Moscow's Garage Museum Closes in Protest Over Ukraine Invasion

The Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow has closed its doors in protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, stating it will remain shut "until the human and political tragedy in Ukraine has ended." Founded in 2008 by Dasha Zhukova and Roman Abramovich, the museum in Gorky Park declared it cannot "support the illusion of normality" during such events. All exhibitions are postponed, including a Lydia Masterkova show scheduled for March 16 and an Anne Imhof exhibition set for April 5, 2022—Imhof's first in Russia since winning the Golden Lion at the 2017 Venice Biennale. The museum pledged to honor obligations to artists Anne Imhof, Helen Marten, Saodat Ismailova, Heimo Zobernig, and their galleries. Separately, Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson prematurely closed his show "Santa Barbara – A Living Sculpture" at Moscow's GES-2 House of Culture, calling Russia a "fascist state." GES-2, designed by Renzo Piano and opened in December 2021, suspended all exhibitions and activities from February 28, 2022, but remains open as a safe space, according to its operator V-A-C Foundation, founded by collector Leonid Mikhelson. V-A-C also suspended projects at its Venice venue, Palazzo delle Zattere.