Freemuse Defending Artistic Freedom
On 1 July 2020, members of the Russian art group Pussy Riot were arrested and briefly detained by police officers in Moscow’s Red Square. The artists, together with two municipal deputies and four other activists were protesting against the proposed amendments to the Russian constitution, reported the ArtReview.
According to Meduza, Pussy Riot members Alexander Sofeyev and Nika Nikulshina, and the activists were forming on the ground the date “2036” with their bodies. “2036” refers to the year until Vladimir Putin could extend his presidency once Russia adopts the new constitutional amendment to “zero” his presidential term clock. The amendments also include a stipulation that marriage is only possible between a man and a woman, reported the ArtReview.
The protest mimicked a Russian art group`s demonstration at the Red Square back in April 1991. Activists used their bodies to spell out the word “khui”. This act aimed against the moral law of that time, that prohibited obscene language in public places, stated the Meduza.
— штейн (@shteyni) July 1, 2020
The members of Pussy Riot have been targeted by the Russian authorities since the group was established in 2011. Their activism is focusing on criticizing state policies under President Putin as well as the law on “anti-homosexual propaganda” and the suppression of media freedoms in Russia. Read more about artists under attack by state authorities and far-right groups in Russia in Freemuse`s State of Artistic Freedom 2020 report.
