13/11/2008 / RUSSIA

Coup d'état in Moscow

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Webusers are puzzled over photos of an enormous green skull and crossbones projected onto the Russian Houses of Parliament, which appeared last week. A terrorist threat? A music file-share warning? One of our Observers found out who did it, and asked them why.

It's not easy to imagine a skull and crossbones being projected onto the government house of many countries without it wreaking havoc. And yet last week, a group of artists broke into the top floor of a building and beamed across their message, in bright green, to the Russian government. Our Observer spoke to one of the members of art group "Voina", who carried out the stunt. Their message was not, in fact, a death threat but a warning that "Russian people are dying as the new rich swim in luxury". (See Alexey's comment below).

Voina is considered the most controversial art group in Russia and known for, amongst other things, throwing a live cat over the counter of a McDonald's restaurant, having an orgy in Moscow's biological museum, and having a sit-down dinner party on the metro in mourning the prolific Russian poet Dmitri Prigov.

 

Contributors
Alexey Plutser-Sarno's picture

Alexey Pluts...

"If the group had done the same thing (…) in the USA, its members would now be behind bars"

Alexey Plutser-Sarno is an artist and journalist and an honourary member of the "Voina" art group.

Voina's actions have certain socio-political undertones, but they are primarily ARTISTS' statements on political issues. The group does not participate in any political organisation. Quite the contrary: the opposition constantly accuses the group of buffoonery and clownery. Because the actions of the group are always ironic, the Russian opposition find it absolutely unacceptable, because they totally lack a sense of humour.

Our actions are fables; allegories. The Russian government has more important things to do today than to punish artists and journalists. I think that the West thinks the "horrors" in Russia are much worse than they are. For example, when Voina had sex in the Zoological museum, the Ministry of the Interior officially stated that it wasn't a penal offence. If the group had done the same thing in any state museum in the USA, its members would now be behind bars."

Alexey Plutser-Sarno's picture

Alexey Pluts...

  • Russia
  • Artist

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Comments

Expression in Russia Vs. Expression in the U.S.A.

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sun, 16/11/2008 - 21:47.

A coup d'etat in Moscow? Hardly, perverts masking themselves as artists? Perhaps that's more correct. Of course, the line between perversity and artistry has become more and more obscured over the decades and it has done so before in time. I noticed this writer had to point out that if the Russian "artists" here had engaged in a sex act inside a government or municiple building in the United State they'd be arrested. I believe that is true, though the matter would be treated as comical if not tacky fodder for the media and charges would be rather light, however I want to point out that here our tacky artists, movie stars, etc. can tell our President to go "expletive" himself, and parade images of him with fangs dripping blood without worrying about being poisoned to death, strange how critics of Mr. Putin seem to drop like flies. So I suppose one could gather that so long as you're willing to be a debauched pervert in the name of art and avoid insulting Vladamir Putin, you'll be very safe in Russia. Is this the hallmark of freedom in Russia? Exhibitionist sex in a public building, flashing laser light on parliament? I do hope the Russian people can find something better and more constructive to do with what freedom they have.

Jeremy Westbrook
El Cajon, California

Unregistered user