Crimea Controversy Erupts at Garage Triennial of Russian Contemporary Art

A political storm has engulfed the first edition of the Triennial of Russian Contemporary Art at the Garage Museum in Moscow, just one month after its opening. The controversy centers on the inclusion of artists from Crimea, a decision championed by museum director Anton Belov but condemned by the international art community as tacit support for Russia's aggressive stance in the region. Crimea, geographically part of Ukraine, was annexed by Russia in 2014 following a referendum widely deemed illegal by the international community. Ukraine, backed by the European Union and the United States, considers the annexation an unlawful occupation. The political tension has overshadowed the artworks and artists in the exhibition, which features 68 artists and is billed as the largest survey of Russian contemporary art. To address the backlash, the organizers have scheduled a focus on Crimea's artistic situation on April 23, featuring a performance by the Crimean Free Dance Lab and a discussion panel with artists from the region living in Russia, Crimea, and Ukraine. The triennial was launched with great fanfare, coinciding with the centenary of the Russian Revolution, and is organized by the Garage Museum, founded in 2008 by Dasha Zhukova and Roman Abramovich. A team of six curators spent over a year traveling across Russia to select participants.