BLOG

Few groups are as easily recognizable as Pussy Riot. Clad in vibrant balaclavas, the Russian punk band and activist group has made a name for itself as an unflinching detractor of their country’s authoritarian state as well as fascism at large globally. With over a decade of feminist artistry and rebellion, it seems more than time for a retrospective on their stalwart work. And that is just what we’ll receive with the upcoming exhibition Velvet Terrorism: Pussy Riot’s Russia.

Hosted by The Polygon Gallery in Vancouver, Velvet Terrorism is the first of its kind for the art collective. It collects documentation of their activism from 2011 onwards and is set to display a dichotomy of the group’s actions against a backdrop of Russian officials’ reactions. The name for the exhibition itself comes from such a source—a quote from Putin’s spiritual advisor Bishop Tikhon Shevkunov referring to the actions of the feminist collective as “velvet terrorism.”

“Through videos, photographs, testimonies, song lyrics, and reflections,” explains The Polygon’s statement, “the exhibition offers a rich account of Pussy Riot’s non-violent actions, alongside the reactions of the Russian authorities to their provocations. In illustrating an increasingly hostile relationship between the group and the state authorities, the exhibition provides key insights into the evolution of Putin’s Russia over the past ten years, leading up to the military invasion of Ukraine.”

Velvet Terrorism is collected by group member Maria Alyokhina, one of the individuals who was sentenced to two years in a penal colony for their protest against Putin’s reelection. Having described her time in the group and her punishment through her novel Riot Days, she is giving resonant insight into one of the most notable activist and musical groups this century.

Velvet Terrorism opens March 22nd at The Polygon Gallery.

In a continuing trend of non-violent protest, Extinction Rebellion has once again made a very public splash in the arts realm. In the middle of a preview of a new Broadway production of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, a group of protestors, including an individual working at the production’s venue, stood up and spoke out about the growing climate disaster that threatens to wash theatres off the map.

An Enemy of the People is currently up at Circle in the Square Theatre starring succession actor Jeremy Strong as its lead. A new adaptation by Amy Herzog directed by Sam Gold, it is the story of a small-town doctor discovering a bacteria afflicting his local community and turning into a pariah in his attempt to help them. Simply put, it is no surprise that such thematic content would be the target of an Extinction demonstration. Before the group was ushered out, one of its pleading members called out “No theatre on a dead planet.”

Extinction Rebellion NYC and other like-minded forces, such as Just Stop Oil and the Extinction movement at large, have a vibrant history over the past several years of making a lot of noise in quiet spaces. From theatres to galleries, individuals have made themselves visible nuisances in order to draw attention to the issues plaguing our world. And while they have seen varying levels of effect and certainly some missed marks, it certainly does keep them present in the public eye.

There’s no doubt that the audience of this preview for Enemy of the People will be thinking about the events that unfolded. And that is largely the point of any demonstration. While it may be naive for the group to proclaim that they are being made as the enemy vs. destructive corporations when any non-political outburst would be met the same, it is necessary for us to take the messages of our art to heart and push for the safety of our planet—if we hope to live to see another show interrupted.

Following what was an extremely impactful year for the actor with her staggering performance in Barbie, America Ferrera is slated to star as Cuban artist Ana Mendieta in the upcoming series Naked by the Window. An Amazon MGM Studios production, it adapts the book of the same name by Robert Katz.

Ana Mendieta was a multi-disciplinary artist born in Havana who came into the public eye in New York City with her combination of installation, performance art, and video. She was one of the prominent figures in the medium known as land art, or what she called earth/body sculptures. Utilizing her body in conjunction with natural elements as a sort of canvas, most notably in her Silueta Series, she sought to draw attention to the inherent connection of humanity to the land and drew on Afro-Cuban cultural influences in these endeavours. Her works often evoked themes of feminism, violence towards women, and death.

Mendieta had been married to sculptor Carl Andre, and in 1985, she died falling from the window of his 34th-floor apartment. With neighbours having reported violent arguing before her death, along with the presence of scratch marks on Andre’s face, Mendieta being heard crying out, and what seems now like a flimsy 911 call from Andre, it is hard not to assume what has happened. He was acquitted of second-degree murder, but public opinion of him has not been kind with a steady resistance to his work being exhibited ever since.

Toting an Oscar nomination for her performance as Gloria in Barbie, as well as an award-winning career across decades of TV and poised for her own directorial debut with I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, Ferrera is sure to bring her iconic heart and wit to honour the energy of Ana Mendieta in Naked by the Window.

It’s not hard to see the aesthetic value in musicians of the 1960s and 70s—pageantry was at its first true peak for modern music and with it came objects and visuals of decadence not yet seen in the century. With these artists also came a blurring of the line between popular culture and high culture, a strange new class of ultra-elites that wore their fame on their sleeves and became subjects of critical analysis and appreciation. So it is no surprise that an Elton John auction would blow the roof off the joint as much as any of his shows would.

Elton John, the piano-pounding glam and pop rocker who has scored hit after hit with lyricist Bernie Taupin, has a signature style all his own. With his characteristic tinted glasses, vibrant costuming, and electric stage presence, he has captivated audiences across generations as a beacon of joy, poignancy, and queer stardom.

Christie’s Elton John auction series features items from across the artist’s work, luxury goods, and clothing. While it runs till February 28th, on its opening night of the 21st it saw every single one of the 49 items on offer sell to a sum of $8 million. Many of the offerings fetched astronomically more than they were estimated at, including a pair of his prescription glasses and silver leather platform boots sporting his initials.

Two of the standouts for the event were Banksy’s Flower Thrower Triptych—perhaps the most iconic image by the legendary street artist—going for nearly $2 million, and Elton’s old wheels, a 1990 Bentley Continental, fetching $441,000.

With the Elton John auction series continuing into next week, its sum total is sure to climb well past opening night as people grab a piece of rock and roll history. With comments that the energy of the auction itself was electric with energy, it’s clear that the fervour for this beloved artist shines as bright as his sequins.