Pussy Riot’s Maria Alekhina joined AR’s Co-Directors Ivor Stodolsky and Marita Muukkonen for a thought-provoking panel at Art Cologne alongside Julia Moebus-Puck of the Vienna Actionism Museum WAM, and Kolja Reichert of the K21 NRW, co-organised by Kathrin Luz.
Together they explored the critical role of art and dissent. Sharing her journey as an artist and activist who was forced to escape Putin’s Russia, Alekhina shocked the audience with the challenges faced by those who dare to dissent in Russia today.
In her interview in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Alekhina highlighted how Russia’s drift toward totalitarianism mirrors global anti-democratic trends. She emphasised the urgent need for collective action, artistic courage, and unwavering opposition to oppressive regimes:
“I see many people who have lost hope. But we should keep fighting” she said, stressing the importance of initiatives like Artists at Risk (AR) of which she is an International Advisory Council Member.
Read the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung interview here:
www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/buehne-und-konzert/maria-aljochina-von-pussy-riot-putins-russland-ist-schlimmer-als-der-gulag-110108968
Don’t miss Alekhina’s co-curated exhibition Velvet Terrorism: Pussy Riot’s Russia at Haus der Kunst in Munich, on display until 2 February 2025.
