Introduction

The cultural and artistic spheres are the most vulnerable during crises. During the COVID pandemic, we experienced just how quickly many theaters, cinemas, museums, and exhibition grounds came close to shutting down. Many people lost their jobs, and ongoing projects had to be abandoned. This led to a search for new forms of work, including the transition to online and virtual formats. Gradually, we adapted to the new realities, and the cultural sphere began to revive partially.

Wars pose a much more significant challenge for artists. In any country in which armed conflicts occur, government policy automatically directs funds to the military sector and supports the economy. Culture, art, education, and science logically recede into the background.

As a rule, however, the representatives of such spheres of activity must nonetheless express their creative potential. Teachers continue to work with students in bomb shelters, and researchers attempt to publish their scientific findings in order to preserve the material they have developed over the years. In art, artists find the meaning of life and the opportunity to distract from the terrible reality.

Studies of art during World War II indicate that the production of posters increased significantly during this time. This contributed to the emergence of discourse on the genre of posters as an art form [1]. Mildred Constantine said that posters were powerful means of self-expression at the time [2]. Additionally, researchers note that poster art changed and strengthened its social role during the war [3].

Another art form that developed during the war was trench art or the art of metal trenches. Artifacts and trophies were turned into art products, symbolizing the acute nature of confusion and the ambiguity of war for survivors [4].

The growth of museum collections is one interesting phenomenon on the military-cultural front. A study of Lithuanian national and municipal museums during World War II [5] found that the replenishment of museum funding was due to the following:

  • The priority given to supporting Lithuanian art by purchasing works of contemporaries

  • The nationalization of private property

  • Waves of migration of Lithuanian citizens who donated their works of art to museum collections

Artists adapt the theme of their work to the military perspective. Laima Lauskaite, studying the art of World War I, notes that most artworks from the war years “contain propaganda and ideological aspects, but the theme and content of the art heritage of war is broader and not limited to propaganda” [6].

Today, alongside traditional genres of art, new genres are evolving — they include graphic design, performance, digital, and virtual art. Recent years have seen growing interest in scientific art, which is the creative and aesthetic representation of scientific results [7]. One particularly popular approach involves the coloration of images of microstructures obtained by electron microscopes. As a rule, this area’s primary purpose and mission is to promote science. This type of art is the most difficult to switch to military themes because it is scientific and does not allow the breadth of representation to be manipulated.

In this article, we present our own experience of rethinking the values and goals of scientific art, thereby demonstrating the general trends in the development of art during the war. Based on our own experiences, we show the difficulties of pursuing creative activity and overcoming obstacles and the almost impossibility of publishing the results of creativity during the period of temporary occupation. The article was written during the third month of the war. The authors are located in the occupied city of Berdyansk and are looking for an opportunity to move to the territory controlled by Ukraine. We do not know what the situation will be when the article is published. We hope that Ukraine will be liberated. We cannot remain silent even today, however, but must talk about the difficult conditions in which art finds itself during the war. This is necessary for humanity to understand the global need to preserve cultural heritage. We also reflect on the trends in Ukrainian art during the struggle for independence.

Ukrainian Artists During the War: What Is the Situation They Face?

The Russian Federation’s invasion of the territory of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, was rapid and came as a surprise to the population of Ukraine and especially to representatives of the cultural sphere. Since then, the life of every Ukrainian has changed radically, for many forever. Business, education, culture, and science came to a standstill for over a month. During this time, the population mass-migrated to safer places in Ukraine and abroad. People who lost their jobs became active in volunteering and helping those affected by Russian aggression. Everyone was waiting for a more or less quick end to the war.

After the first month of the war, it became clear that this reality for Ukraine would last for a long time; gradually, everyone began to return to normal activities. Businesses began to be launched in those regions where there were no active hostilities, and museums, libraries, and cinemas were reinstated. At this time, Ukrainian military art began to develop actively. For example, the Ukrainian artist Olha Wilson documented the most tragic stories of this war in pictures posted on Instagram, which she called “military notes” [8].

It should be noted that much of the country’s cultural heritage has been destroyed as a result of the shelling of civilian infrastructure in Ukrainian cities [9, 10]. Ukrainian art was therefore forced to move into the virtual domain. Ukrainian artists felt a need to help the Ukrainian soldiers of the armed forces, so they created the NFT Gallery to support the Ukraine Gallery, whose proceeds are channeled into meeting the needs of the Ukrainian army [11].

Many countries have joined Ukrainian artists in calling for Ukraine’s help and salvation. For example, exhibitions of works by the Ukrainian publishing house of the painting UA Comix “War in Ukraine: through the eyes of artists” were organized in The Hague (Netherlands), dedicated to the war in Ukraine unleashed by Russia [12]. In Krakow, FestivALT, in collaboration with Muzeum Komiksu and Muzeum Sztuki i Techniki Japonskiej Manggha, opened a unique exhibition of Ukrainian artists entitled Fight With Art, which also featured works by our artists [13]. There are many such events and initiatives around the world. Festivals aimed at supporting Ukraine are constantly being organized.

Retrospective: the Scientific Art of Nanoart

The authors of this article have been engaged in a particular genre of scientific art for many years — Nanoart. The name says it all; Nanoart is an art based on the artistic representation of nanotechnology products. We focus on the color processing of photographs of nanostructures obtained with high-power microscopes. This art form is based on the need for research and experimentation. We create nanostructures in the laboratory of Berdyansk State Pedagogical University (BSPU). To do so, we opted to use electrochemical etching. Essentially, this involves placing a semiconductor wafer with a perfectly smooth mirror surface into an acid solution (Fig. 1). An electric current is passed through the solution. This causes unique microreliefs to form on the surface of the semiconductor, which have both scientific value and aesthetic appeal. The choice of electrochemical etching is crucial for the obtained structures’ morphology. This science-intensive technology is covered in detail in scientific journals and at materials science conferences [14,15,16,17].

Fig. 1
figure 1

(L) Synthesis of nanostructures on the surface of semiconductors. a The mirror surface of the silicon wafer before electrochemical etching experimenting on the synthesis of nanostructures in the laboratory. b Conducting the experiment on the synthesis of nanostructures in the laboratory. c Study of synthesized nanostructures using scanning electron microscope of Sumy State University (due to the COVID pandemic, the study was conducted online). d Schematic process of electrochemical etching of the semiconductor wafer. e Nanostructures obtained on the surface of the semiconductor as a result of electrochemical etching

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Nanomaterials are materials in which the size of objects does not exceed 100 nm in any one direction (1 nm = 1–9 m). Such structures cannot be seen with the naked eye. Special microscopes are therefore used to study them, magnifying the image up to 50,000 times. Images obtained using a scanning electron microscope are black and white. If color is added to them using graphic editing software, however, we end up with awe-inspiring, aesthetically appealing images that are not merely scientific but also a cultural product (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2
figure 2

(L) Microphotographs of nanostructures obtained using a scanning electron microscope (a) and based on nanoarts (b). (1) Cinnamon, (2) Stone Flower

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Nanoart differs from all other areas of art in that it requires direct scientific experiments and research. Visual art is an effective tool for simplifying and understanding complex physical processes. Integrating scientific experiments or research into Nanoart revolves around how we visualize and interpret the invisible world on the nanoscale. To generate an image in the Nanoart style, it is first necessary to create the nanomaterial itself and then investigate it under a microscope; only then can the image obtained with the aid of a microscope become the basis for creating Nanoart [18]. The scientific data of SEM images and nanotechnological research form the basis for creating visual elements in works of art [19]. Artists then use their creativity to manipulate these images and enhance them in such a way as to present the nanoworld in a visually attractive and understandable manner. Although it is true that other forms of art, such as BioArt [20], also involve the integration of art and science, Nanoart is unique in its use of nanotechnology and its focus on representing the nanoscale world. BioArt primarily involves biological processes and elements [21], while Nanoart visually represents phenomena at the atomic and molecular levels. However, it should be noted that these art forms are not mutually exclusive and can often overlap, with BioArt sometimes presenting the biological world on the nanoscale. The uniqueness of Nanoart lies in its unwavering focus on the nanosphere and internal scientific processes.

In this context, SEM images of nanomaterials can be regarded as the precursor to the emergence of a new art form, namely the development of Nanoart. The new forms are the result of a joint search conducted by artists (graphic designers) and scientists (nanotechnologists).

The founder of Nanoart is the scientist Cris Orfescu, who considered this area of scientific art to be one of the best means of promoting responsible scientific and technological progress to the general public [22].

Nanoart objects (paintings created in the style of science art) are a unique cultural product. Each Nanoart object is created personally by the authors, from the stage of nanostructure synthesis to the Nanoart-style painting. Each Nanoart object is unique in terms of its aesthetic and scientific value, as it is based on microphotographs of nanostructures obtained using a scanning electron microscope. Each nanostructure created is the result of scientific research and experiment, reflecting the latest achievements in nanotechnology. Images obtained using a scanning electron microscope reproduce and interpret structures far beyond the spectrum visible to the human eye. This not only underscores the technical capabilities of modern science but also serves as a tool for disseminating knowledge about the nanoworld to a broad audience. Finally, the scientific value of Nanoart objects is associated with the way in which artists interpret and transform these scientific images. Their creative process may include manipulating images to highlight certain nanostructure aspects or to create a new aesthetic sensation. The value of Nanoart objects thus stems from their origins in scientific research, their ability to portray the invisible nanoworld, and their use as a medium for scientific and artistic expression.

It should be noted that scientific art is currently developing in a fragmented and somewhat chaotic manner. It requires detailed research, the identification of methods and characteristics and the establishment of shared principles, etc.

Therefore, the primary goals and focuses of our project “Nanoart. Science is Art” are as follows:

  • To popularize modern scientific art, namely Nanoart, as a combination of modern design and nanotechnology

  • To draw public attention to modern creative art and the latest technologies

  • To demonstrate that science and art today are inseparable, that they are part of the creative process, complement each other, and in their unity reveal new facets of knowledge about the universe

  • To popularize modern science among students, schoolchildren, and various segments of the population

  • To transfer the experience gained in synthesizing nanostructures and generating knowledge from nanoscience by carrying out thematic actions and by creating and distributing popular science articles

  • To substantiate the possibility and development of ways to use Nanoart technologies in visual communications and social practices to ensure the sustainable development and competitiveness of modern scientific art

  • To define the role of modern digital and scientific art in the social and cultural sphere and in education by analyzing and summarizing existing methodological approaches to the problem of combining science, technology, art, and design

  • To bring nanoscience from the laboratory to the general public, as well as to combine different areas of creative and scientific activities

  • To upscale the creative space of Nanoart with a view to exchanging experiences relating to the decentralization of culture and science between artists, painters, designers, and nanoengineers.

To this end, we have been creating Nanoart paintings for over 6 years, presenting them at scientific photography competitions, holding thematic events (lectures, workshops, etc.), and developing souvenirs and identities. These activities have enabled us to draw attention to contemporary Ukrainian scientific art, which led in 2021 to us receiving two grants for the development and promotion of Nanoart:

  • ◦ Grant of the President of Ukraine for the implementation of the creative project of Serhii Kovachov — Artbook “Nanoart”

  • ◦ Grant for implementing Yana Suchikova’s personal project “Nanoart. Science is Art,” supported by the European Union under the House of Europe program

  • The project’s motto was “It’s time to see the true beauty of science.” The results of the receipt of the grants were as follows (Fig. 3):

  • ◦ The popular science artbook “Nanoart,” which was made available to the libraries of Ukraine

  • ◦ The establishment of the first Nanoart gallery in Ukraine in the physics and mathematics building of Berdyansk State Pedagogical University

Fig. 3
figure 3

(L) The opening of the first Nanoart gallery in Ukraine (a) and the artbook “Nanoart. Science is Art” (b)

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We have seen positive results in the development of scientific art and sought to achieve new results, namely:

  • ◦ The development of new types of and directions in art and design, thereby increasing the number of cultural products available to a broad audience

  • ◦ Support for the professional development of young designers, artists, and scientists

  • ◦ Stimulation of cross-sectoral partnerships and support for competitive technologies that are potentially able to attract private investment and capable of sustainable development

  • ◦ In supporting the promotion of Ukrainian brands in Ukraine and abroad, we believe that Nanoart’s unique identity could significantly influence the development of Ukrainian brands and become an independent trend with a wide range of products and areas of representation.

Rethinking Goals and Values During the War

Six months after the opening of the Nanoart gallery in the building where it is located, a renovation was undertaken. We updated the gallery on February 23, 2022, and planned its opening. In February 24, everything changed dramatically. Ukraine woke up to explosions. Russia had started a large-scale war. In 27 February, Russian troops entered Berdyansk, and the city was occupied. The university’s activities were suspended at that time. The situation in the city of Berdyansk deteriorated on 24 March 2022 when the large landing ship “Saratov” of the occupiers’ Black Sea Fleet was destroyed, which took place near the student dormitory of Berdyansk State Pedagogical University. On this day, the Russian occupation forces searched the dormitory, knocked on the door of each room, and returned all the belongings of students and refugees from Mariupol who were there at the time. Ultimately, the occupiers took all the residents to the assembly hall and inspected them for specific tattoos. The occupiers checked the residents’ electronic devices. Two individuals who had phones on which Ukrainian symbols were found on the avatars were mercilessly beaten. On this day, Russian soldiers decided to spend the night in the physics and mathematics building on the floor where the Nanoart Gallery is located. Shortly afterward, they shot down the building and stole the university’s servers, which hosted the BSPU website.

At the same time, Ukrainian artists and scientists tried to continue their work, and the world actively supported Ukraine in its struggle for independence. An artwork that we developed for the NanoArtography competition was selected by the Drexel Nanomaterials Institute as the “NanoArtography Image of the Month” in March 2022 (Fig. 4a, b) [23]. In this way, the Drexel Institute supported all scientists and artists from Ukraine who work in the field of scientific art. The Pantone Color Institute supported Ukraine and dedicated two shades to the Ukrainian flag, free blue and energetic yellow (Fig. 4c). The German cultural center Goethe-Institut at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ukraine has made an emergency scholarship available to graduates of the House of Europe.

Fig. 4
figure 4

(L) SEM image of the surface of indium phosphide after electrochemical etching (a). Phoenix Nanoart, created within the Nanoart project “Science is Art” (b). Colors free blue and energetic yellow, which the Pantone Color Institute dedicated to the Ukrainian flag (c). Updated “Phoenix” Nanoart for the project “Nanoart. The New Symbolism of Science” (d)

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We could not ignore Ukraine’s struggle for independence and decided to reformat the “Nanoart. Science is Art” project. From the day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we began to call our project “Nanoart. New Symbolism of Science.” We decided to paint nanoart in the colors of Ukraine’s national flag: blue and yellow. In this way, we want the world’s attention to be drawn to the events unfolding in our country. We were the first to update Phoenix Nanoart (Fig. 4d), which now symbolizes the revival of Ukraine from the fire, as the phoenix comes to life again and again, becoming more robust and more majestic.

We dedicate our new Nanoart to Ukraine’s fight for its independence and our future victory. Through the indivisibility of art and culture, we want to convey to the world the necessity of supporting our scientists, artists, and all Ukrainians. Not everyone is currently on the front line, but each of us can work on our own personal battlefields where we are strong.

The motto of our project is now “Science and art should be for peace, not for war.” New realities are displacing the project’s educational, scientific, and popularizing missions. Today, the goals of the project are as follows:

  • • To support Ukrainian art during the war

  • • To attract the attention of the global community to the events in Ukraine

  • • To appeal to the world’s countries about the necessity to help Ukraine

  • • To preserve Ukrainian art collections

  • • To encourage Ukrainians who are in noncombat areas to work (everyone has strengths in their professional field)

  • • To unite the Ukrainian intelligentsia and elite (artists, scientists, educators) for the restoration and development of Ukraine

  • • To promote Ukrainian scientific art and heritage protection

  • • To cover the events of the war and the resilience of Ukrainian society

  • • To support the Ukrainians’ belief in victory and the restoration of Ukraine

Some of our old works have acquired a new look and symbolism. Nanoart “Africa,” which was granted quality image status by Wikimedia Commons (photos that meet specific quality standards and are valuable for Wikimedia projects), was transformed into the collage, which now clearly reflects the contours of Ukraine (Fig. 5a). This Nanoart symbolizes the indivisibility and unity of our country.

Fig. 5
figure 5

(L). Nanoart “United Ukraine” (a). Nanoart “Downplane” (b)

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Figure 5b shows the Nanoart “Downplane.” The aircraft is painted in the colors of the Russian flag, which symbolizes Ukraine’s call to secure the sky. The diamond field symbolizes the wealth of Ukrainian land. In this way, we draw the world’s attention to the need to intervene and provide military assistance to Ukraine.

In addition to transforming already-known works, new nanoarts have been created. The work “Free Bird” symbolizes a free and independent Ukraine and the faith of Ukrainians in victory (Fig. 6a). “Love of Life” recalls Jack London’s novel of the same name. The symbolism of this work lies in the revival of Ukraine because, despite everything, Ukrainians demonstrate steadfastness and indomitability (Fig. 6b).

Fig. 6
figure 6

(L) Nanoart "Love of Life" (a). Nanoart "Free Bird" (b)

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In this study, we demonstrate, on the basis of our own experience, how the values and motivations of Ukrainian artists have changed during the war. The themes of artistic works tell the story of the Ukrainian people’s struggle against invaders. Now, the messages of creativity call for support for Ukraine in these difficult times. More and more, Ukrainian symbols are present in the works of Ukrainian artists, attesting to the identity of Ukrainian culture. The war will end, and gradually other themes will emerge, and society will return to normal values. For a long time, however, the pain and resilience of the Ukrainian people will remain present in the works of Ukrainian authors.

Art in Occupation: Security Measurement

Another critical aspect of art during the war concerns the work done by artists during the occupation. Figure 7 shows a map of the occupied cities of Ukraine on the 4th day of the war on February 27, 2022. It was on this day that the occupation of Berdyansk began. Currently, there is considerable evidence of how the occupiers behave [24, 25], though we will not describe this in detail because it is not the article’s focus. We note only common features that apply to all occupied cities regarding artistic activity.

Fig. 7
figure 7

(S). Map of the occupied territories of Ukraine as of February 27, 2022

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A shortage of food, medicine, water, hygiene products, and cash characterizes all occupied cities. This significantly affects the morale and physical condition of residents. Of course, it is almost impossible for people in creative professions to work under such conditions.

As the “Military Commandant’s Office” is introduced in occupied cities, almost all educational, scientific, and cultural institutions are forced to close. Workers from these institutions either switch to working online, go into “idle” mode, or are dismissed.

Many Russian troops are concentrated in the occupied regions; they patrol the streets with guns, check residents’ documents and mobile phones, exert pressure on the population, and take over private homes, administrative buildings, and businesses.

As a rule, the Internet is partially or completely absent in occupied cities. Mobile communication is often cut off, and people are isolated from information for weeks [26, 27].

Activists, legitimate authorities’ representatives, the heads of enterprises and institutions, and volunteers are under particular threat. They are kidnapped from their homes, forced to cooperate, tortured if they refuse, and held for weeks and months in prisons. This especially applies to those citizens who actively express their civic position. Force and firearms were used to halt the daily peaceful rallies in all occupied cities.

Under such conditions, people are afraid to go out into the street. In social networks, they have to hide their profiles, “clean up content,” and keep quiet. In the occupied territories, residents have no right to say anything, express an opinion, or express love for their homeland. In occupied Mariupol, filtration camps are in operation, and every city resident must undergo “filtration.” Not everyone withstands such filtration, either morally or physically.

There is mass migration from the occupied cities to the free territories of Ukraine despite the danger of entering the zone of active hostilities on the road. This does not stop Ukrainians from wanting to live on free land, however. This leads to the “closure” of cities by the occupiers, making entry and exit impossible. People effectively become hostages.

The authors of this article found themselves in exactly such a situation at the time of writing. Now we have found an opportunity to leave because we were forced to hide in other people’s apartments in our hometown when the Russian occupiers began to hunt us down.

Under such conditions, it is of course almost impossible to express your thoughts through creativity. The occupiers even listen in to phone conversations. This constitutes a live adaptation of George Orwell’s novel “1984” in which you can be punished for your thoughts.

So what do we conclude? Are creativity and art impossible under occupation? Almost. However, the desire of artists to create and share the results of their work encourages them to look for ways to do so.

Many people therefore use pseudonyms or publish their work without attribution. Authors choose foreign platforms on which to publish their works. It is hazardous to publish such content on your social media. Every artist and scientist who continues to work under occupation is a soldier on his or her own front and a hero. Only real soldiers can continue fighting against Russian aggression, despite the great risks to their lives. The Ukrainian people have shown incredible will, steadfastness, and indomitability [28,29,30]. This phenomenon in Ukraine will radically change the perception of art during the war and affect global trends in modern creative space.

Conclusions

Trends in art, including visual art and design, are often driven by social and political events in society. Through their work, artists have always attempted to communicate their public position and convey what they believe to be important messages to society. Scientific art, such as graphic design or digital art, has always been separated from such trends. Scientific art has its discourse through which artists and researchers try to promote science, draw public attention to new paradigms, and stimulate the development of cross-sectoral partnerships. The primary mission is to demonstrate the inseparability of science and art as components of the creative process. War is the only thing that can force every art form to be reformatted.

Based on our own experience, we have shown how the war has affected the plots of artworks (ours and those of every artist in Ukraine). We share our thoughts on how the “Nanoart. Science is Art” project was transformed in just 1 day into the “Nanoart. New Symbolism of Science” project. The project, which aimed to promote science and scientific art, thus became an acute social project calling for support for Ukraine. We present new symbols in Nanoart works and explain their social orientation.

The war in Ukraine is characterized by destruction and active hostilities and the occupation of many territories. This makes it almost impossible for artists to be creative and publish the results of their activity. Our example demonstrates the challenges that artists face under the conditions of occupation. The problems highlighted in the article concern mainly Ukrainians at the present time. However, everyone should know about them because they pose a challenge to the independence of thought and the word of the world. In addition, we are confident that Ukrainian art created during the war will have a prolonged influence on trends in global art and prompt us to think about finding new formats.