Spartak Khachanov: The Impersonal

Spartak Khachanov is an artist and political refugee from Ukraine who lives in Helsinki. In his art, he explores political instability, war, migration, and nationalism, using a versatile range of techniques, such as sculptures, installations, drawings, videos, and sound. Khachanov has been a refugee multiple times during his life, and the themes of war and migration are personally close to him. He was brought to Finland by the Artists at Risk (AR) organization.

Khachanov’s artistic research project, “The Impersonal,” deals with refugees and reception centers. The project began with the artist’s two-year stay in a reception center in Vantaa. Khachanov documented life at the center in various ways, including photography, video recording, and sound recording. The documentation depicts many facets of refugee life, such as everyday routines, the environment, nutrition and food culture, and interaction with the outside world.

Content related to food and food culture from Khachanov’s The Impersonal project is on display at the Hotel and Restaurant Museum. The exhibition seeks to give a voice to refugees and those who have sought safety in Finland. The goal is to show Finnish society what life is like in a reception center, thereby dismantling old stereotypes and promoting a more inclusive society.

The exhibition is on display at the Hotel and Restaurant Museum from June 5 to August 16, 2026, as part of the museum’s permanent exhibition Taste Matters. The ‘Taste Matters’ exhibition takes museum visitors to places where food and drink culture is built. With Spartak Khachanov’s art, the food culture emerging in the reception centers becomes part of this narrative.