Following the end of the Second World War, there were around 250 displaced Ukrainians, including Stefan Gec’s father, in the Huddersfield area. An important development for that community was the formation of the Huddersfield branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, whose headquarters opened in 1956. Starting from Huddersfield, Gec rode the M-72 motorbike to and around Derry-Londonderry, Blyth, Greenock, Barrow-in-Furness and Southampton. Throughout the project Gec has worked with the artist/filmmaker Lee Hassall, to document the journeys using 8mm film shot on Soviet cine cameras of the same era.
‘For The Shepherd’s Whistle, Gec presents a number of newly-made works, including text and sculpture, shown alongside the film footage made in each location, examples of the Soviet maps and his M-72 motorbike.’
John Hansard Gallery, 16 February — 27 April 2019. Press release.
Lee Hassall 