Russian Pavilion in Venice vs. 'Russian Imperative' Exhibition in St. Petersburg

On May 8, the exhibition 'Russian Imperative' opened at the Manezh exhibition hall in St. Petersburg, coinciding with Victory Day. Curated by Anton Belikov, a Moscow artist and philosopher who served as a soldier in Ukraine, the show explores war in Russian art, featuring works from state museums like the Tretyakov Gallery. The design, in black, white, and red, has been criticized as fascistoid, with a ten-meter installation of a soldier's head. The exhibition mixes historical battles, World War II, Chechen wars, and the current war in Ukraine, promoting a narrative of eternal Russian struggle. It includes works by Kandinsky, Repin, and contemporary Z-patriot kitsch. Meanwhile, the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, titled 'The Tree is Rooted in the Sky,' presented a modest musical program promoting dialogue, but is criticized as a Potemkin village. Its commissioner Anastasiia Karneeva is daughter of Rostec deputy director Nikolay Volobuyev, and her business partner Ekaterina Vinokurova is daughter of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.