The Turman Gallery at Indiana State University has announced details on its upcoming exhibition, ART ACTIONS, which showcases works by Nadya Tolokonnikova, Founder of the Russian feminist art group Pussy Riot. The exhibition features a survey of performance artworks by Tolokonnikova and is open to the public from September 30 through October 25.
ART ACTIONS will showcase 12 past actions by Tolokonnikova from 2011, when she founded Pussy Riot, to present. The exhibition will focus on the conceptual performance art used to draw attention to human rights violations and oppression, especially in her home country of Russia. As a result of her years of activism, Tolokonnikova has spoken before the United States Congress, British Parliament, and European Parliament.
Visitors can expect to see pieces such as Putin’s Ashes (2022), Dark Matter (2024), and Punk Prayer (2012), Pussy Riot’s most internationally famous artwork, which saw the group produce a music video at Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow protesting the Orthodox Church leader’s support for Putin during his election campaign. The footage went viral online, later resulting in the arrest and imprisonment of those involved for hooliganism. In 2019, The Guardian ranked Punk Prayer 4th in their list, compiling the best art of the 21st Century.
Visitors will be able to read a response piece by American feminist artist Judy Chicago, who mentors Tolokonnikova. Chicago, hailed as one of the leading voices in women’s rights art, founded the first feminist art programs at California State University in 1970. She is best known for her work, The Dinner Party (1979), permanently installed in the Brooklyn Museum’s Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art.
This will be the first time Pussy Riot’s work has been exhibited in a university art gallery in Indiana. Tolokonnikova said, “It is important to go to places where not all voices are heard. While I could host an exhibition on protest art in New York or California, the impact would not be as strong as in Indiana. With this exhibition, we aim to showcase how art can be a catalyst for change.”
She added, “Students at institutions like Indiana State University are the future leaders in their region. Therefore, it is our duty to empower them to fight for their rights and the rights of those around them.”
Tanmaya Bingham, Director of Indiana State University Art Galleries in the Department of Art and Design, curated and programmed the ART ACTIONS exhibition. Bingham said, “It is an honor to showcase Nadya Tolokonnikova at Indiana State University. ART ACTIONS aims to provide a comprehensive survey of Pussy Riot’s past actions to create an educational platform where diverse perspectives and didactic exchanges can take place. It is an exciting privilege for Indiana State University to host an exhibition of this caliber, and we welcome students and the greater community to enjoy this educational opportunity.”
Dr. Melinda Roberts, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana State University, where the Department of Art and Design is based, added, “This exhibition is a fantastic example of how art can be a vessel to engage people in difficult conversations that may otherwise be too challenging to process more directly. At Indiana State University’s College of Arts and Sciences, we pride ourselves in our commitment to providing a public sphere for our students and the community to explore the world through creative means.”
ART ACTIONS runs from September 30 through October 25 in Turman Gallery, situated in the Fine Arts Building at Indiana State University, Terre Haute. A reception event will occur on October 10 from 4 pm to 7 pm, featuring a conversation with Nadya Tolokonnikova from 5.30 pm. The exhibition is free and open to the public Monday through Friday between 11 am and 4 pm, with extended hours until 6 pm on Thursdays. ART ACTIONS has been sponsored by Indiana State University’s Office of Multicultural Services and Programs.