Written by Jacques Palumbo, CNN
The stage curtains close, the art exhibitions stop and the performers change. Over the past week, major cultural players around the world – including some in Russia – have responded to the invasion of Ukraine by canceling shows and putting pressure on the country’s art institutions. So far, more than 500,000 refugees have fled Ukraine as the Kremlin continues its attack on the country’s most populous cities, including the capital, Kyiv.
While much of the focus is on sanctions designed to cripple Russia’s economy, the country’s cultural influence is also limited. Russia will no longer be represented at major international events such as the Venice Biennale and the Eurovision Song Contest. Artists and performers, from Iggy Pop to Franz Ferdinand, have also canceled concerts in the country, while those who have expressed support for President Vladimir Putin have been shunned. In Germany, the Russian chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic, Valery Gergiev, has been fired for refusing to condemn the war, or Putin, with whom he has close ties, according to a statement from Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter.
Cultural institutions are also under increasing pressure to sever ties with Russian oligarchs. British MP Chris Bryant has called on the British gallery group Tate to revoke the status of honorary member of Russian billionaire and Putin aide Victor Vekselberg, according to the Guardian, although a Tate spokesman told CNN that he had donated seven years earlier and “has there is no permanent connection “, adding that there is no” no UK sanctions for any of Tate’s supporters “.
Ukrainian Culture Minister Alexander Tkachenko has joined a group of Ukrainian artists, gallery owners, actors, musicians and filmmakers in pushing for tougher, more comprehensive cultural sanctions. They signed a petition calling on international institutions to end cultural partnerships with the Russian Federation, sever ties with Russian citizens sitting on advisory councils, and ban Russian participation in major art events, including Art Basel and the Cannes Film Festival.
“The Russian Federation is a fraudulent state,” the petition said. “Russian culture, when used as propaganda, is toxic! Don’t be an accomplice!”
But some warn against the cultural isolation of all Russians because of the war. Raimundas Malashauskas, who was to oversee the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale in April, withdrew from the event, but said he did not want the art world to turn its back on Russian artists.
“I explicitly oppose the current attack and subordination commanded by Russia. “I also believe that the people of Russia should not be harassed or expelled just because of their country’s oppressive policies and actions,” he said in a statement on his website. “I want to avoid flat divisions and instead advocate multilevel forms of solidarity, where there are international art forums and artists from Russia, to express the freedom they cannot express at home.
Below are some of the ways in which artists, cultural organizations and institutions respond to the war in Ukraine.
Russia will be absent from the Venice Biennale
The Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale. credit: Marco Capelletti
When Malashauskas and Russian artists Alexandra Sukhareva and Kiril Savchenkov withdrew from the Venice Biennale, they effectively canceled the Russian Federation’s representation at one of the world’s largest and most prestigious art gatherings.
The Russian pavilion, designed by architect Alexei Shchusev, has been a permanent venue in Venice Giardini since 1914, opening every two years to showcase the work of some of the country’s most important contemporary artists.
In a statement, the Biennale expressed its “full solidarity with this noble act of courage.” Savchenkov, who specializes in sculpture, installation and performance, meanwhile wrote on Instagram that “there is no place for art when civilians die under rocket fire, when Ukrainian citizens hide in shelters and when Russian protesters are silenced. “
The Ukrainian pavilion is unlikely to open again this year, with an official statement on Instagram explaining that all work on the exhibition has been suspended.
The Metropolitan Opera will not work with pro-Putin artists
View of Lincoln Plaza with the Metropolitan Opera in the center on April 6, 2021 in New York. credit: Roy Rohlin / Getty Images
The most famous opera in the United States, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, announced on Sunday that it will not work with Russian artists or organizations that support President Vladimir Putin until the country’s invasion of Ukraine is over.
“While we strongly believe in the warm friendship and cultural exchange that has long existed between artists and art institutions in Russia and the United States, we can no longer engage with artists or institutions that support or are supported by Putin – not before the invasion and killings have been stopped, order has been restored and restitution has taken place, “said Peter Gelb, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, in a video message shared on Facebook.
This means that Met is likely to freeze his relationship with the Moscow Bolshoi Theater, whose co-production of Wagner’s “Lohengrin” is currently scheduled for next year. Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, who was due to star in Puccini’s Turandot at the Met later this spring, may also have been affected, although she has now retired from all planned performances, according to a statement from the Zurich House Opera. where she was due to perform this month.
On Saturday, Netrebko wrote on social media that he was “an opponent of this war” but “not a political figure”. The Zurich Opera described her post as a “positive development”, but her inability to “distance herself more than Vladimir Putin” is incompatible with her own “strong condemnation” of the Russian president’s actions.
Artists and museums cancel exhibitions in Russia
People can be seen from “The End – Venice” (2009) by artist Ragnar Cartanson in the House of Culture GES-2 on the Bolotnaya embankment. credit: Stanislav Krasilnikov / TASS / Getty Images
Contemporary Icelandic artist Ragnar Kärtanson, known for his performances and video installations that reflect the human condition, has withdrawn his exhibition at Moscow’s new GEC-2 Museum. Speaking to CNN by email, he quoted the courage of local Russian artists who canceled their own shows in response to the war.
“I followed the example … which is much more dangerous than my cozy stance here in Iceland,” he said.
Curtanson, who became the youngest artist to represent Iceland at the Venice Biennale in 2009, has exhibited at the Tate Modern in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He believes that artists, curators, collectors and institutions must “consider every move” in order to “stand up” to Ukraine and stand “against the Putin regime”, but called on the artists themselves to be protected from boycott.
“Boycott Russian collectors who do not publicly oppose Putin … not Russian artists, (except) those very few who support Putin,” he said. “Support Ukrainian artists by staying in safe countries (and) exhibition platforms and (do) the same for Russian artists from the opposition.”
Meanwhile, the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow, founded by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and Russian-American art collector Dasha Zhukova, has announced that it has postponed all exhibitions until the end of the invasion of Ukraine. This includes stopping shows that were already underway, including the work of German artist Anne Imhoff and British artist Helen Martin. “We cannot maintain the illusion of normalcy when such events take place,” a statement from the museum’s website said.
Eurovision forbids Russia to compete
The Russian Maniza participated in the first semifinal of the 65th edition of Eurovision 2021 at the Ahoy Congress Center in Rotterdam on May 18, 2021. credit: KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP / Getty Images
Less than a day after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said it would allow Russia to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest, a popular television music competition, the organization reversed course. This May, no performers representing the country will be allowed to participate, the EBU confirmed in a statement issued Friday.
“The decision expresses concern that in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of a Russian candidate in this year’s competition would lead to a bad reputation for competition,” the statement said.
Russia still had to choose an act to perform on its behalf at the annual competition, which was watched by 183 million people last year.
Britain is distancing itself from Russian ballet
Dancers Artem Ovcharenko and Anna Tikhomirova during a photo conversation before the performances of the Bolshoi Ballet at the Royal Opera and the Royal Albert Hall. credit: Ian West / PA Images / Getty Images
The Royal Opera House of the United Kingdom (ROH) has canceled the residence of the famous Moscow ballet troupe Bolshoi. The residence was scheduled for this summer and was in the “final stages” of planning, according to a statement provided to CNN. A ROH spokesman said: “Unfortunately, in the current circumstances, the season cannot continue.”
The Bolshoi Ballet is one of the oldest ballet troupes in the world, responsible for the first production of “Swan Lake”, among others. But its status as one of the country’s greatest cultural symbols is complicated by its entanglement with the Russian government.
Former artistic director Alexei Ratmansky, now the artist’s residence at the American Ballet Theater, was working on a new show for his former company in Moscow when Russia invaded Ukraine. The Russian-born choreographer, who grew up in Kyiv, has since traveled to New York with his entire creative team, according to the New York Times.
“I was absolutely torn between creation, love and despair,” he told the Times about his decision to leave. Ratmanski’s new ballet was scheduled to open on March 30th, but was postponed indefinitely.
The performances of several other Russian ballet troupes were also affected, with performances by the Russian State Ballet of Siberia being withdrawn to the English city of Northampton and a performance of Swan Lake by the Royal Ballet of Moscow, canceled in Dublin, Ireland.
The European Film Academy is boycotting Russian films
The Ukrainian Film Academy has launched a public petition calling for an international boycott of Russian cinema, including screenings in an international film circle. The European Film Academy (EFA) has responded in support, saying it will exclude Russian films from the European Film Awards.
“The European Film Academy remains a place to support and unite all directors who share our faith in human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights,” the EFA said in a statement. “We recognize and appreciate those courageous directors in Russia who are facing this war. But in view of the brutal and unjustified attack, we must stand with our sisters and brothers in Ukraine whose lives are at stake.”
This story will be updated as events unfold.
Image at the top: The staging of the Bolshoi Ballet Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House on August 2, 2019 in London, England.
