Оpen Group was founded in August 2012 in Lviv by six Ukrainian artists. The permanent members of the group now are (since 2019): Yuriy Biley (based in Wroclaw / Berlin), Pavlo Kovach (based in Lviv), and Anton Varga (based in Poznan / New York).
The basic structure of the Open Group also involves people for a period of time until a project, in which they are participating, is underway. The group’s work is based on exploring interactions between people and contextual spaces, creating the so-called "open situations". Also, artistic practice is based on the study of the concept of collective work.
Group members have been running independent art spaces, such as Detenpyla Gallery (since 2011) or Еfremova26 Gallery (2013-2014) in Lviv, Ukraine.
Open Group won the Special Distinction of the PinchukArtCentre Prize in 2013, and the Main Prize in 2015. Their works were featured at the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale. In 2016, the Open Group curated the show entitled Dependence Degree, Collective Practices of Young Ukrainian Artists 2000-2016 (Wrocław, Poland). In 2017, the group’s work was presented in the framework of the Future Generation Art Prize@Venice 2017 (collateral events of the 57th Venice Biennale). In 2019, the Open Group was the curator of the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 58th La Biennale di Venezia with the project The Shadow of Dream* cast upon Giardini della Biennale. In 2024, the Open Group will represent Poland at the 60th Venice Biennale with the project Repeat after me II.
Open Group works have been exhibited in several institutions like: Salzgasse Albertinum in Dresden, Germany; 8th Yokohama Triennale, Japan; Ludwig Museum Budapest, Hungary; Badischer Kunstverein Karlsruhe, Germany; National Art Museum Kyiv, Ukraine; Museum De Fundatie in Zwolle, Netherlands; Belvedere 21 Museum of Contemporary Art in Wien, Austria; Labirynt gallery Lublin, Poland; Miguel Abreu Gallery in New York, USA; PinchukArtCentre in Kyiv, Ukraine; Jam Factory Art Center in Lviv, Ukraine; 4th Autostrada Biennale Prizren, Kosovo; The School of Kyiv – Kyiv Biennial, Ukraine; ARS AEVI the Museum of contemporary art in Sarajevo, amongst others.