Diana Berg: The Alchemy of Memories and Traumas

Pop-Up Exhibition

GCAC Artist-in-Residence Storefront Studio

Saturday, November 1, 2025

Opening Reception from 7 – 10PM

This pop-up exhibition, The Alchemy of Memories and Traumas—the result of a one-month residency at the Grand Central Art Center—is a ritualistic journey through loss, memory, and healing, where Ukraine-based artist Diana Berg, originally from Mariupol and now living in Kyiv, uses installations to merge the contrasting elements and symbols in the Grand Central Art Center storefront artist-in-residence studio space.

The show explores esoteric practices and alchemy as methods for processing trauma. Through both personal works and collaborations with El Salvador born local artist Antonio Palomo AG, the exhibition exposes the shocking similarities in stories of pain and the absurd contrasts between war and peace, creating a space for communal healing.

The show is an alchemical laboratory: here, sand from a site of tragedy meets the waters of ocean, Orthodox domes are transformed into memorial candles, and shattered memories are given new form. This is an honest and raw look at trauma from different angles, exploring the surreal contrasts of our time and the magic essential for survival.

Diana Berg’s residency at GCAC is part of ArtsLink International Fellowships, a CEC ArtsLink program supporting transnational arts and social practice.