“The music of color” in Ukrainian art of the 1960s

One of the most compelling phenomena in Ukrainian art of the 1960s was the emergence of “music of color—music of light,” or “visible music,” which not only introduced new directions in interdisciplinary collaboration but also laid the foundation for a novel form of synthetic art. This interest coincided with a new phase of scientific and technological advancement in the USSR during the “Thaw” period (late 1950s to early 1960s) and with the broader liberalization of cultural and social life. These changes spurred creative experimentation across multiple fields. The theme of “music of color” attracted a wide range of enthusiasts—engineers, musicians, and visual artists—who shaped its diverse interpretations. These ranged from a focus on engineering and the development of instruments for performing color-music works, to theoretical investigations and debates about the primacy of visual versus auditory elements, and efforts to integrate color-music compositions into existing artistic practices. In Ukraine, the “music of color—music of light” concept was explored throughout the 1960s in cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa. It was developed both by individual artists—including F. Yuriev, V. Poliovyi, and V. Zorin—and by dedicated centers, such as Y. Pravdiuk’s Studio of Light Painting in Kharkiv and the M. Čiurlionis Club “Color, Music, Word” in Odesa. This interdisciplinary phenomenon became an integrating field of scientific, technical, and artistic innovation, offering new avenues for creative exploration. Ukrainian artists proposed original models of interaction between sound and image, challenging the conventions of Soviet aesthetics and art theory. These practices not only introduced a new visual and expressive language but also transcended ideologi- cal constraints, affirming the artist’sfreedom of expression. The presence of “music of color—music of light” within Ukrainian art during the late Soviet period reveals the complex and often paradoxical nature of Soviet cultural life, where “non-systemic” creative expressions could still emerge and thrive.