Pyotr Pavlensky, a well-known Russian live art performer, has thrown down the gauntlet to the secret service ‘on behalf of the Russian society’.
Overnight into Monday, the Russian artist held the action named ‘Threat’ in the center of Moscow. He brought a can of gasoline to the central office of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Lubyanka Square. It took him a few seconds to pour it over the wooden doors and set them on fire.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://vimeo.com/145096472″][vc_column_text]A minute later the guards detained Pavlensky and jounalists Vladimir Romensky and Nigina Beroeva who were filming the action. The police took the trio to the police station. On Monday morning the journalists were released, Pavlensky got arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct.
The description of the short film that appeared on the artist’s video channel, he says that the FSB is now threatening to all Russians:
“Burning doors of Lubyanka is a gauntlet which our society is flinging in the face of the terrorist threat. The Federal Security Service acts through continuous terror and holds power over 146 million people. Fear turns free people into a sticky mass of separate bodies. Everyone who is within reach for surveillance, eavesdropping and passport control is under the imminent threat of reprisal. Military courts mop up every manifestation of freedom. But terrorism can exist only at the cost of the animal instinct of fear. But the unconditional defensive reflex forces a person to make a stand aganst this instinct. This is a reflex of fighting for one’s own life. And life is worth fighting for it.”
[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”33934″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]The action ‘Stitch’ in support of Pussy Riot (2012)
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pavlensky is known for their performances and actions ‘Separation’ (cutting off a flap of his ear), ‘Stitch’ (sewing up his mouth), ‘Fixation’ (nailing his scrotum to paving stones in Red Square) and ‘Freedom’ (setting fire to tyres in St. Petersburg – in solidarity with Kyiv’s Maidan).
Belsat.eu, photos: Ілля Варламаў, Wikipedia
