Many people dream of the day that the current head of Russia is no more. Today, Pussy Riot announced an exhibition that manifests the end of Vladamir Putin with the project titled Putin's Ashes. The piece was made in response to Putin's war in Ukraine and began in August 2022 when the band set fire to a 10x10-foot portrait of the Russian president, along with rituals and spells performed by 12 women. Now, you can witness the bottled ashes of the burnt portrait via a short film that was directed, edited, and scored by Nadya Tolokonnikova.
"While working with artifacts, bottling ashes, and manufacturing the faux furry frames for the bottles, I used skills that I learned in the sweatshops of my penal colony," Tolokonnikova said of the project. "I was forced to sew police and army uniforms in a Russian jail. I turned what I learned in my labor camp against those who locked me up. Putin is a danger to the whole world, and he has to be stopped immediately."
The installation takes place at LA's Jeffrey Deitch Gallery from January 27 to February 3. The opening night includes a protest and live performance by Pussy Riot that will kick off at 6 p.m. local time. In order to be granted entry you must wear a balaclava, which will be provided at the gallery entrance. Watch the trailer for the Putin's Ashes below, and RSVP for the event here.
