RED MEANS REVENGE (8:09 min), 2023
The white-blue-white flag is a symbol of opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine that has been used by Russian anti-war protesters.
I would like to dedicate this work to the artist Sasha Skochilenko, who was sentenced to 7 years in prison for “spreading deliberately false information about the army of the Russian Federation on the grounds of political hate”. The sentence was handed down on 16 November, the same day I did my anti-war performance. It hurts me unbearably to see this terrible coincidence. While I was celebrating the triumph of freedom with my friends, someone else’s freedom was taken away. Sasha is a symbol of endless inner strength and struggle for truth. Sasha is an example for all of us, no matter what country we live in or what language we speak.
I will never be able to wash away all the pain and blood from Russia’s history, but I don’t want to. I want us to remember what horrific things the Russian government has done to the citizens of its own country and to the citizens of Ukraine. We will never forgive this.
