Velvet Terrorism: Pussy Riot's Russia in Haus der Kunst is the largest presentation of the work of the artistic collective so far and the first museum exhibition in Germany dedicated to Pussy Riot. It asks the urgent question of what resistance in art means and which stories have to be an essential part of exhibitions today.
- Pussy Riot convert repressive tools of an authoritarian state into a collaborative force for creativity
- The artistic collective reinvested with the fundamental chapter of the recent history of media language
- Hand -written texts merge with a flood of videos and photographs, with humor, punk and noise.
This is Pussy Riot
Pussy Riot. This is the name of the famous female punk group that has repeatedly demonstrated against Putin in Russia. The story of Pussy Riot now tells the House of Art in Munich.
The importance of Pussy Riot is not only in her music, but also in her courageous political activism . Since their foundation, they have vehemently faced the authoritarian leadership Vladimir Putin and used their art as a means of resistance.
Their provocative actions and energetic performances have attracted attention worldwide and have made them a symbol of the struggle for freedom of expression and human rights.
Image Source: игорь мухин at Russian Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
By presenting the increasingly enemy relationship between the feminist art collective and the state authorities, the exhibition offers essential insights into the development of Putin's Russia in the last decade, which culminated in the military invasion of Ukraine.
Over the years, Pussy Riot has converted the repressive tools of an authoritarian state into a collaborative force for creativity through her artistic practice, and have been afraid of risks.
Rest is always a matter of beauty. At school I had this dream of becoming graffiti artists and I practiced graffiti in my schoolbook. If you start your school tasks on the first page and make the sketches in the back, the two will meet at some point in the middle. And in addition to your historical notes, graffiti appears, which transforms history into a different story. ”
– Maria Alyokhina
The exhibition in the Haus der Kunst gives a deep insight into the history of the group, its artistic projects and the effects of its actions on Russian society and the global community. With video recordings, music, photographs and personal objects, the visitor is taken on a journey through the eventful history of Pussy Riot.
The comparison of their works of art with historical and political contexts, which emphasizes their importance and enables the viewer, are particularly impressive to develop a deeper understanding of the commitment and the dangers that the members of the group are exposed.
The exhibition invites you to continue to deal with the topic by referring to further study materials and sources that draw a more extensive picture of the situation in Russia and the role of art as a protest.
For those interested in art and culture who want to explore the interface between art and political activism, this exhibition offers a valuable and inspiring opportunity.
Pussy Riot's climb to fame and relevance
Pussy Riot was founded in 2011 and is a Russian feminist punk protest group. It consists of about 11 women, with the members change regularly. The group is committed to feminism and the rights of LGBT people, and criticizes the regime of Vladimir Putin and the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Pussy Riot is committed to democratic principles such as freedom of expression, right to criticism of the government and freedom of the press. They reject capitalism and the selfish values associated with it.
Pussy Riot's protest strategy includes guerrilla concerts in public places where you perform protest songs in punk style. The striking colors of their now iconic costumes should spread joy and motivate others to also raise themselves and protest together.
Pussy Riot's goal is to create a more democratic society in Russia without the authoritarian rule of Vladimir Putin.
Putin Zassel in Moscow (2012)
Her first appearance on January 20, 2012 on Red Square in Moscow caused a stir nationwide. Here they performed the song "Putin Zassel" , which roughly translates as "Putin has got scared" .
This appearance was inspired by the December protests against Putin, in which over 100,000 demonstrators took to the streets and were confronted with security forces in a chaotic way. The group reported the Financial Times: "We saw troops around Moscow, helicopter in the air, the military on standby." On this day, the regime showed its weakness - and the symbol of this regime is Putin.
Punk Prayer (2012) - A moment of global scope
On the morning of February 21, 2012, five young women from Pussy Riot entered the Moscow Christ-Sverser-Cathedral. The activists wore their characteristic sleeveless dresses, neon tights and storm hoods skim masks. They jumped on the sacred altar, took out their electric guitars and began to perform the piece "Punk Prayer" . This song was an unusual mix of energetic punk music and traditional orthodox vocals, accompanied by critical texts about the close integration between Vladimir Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church.
In particular, the artists denounced the conservative, anti-women and LGBT-anti-LGBT, and formulated an appeal directly to the Blessed Mother of "falling" and "becoming a feminist" .
Punk Prayer-the original wording (translated from the Russian)
"Punk Prayer" - Pussy Riot
Black robe, golden shoulder flaps
all parishioners crawl to bow
The phantom of freedom is clever
in chains in chains in chains to Siberia
The head of the KGB, its main saint,
leads demonstrators into prison
for his holiness not to be
insultedShit, shit, the shit of the Lord!
Shit, shit, the shit of the Lord!(Choir)
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, becomes a feminist
, a feminist will become a feminist
(end choir)The praise of the church for lazy dictators
The cross carrier parade of black limousines
A teacher preacher will meet at school.
Go to class-bring him money!
Patriarch Gundyaev believes Putin
bitch, better believe in God
the Mary's belt cannot replace mass meetings
Maria, the mother of God, is in protest with us!(Choir)
The virgin Mary, mother of God, put Putin away
Putin Weg, Steck Putin Weg
(end choir)
The performance ended within a few minutes, but had profound effects on Russian politics and the world public. Nadeschda Tolokonnikowa, Maria Alychina and Jekaterina Samuzewitsch were immediately arrested during the performance. They were denied an release on the deposit and they remained in custody until their trial at the end of July.
: Evgeniy Isaev, CC by 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In a controversial legal proceedings, they were sentenced to two years in prison “rowdyum motivated from religious hatred” Jekaterina Samuzewitsch was released in the appeal procedure because it turned out that she had never made it to the altar and, accordingly
Tolokonnikowa and Alychina, on the other hand, lost their calling and were moved to two different Russian prisons.
This courageous action by Pussy Riot and the subsequent hard punishment drew international attention to repression in Russia, human rights and freedom of expression. The history of these young women is an impressive example of how art and activism are able to show socio -political grievances and to stimulate a global discussion.
Details about the exhibition in Munich
The exhibition is presented in the LSK gallery , which is located in the House of Art House, a place where the challenging past of the building opened in 1937 is particularly noticeable.
"Velvet Terrorism: Pussy Riot's Russia" follows the solo exhibitions of the African American artist Tony Cokes (2022) and the indigenous film collective, located in Australia, karrabing (2023), which represented overlooked stories by new language remedies.
Like these two previous exhibitions in the former bunker, "Velvet Terrorism: Pussy Riot's Russia" aims to expand the limits of exhibition design and create a dense experience that represents a fundamental chapter of recent history and the presentation of a groundbreaking practice.
The exhibition invites you to take the time and experience a personal journey to read the texts written by Maria Alyokhina Handisch in a room in which a flood of videos and countless photographs in colors, with humor, punk and noise merge.
"Velvet Terrorism: Pussy Riot's Russia" in the Haus der Kunst was created out of passionate conversations with the Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson, who first met Maria Alyokhina in Moscow. "Velvet Terrorism: Pussy Riot's Russia" is organized by Maria Alyokhina and Kling & Bang, Reykjavik and brought on tour.
The House of Art has been planning the exhibition since the beginning of 2023. curated by Ragnar Kjartansson, Ingibjörg Sigurjónsdóttir and Dorothee Maria Kirch (Kling & Bang, Reykjavik); Lydia Antoniou, Andrea Lissoni and Margarita (Haus der Kunst Munich).
Owner and managing director of Kunstplaza . Publicist, editor and passionate blogger in the field of art, design and creativity since 2011. Successful conclusion in web design as part of a university degree (2008). Further development of creativity techniques through courses in free drawing, expression painting and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market through many years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with actors/institutions from art and culture.
