Reacting to Changing Political Context: Art in Public Spaces in Russia

Reacting to Changing Political Context: Art in Public Spaces in Russia 

Public talk by TOK at Bard College

February 22, 2015 at 18.30, Weis Cinema

Latest political, social and economic changes in Russia - from mass protests after the presidential elections in 2012 to recent annexation of Crimea and following deterioration of relations between Russia and the international community has largely influenced the art scene in Russia and have provoked artists for immediate responses to the new situation and current societal processes. New art and activist initiatives have emerged and many of them have started taking place in the public space, which has become a subject of increasing control on the part of the government especially after the Pussy Riot performance in the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow. However, also with the growth of urban studies in Russia, artists, curators and researchers keep exploring different ways of penetrating and intervening into the city landscape and reflect upon issues that are crucial for the civil society existence, such as right to the city, freedom of speech and expression, community-building and preserving collective memory. 
In their presentation Russian curators Anna Bitkina and Maria Veits will speak about the interconnection between contemporary art and political discourse in Russia today and will especially focus on art projects and actions that take place in public spaces and have a solid social aspect within them. Bitkina and Veits will address particularities of the Russian context regarding perception of public space in post Soviet Russia and its overall fragility as a concept. They will speak about  projects by well-known artists working in the pubic space in Russia such as Pussy Riot, Petr Pavlensky, Timofey Radya, Olga Jitlina, Natalya Pershina-Yakimanskaya (Glyuklya) and will also address new strategies of how artists survive in the current political context by working collectively and creating alternative art platforms for collaborations (i.e. 'School of Engaged Art' initiated by the Russian art collective 'Chto Delat'?). TOK will also speak about their projects that take place in different ares of the city of St Petersburg where the two curators are based. They will outline social and participatory aspects of TOK's practice and changing role of curators and artists working in the public domain today both in Russia and globally.

Event is organized and supported by the Russian and Eurasian Studies Program, Center for Civic Engagement and Human Rights program at Bard College.