880

The title «880» of this series of sculptural busts is associated with the importance of number symbolism in Maria Kulikovska's creativity. The number «8» has particular importance to her. It is accompanied by artist's throughout life. Maria Kulikovska was born in 1988. And according to the Pythagorean Numerology her name and surname, as well as the date of birth, symbolize the number «8».

On 18 March of 2014, the results of the illegal pseudo-referendum in Crimea were published. From the moment of the annexation of the artist's home by the Russian Federation, the theme of borders, identity, violence against the human body (especially women) has become one of the keys in Kulikovska's practice. The obstacles related to the return home became for Kulikovska the subject of research and understanding of the concepts of birthplace and home.

The «880» series includes 5 busts cast from the artist's body created in ballistic soap and with flowers inside. While preparing this series for taking pictures in own apartment, Maria unconsciously put a sculpture near the fireplace, which reminded her of the fireplace in her parents' house. She decided to find out what distance from the fireplace in the apartment in Kyiv, which imitates the lost house as much as possible, to the parental family-house in occupied territory. The distance in Google Maps was exactly 880 km.

In 2021, the MKUV.studio's sculptures, including 3 busts from the series «880», were presented in the Ukrainian Pavilion of NordArt 2021, where Maria Kulikovska became one of five favorite artists of The Public Choice Award.