Volodymyr Naumets is a well-known Odesa artist and writer, painter, author of video art works, performances and actions, one of the first in Ukraine to use the compositions of glowing neon lamps in his installations. Born in Lviv in 1945. Soon his family moved to Odesa, where he graduated from the Odesa Art School. Then he studied at the Moscow Higher Art and Industrial School. He collaborated with groups of unofficial artists of Odesa and Moscow. Being a deeply religious person, he pays special attention to spirituality in modern art. His works are in museums and private collections of different countries. He lives and works in Cologne, Germany.

Volodymyr Naumets was one of the first to perform actionist art in Odesa. In the early eighties, he carried out the “Cave” action on the Odesa coast. In it, the artist places a selfmade cross on the coast near the cliff. Then he puts the cross on his back and climbs with it along the stones to the cave, the entrance to which is visible far above the cliff. In the finale of the action, the artist climbs into the cave, leaves a cross at the entrance, blocking the exit from the cave. Then the artist, being inside the cave, looks at the world through the cross. For Volodymyr Naumets, a deeply religious person, this is another illustration of his worldview and willingness to stick to it all the time.

Action is a philosophical statement about the nature of human existence and interaction with reality. The path taken by the artist can be considered as a metaphor for the path of life, on which each of us is forced to make a choice and bear responsibility for our actions. This is the moment when a person is forced to decide whether to stay in the comfort zone or take a step into another, spiritual world. The most obvious association of Naumets’ path with the cross on his back up the stones is Christ’s way to Calvary. But, unlike Calvary, the Cave provides an opportunity to look at the world through the cross, which is very important for Volodymyr. The cave becomes a place where person’s thoughts and inner world are purified, when he turns to himself, asks himself questions, tries to answer them and tests his faith