Pussy Riot and FEMEN Make Their Mark at the Venice Biennale Russian Pavilion
Protest at Venice Biennale: Anti-Putin Activists Team Up with Ukrainian Feminists
On Wednesday, over 50 members of the anti-Putin activist group Pussy Riot staged a bold protest at the Russia Pavilion during the Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition. This marked the group’s first joint demonstration with the Ukrainian feminist organization FEMEN.
The protest was sparked by growing discontent over the Venice Biennale’s decision to allow Russia to host a pavilion amid its ongoing war with Ukraine. The Biennale, which also oversees the Venice Film Festival, has faced scrutiny for this decision, especially given the current geopolitical tensions.
In a press statement, Pussy Riot and FEMEN detailed their protest, during which they performed their song “Disobey.” FEMEN members added to the spectacle with blue and yellow smoke, Ukrainian flags, and chants of solidarity.
Pussy Riot members, donning pink ski masks, successfully breached security to open the door to the pavilion, which had been barricaded by private security personnel and Italian police.
Nadya Tolokonnikova, a Russian-born activist and artist who has lived in exile and faced imprisonment for her opposition to President Vladimir Putin, articulated the motivation behind the protest. "Russia’s best citizens are either imprisoned for anti-regime and pro-Ukraine actions or killed in jail," she stated. "If art is meant to represent a country at the Venice Biennale — something like the Olympics of the art world — then artists imprisoned for their anti-war, pro-Ukraine stance are the real face of modern Russia."
Biennale Foundation President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco defended the inclusion of Russia, noting that the country has maintained a national pavilion since 1914, despite its absence in the 2022 edition following the onset of the war.
Tolokonnikova urged Buttafuoco to reconsider his position, suggesting that future international shows, including the 2028 edition, should be represented by dissident artists instead. She noted, "While Pietrangelo Buttafuoco greets his Russian guests with champagne, drones and ballistic missiles fall in Ukraine."
She further called for a meeting with Buttafuoco, Veneto President Luca Zaia, and Venice’s mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, to discuss the possibility of allowing imprisoned artists to represent Russia in future exhibitions.
FEMEN’s Inna Shevchenko echoed the sentiment, stating, "Every Russian artwork shown this year stands on an invisible pedestal: Ukrainian blood." She demanded that if Russia’s art is featured, the realities of the war—such as bombed cities and civilian casualties—should also be displayed.
This protest comes on the heels of a European Union threat to withdraw a €2 million grant to the Venice Biennale for violating sanctions against Russia which were enacted following the invasion of Ukraine.
In a related development, the international jury for the Biennale recently resigned, announcing they would exclude national pavilions led by individuals charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) from consideration for awards. This situation specifically targets the pavilions of Israel and Russia, whose leaders, Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin, are both facing ICC arrest warrants.
The jury’s resignation resulted in the cancellation of the opening ceremony on May 9, which would have marked the public unveiling of the exhibition following professional previews from May 6 to 8. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli previously declared he would skip the ceremony in protest of Russia’s participation.
In light of these events, the jury prizes have been replaced with two public prizes to be awarded at the conclusion of the exhibition in November, and the Ministry of Culture has ordered that the Russian pavilion remain closed to the public.
