Russian riot art comes to London gallery

It’s been 100 years since the Russian Revolution, and while Saatchi Gallery’s latest exhibitions – Art Riot: Post-Soviet Actionism and Inside Pussy Riot – have no direct links to the historical events of February and October 1917, much of what is explored across them feels familiar. Fighting back against government censorship and police intervention are two such themes, with works from artists such as Pyotr Pavlensky (also spelled Petr), Oleg Kulik, Blue Noses Art Group, Arsen Savadov, AES + F, Vasily Slonov, and Pussy Riot being brought into the gallery. The show is made up of posters and slogans, video art, performance documentation, and staged photography and traverses the past 25 years to raise questions about artistic freedom in the Post-Soviet Union.

Part punk, part contemporary art, Pussy Riot is perhaps the most globally known name of the two coinciding exhibitions. Inside Pussy Riot is the group’s breakthrough immersive theatre experience and showcases a series of their works that stem from the 2012 performance of their song “Punk Prayer” in a Moscow cathedral. The appearance gained them global recognition and saw three members of the group arrested and two sent to prison for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred”. Since their release, members have dedicated themselves to the upholding of human and prisoner’s rights. Included is a series of posters that artists Lusine Djanyan and Alexei Knedlyakovsky made while Nadya Tolokonnikova was imprisoned. 

Alongside Pussy Riot, artist Pyotr Pavlensky is perhaps the most well known outside of Russia. His performances have so far included nailing his scrotum to the pavement of Red Square (“Fixation”), wrapping himself in barbed wire (“Carcass”) and cut his earlobe off whilst perched on the wall of a psychiatric hospital (“Segregation”). In turn, the offices who come to arrest him become a part of his performance, as do the court proceedings and the press articles that follow.

Other artists, such as Oleg Kulik’s work, spans back to the early 90s. Known as “the most iconic figure from the Moscow actionism movement” of the same time, Kulik is notable for his 1994 performance “The Mad Dog”, whereby he behaved like a dog in a commentary on the struggle for everyday people to survive after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Art Riot: Post-Soviet Actionism runs until 31 December 2017, and Inside Pussy Riot runs until 24 December 2017, at London’s Saatchi Gallery