Belarusian Protest: A Meeting with Artists and Curators of Every Day. Art. Solidarity. Resistance

In March 2020, the largest exhibition of contemporary Belarusian art titled Every Day. Art. Solidarity. Resistance opened at Mystetskyi Arsenal in Kiev, Ukraine. Following this event, the Wende Museum will host a discussion with its five participants––curators and artists––dedicated to the role of contemporary art in the Belarusian protests. What tactics and strategies are new, and how do they relate to the dynamics of protest? How is the concept of time construed by the protest movement? How does the post-Soviet context frame the existing corpus of artwork from Belarus?

The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Sasha Razor.

About the Participants

Aleksei Borisionok (b. 1992) is a curator, writer, and organizer currently living in Minsk and Vienna. He is a member of Problem Collective and the Work Hard! Play Hard! working group. His writings on art and politics appeared in L’Internationale Online, pARTisanka, Moscow Art Magazine, Springerin, Hjärnstorm, Paletten, and syg.ma among others. His current research focuses on the temporalities of post-socialism.

Marina Naprushkina (b. 1981) is a Belarusian-German political artist who lives and works in Berlin. She is the founder of the Office for Anti-Propaganda platform and New Neighborhood / Moabit initiatives. Aiming at creating structures based on self-organization, her work appeared in a number of international exhibitions and biennials, such as the 11th Istanbul Biennale, the 7th Berlin Biennale, and the Kyiv Biennale. She is the author of several books and texts.

Dr. Sasha Razor (b. 1980) is a native of Belarus and an alumna of the UCLA Department of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. Dr. Razor now works at the Museum of Russian Culture in San Francisco.

Daria Sazanovich (b.1990) is a multimedia artist better known under her nickname sheeborshee. After graduating from the European Humanities University in Vilnius in 2016 with a degree in visual design and media, Daria moved to Germany and is currently studying towards a master’s degree in digital media at the University of the Arts in Bremen. Working as a designer and illustrator for independent media and NGOs, she is most well-known in Belarus as a “socially engaged illustrator” due to a website to help citizens (https://www.pensii.belhelcom.org/en/).

Antonina Stebur (b. 1984) is a curator and researcher. After graduating from the European Humanities University in Vilnius in 2009, Antonina moved to Saint Petersburg, Russia, where she attended the School of Engaged Art What is to be done?, graduating in 2019. Antonina is a co-founder and member of the following groups: #damaudobnayavbytu, a project on gender discrimination in Belarus, Spaika.media, the research platform on activist and political art; and AGITATSIA research group. She is the co-author of The History of Belarusian Photography (2019).

Maxim Tyminko (b. 1972) is a Belarusian media artist and curator who lives and works in Amsterdam. Maxim received his art education at the Minsk State Art College and Academy of Media Arts Cologne. He is a founder of the self-publishing platform Antibrainwash.net, and a co-founder and editor of Cultprotest.me and pxFLUX media art distribution platforms.