Genoa – There is no going back, the Russian art world rebels against war in Ukraine and forfeits exhibitions. The first was Dacha Zhukova. Last Saturday, Abramovic’s ex-wife closed the activities of her private museum in Moscow, the Garage.
It had to be the year of the relaunch for the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The historic building in the Lido gardens, located a short distance from the American one, had an important project to renovate the space and curate it that would finally give Russia the “right” place in the complex world of art. And instead, 4 days after the invasion of Ukraine yesterday afternoon on the Instagram page of Putin’s pavilion it was announced: “The Russian pavilion is a home for artists, art and creativity. We worked from day one with the artists and curators and we awaited their decisions with respect and support ”. The decision of the artists Kirill Savchenkov, Alexandra Sukhareva and the curator Raimundas Malasauskas was lapidary, black smoke: “We will not be part of the 59th Venice Biennale”.
For those who have doubts about the motivation, always from the same social network the curator posted a brief but clear testimony of her feelings: “I cannot go on working on this project in the light of the invasion of the Russian military and the bombing of Ukraine. This war is politically and emotionally unbearable. As you know, I was born and studied in Lithuania when it was part of the Soviet Union and I experienced its dissolution. The idea of returning to Russia or other domination is simply intolerable ”. Savchenkov also pointed out on his profile “There is nothing to say, there is no place for art when civilians die under missile fire, when citizens of Ukraine are in hiding and when Russian protesters are forced into silence. I am Russian and I will not present my work at the Venice Biennale ”. Chapeau to courage, given what happens in his homeland to those who protest even in silence.
From the Biennale comes “full solidarity for this courageous and noble act, the Biennale shares the reasons that led to this choice, which dramatically depicts the tragedy in which the entire population of Ukraine finds itself ”.
Closed games. Also on Sunday another news arrived: the VAC foundation, a private Russian museum directed for about fifteen years by the Italian Teresa Mavica announced that in light of the current tragic events it had decided to suspend exhibitions and activities at the new GES-2 House of Culture Moscow and in the headquarters at the Zattere in Venice. Now, the message wasn’t completely disconnected from the other news. The VAC foundation is owned and supported by Leonid Viktorovich Mikhelson Putin’s oligarch and the V stands for Victoria, named after his daughter. Mikhelson is CEO, president and largest shareholder of the Russian gas company Novatek. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, his assets amount to 34.4 billion dollars, he is the richest man in Russia and the 35th in the world. Why this change of course? Last year the director Mavica was commissioner of the Russian Pavilion on the occasion of the Architecture Biennale.
Also in this case the decision was delegated: “In solidarity and respect for our visitors, employees and for the choices of the artists we will close the current exhibitions and suspend the public events scheduled”. Also here the artists decide and the others adapt.
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