Pussy Riot Launches ‘Resistance Imprisoned’ Exhibition, Amplifying Voices of Russia’s Political Prisoners Amid Venice Biennale Tensions
By Darren Smith, Arts Reporter
April 28, 2026
STRASBOURG, France — In a bold act of defiance timed with the lead-up to the 61st Venice Biennale, the feminist protest collective Pussy Riot has opened Resistance Imprisoned, an exhibition featuring artworks created by individuals currently or formerly imprisoned in Russia, including Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war.
The show, running from April 19 to May 31 at Ritsch-Fisch Galerie, serves as both a counterpoint to Russia’s controversial participation in the Biennale and a stark reminder of the human cost of political repression. Co-curated by Nadya Tolokonnikova, founder of Pussy Riot, and Emma Mathieu, the exhibition includes works by nearly 30 artists, many of whom remain behind bars for anti-war activism, journalism or expressions of support for Ukraine.
Tolokonnikova, who served nearly two years in a Russian penal colony after the group’s 2012 “Punk Prayer” protest, described the works as powerful testaments to resilience. “Political prisoners are the best of Russians,” she has said. “These artists, trapped in this system, are able to express its fear and suffering.”
The exhibition draws from pieces collected by Art Action, an organization founded by Tolokonnikova and her husband John Caldwell to support at-risk artists. Materials are limited: drawings on prison envelopes, improvisations using toothpaste, and marks made with blood. One standout is Lyudmila Razumova’s untitled blue pen sketch on yellowed paper, depicting a dejected woman facing a faceless crowd heading toward a barbed-wire facility, with a small smiling kitten providing a rare moment of tenderness. Razumova, a photojournalist serving a seven-year sentence for anti-war graffiti, created the work from her cell.
Other featured artists include Anastasia Dyudyaeva, an art teacher sentenced to 3.5 years for distributing anti-Putin postcards, and Jan Katelevsky, a journalist imprisoned for exposing police corruption. The late Alexander Dotsenko, a jewelry artist who died in custody in February 2026, is also represented. Works by Ukrainian POWs and civilians add international solidarity.
Artistic Resistance Against Repression
The timing is intentional. Resistance Imprisoned runs parallel to the Venice Biennale, where Russia’s pavilion has drawn widespread criticism. Pussy Riot has campaigned against the official show, proposing instead that imprisoned artists represent Russia in future editions. The collective’s efforts align with broader calls, including a petition signed by thousands opposing Russia’s participation.
Gallery representatives emphasize the exhibition’s gravity. “In prisons and penal colonies, drawing, embroidering, or writing is not a pastime, but an act of resistance and survival,” they note. Attendees at the opening included family members of Ukrainian detainees.
This exhibition continues Pussy Riot’s history of institutional critique. The group, designated an “extremist organization” by Russian authorities, has long blended punk, activism and visual art. Tolokonnikova’s recent durational performances, including living in a replica prison cell at MOCA Los Angeles, echo the themes of confinement and defiance central to Resistance Imprisoned.
Implications for Cultural Diplomacy
The show arrives as European institutions navigate artistic freedom versus propaganda concerns. It reframes the conversation, insisting that authentic voices silenced in penal colonies deserve platforms.
Visitors to the Strasbourg gallery encounter raw creativity forged under duress. Each piece offers a direct line to prison cells where expression persists against the odds.
As Venice Biennale preparations continue, Resistance Imprisoned stands as a parallel event refusing to let the world forget. It challenges audiences to consider whose art truly represents a nation in crisis.
Read the full exhibition details at Ritsch-Fisch Galerie. Learn more about Pussy Riot’s work at pussyriot.love. Sign petitions opposing Russia’s Venice pavilion and support organizations aiding political prisoners via Art Action. Visit the exhibition in Strasbourg before May 31 to experience these powerful works. Your engagement helps amplify silenced voices.
Darren Smith is an arts journalist, practicing artist, and tattooist with 26+ years of experience across traditional, digital, and body art practices. He covers the intersections of craft, culture, and collecting for ArtChain News.
