How Pussy Riot Is Challenging Russia’s Return to the Venice Biennale
Punk feminist collective Pussy Riot is campaigning to replace Russia’s planned return to the Venice Biennale—its first since withdrawing in February 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine—with an alternative exhibition spotlighting Russian political prisoners. Founder Nadya Tolokonnikova proposes “Resistance Imprisoned,” a show of works made by nearly 30 currently imprisoned artists, three former prisoners, and late jewelry artist Alexander Dotsenko, who died in jail. The exhibition opened at Ritsche-Fisch Galerie in Strasbourg on April 19 and runs through May 31, coinciding with the Biennale’s opening period. Featured artists include Anastasia Dyudyaeva (serving 3.5 years for distributing anti-Putin postcards supporting Ukraine), Jan Katelevsky (9.5 years related to journalism on police corruption), and Lyudmila Razumova (seven years for anti-war graffiti in 2022).
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This story was covered in Biennales Under Fire, A.I. Rewrites the Canon