Pussy Riot – DISOBEY
Pussy Riot releases a new single, “DISOBEY”, the punk song with English and Russian lyrics, and calls on people to disobey the Russian authority.
The single and music video come amid the controversial Russian return to the Venice Biennale, which has led to the EU cutting funding, the Jury resigning, and many protests. On March 5th, Nadya Tolokonnikova started by stating “Expect Resistance” to the Venice Biennale, followed on April 19th, by curating the Strasbourg-based art exhibition RESISTANCE IMPRISONED and on April 21st, she was instrumental is getting 71 members (from 29 countries) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to sign the Written Declaration No. 835, formally condemning the decision by the Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia to allow Russia to reopen its national pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition in 2026.
Today, 50 Pussy Riot members stormed the Russian pavilion with pink smoke, and were joined by Ukrainian performance art group FEMEN for “Storm of Venice” as they shut the entry to the pavilion in the Biennale giardini.
Nadya Tolokonnikova:
“I wanted to do a classic punk song – in old school Pussy Riot style – I’ve been trying to be polite – writing letters via the Council of Europe, writing directly to the board, to the president, to people in the art world, and dead ends everywhere. Polite society doesn’t work when you are dealing with thugs and crooks – so we meet them with punk, we have to scream our anger and disdain for what is happening.
Over 50 members of Pussy Riot, from all over the world came here to the Storm of Venice, to scream and take part in this moment.
We quickly go into editing mode after – gathering photographers and video people, we cut the video sitting in a cafe – and turn it around in a day – this is our actionist training in action. This is our art, and our protest. We hope the punks, freaks, and actually anyone who ever felt like fucking screaming to enjoy this song and moment with us. Fuck Putin.”
#pussyriot