Book Arsenal traditionally participates in the Bologna Book Fair, which this year will be held from March 31 to April 3, 2025.
The national stand of Ukraine within the Bologna Book Fair is organized by the Ukrainian Book Institute and will feature current books of Ukrainian authors and illustrators from national publishers.
Book Arsenal, with the support of the Bologna Book Fair, will present a program of events with Ukrainian speakers involved, its own presentation location, and the exhibition project Ukraine: Yesterday and Today in collaboration with and curated by the Pictoric Illustrator Club.
Ukraine: Yesterday and Today (Hall 30/C52).
This exhibition brings together the works of contemporary Ukrainian illustrators and legendary artists of the 20th century, offering a fascinating journey through the evolution of Ukrainian illustration. By showcasing the connections and contrasts between past and present, the exhibition highlights the resilience and uniqueness of Ukrainian visual storytelling.
The 20th-century section features iconic illustrators whose works shaped the imagination of generations: Nina Denysova, Halyna Halynska, Volodymyr Holozubov, Mykola Storozhenko, and many more. Ukrainian children’s books were uniquely enriched by avant-garde artists, monumental painters, and visionary illustrators who masterfully blended folk motifs with classical European influences.
The contemporary section presents leading Ukrainian illustrators shaping today’s artistic landscape, including Anna Sarvira, Yulia Tveritina, Romana Romanyshyn & Andriy Lesiv, Anna Ivanenko & Zhenya Polosina, Oleh Hryshchenko, Olena Staranchuk, and others. Their work continues the legacy of innovation while reflecting the resilience of Ukrainian culture—especially vital today, as Ukrainian art fights to survive and assert its identity amid the ongoing full-scale Russian invasion.
Organized by Pictoric Illustrators Club
In partnership with the International Book Arsenal Festival and the National Academy of Fine Art and Architecture (Kyiv, Ukraine).
Bologna Book Fair is a unique three-in-one event: the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF), the world’s leading fair of the children’s publishing industry; BolognaBookPlus (BBPlus), the extension devoted to publishing in general; and the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids (BLTF/Kids), the BCBF’s licensing event for subsidiary rights to brands and property objects for kids, teens and young adults.
From 31 March to 3 April 2025, these three dynamic events will take place in parallel, transforming Bologna into the world’s leading center for the exchange of copyright in the fields of publishing, multimedia, licensing, illustration, book design and animation.
The Bologna Book Fair is organized with the support of and in collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy.