Pussy Riot Leads Protests Against Russian Pavilion at Venice Biennale

On the second day of the 61st Venice Biennale, protests against the Russian pavilion erupted both within the Giardini and across Venice. Visual artist Shalva Nikvashvili, from Georgia, began a silent performance at 11am, walking from near the Russian pavilion to the Giardini entrance wearing a muzzle mask and carrying a chair, holding a sign reading 'La Biennale di Venezia' and 'violence'. He self-funded his trip and drew a crowd that blocked visitors. Simultaneously, a group of about 20 protesters led by Nadya Tolokonnikova, founding member of Pussy Riot, assembled outside the Russian pavilion, chanting against Vladimir Putin and releasing pink smoke. The European Union warned Italy that opening the pavilion would breach sanctions. Later, culture ministers from Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania issued a joint statement at the Polish pavilion, with Ukrainian minister Tetyana Berezhna condemning Russia's presence. The Latvian pavilion launched 'Death in Venice', a sticker campaign altering the Biennale logo to feature the Kremlin wall. A city-wide poster campaign, 'The Invisible Pavilion', by the Network of Associations for Ukraine, honors 274 Ukrainian culture-makers killed since the invasion. The Russian pavilion opened during preview days but will not open to the public on May 9.