyatsia Foundation, he holds an MA in Global Markets & Local Creativities from the University of Glasgow, participated in programmes at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute (HURI), and served as a mentor at CEU Invisible University for Ukraine.
 

Ukraine Government Representative TBC
Japanese Representative TBC

About Coloropera

Coloropera is an immersive audiovisual installation that translates lived experiences of war into a sensory environment combining sound, colour, and light.

Coloropera is supported by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and was first presented in Japan with the support of Tokarev Foundation, a Ukrainian tech philanthropy organisation supporting education, innovation, and long-term social impact.

Coloropera is realised by Spilne Art — a platform developing interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of art, society, and international collaboration.