Artists Against the Kremlin: VIRUS – Opening

This summer, Artists Against the Kremlin returns to De Balie with the exhibition VIRUS featuring over 100 works by artists from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the global diaspora – including names like Nadya Tolokonnikova (Pussy Riot), Danila Tkachenko, and Sasha Skochilenko. The exhibition brings together artists who, among other themes, speak out against Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During the opening, international award-winning pianist Maria Nemtsova will give a special performance.

The opening night will feature the premiere of a new concert program by international award-winning pianist Maria Nemtsova. The concert is dedicated to young political prisoners, held in Russian prisons.

The concert stands in support of underage political prisoners in Russia. In today’s climate of repression, young people who dare to speak against the war in Ukraine are being silenced and punished. Despite being minors, many face harsh prison sentences based on flimsy or conflicting evidence. This event is both a protest and an act of solidarity with these brave young voices.

Vladimir Shalamov, curator of Artists Against the Kremlin and founder of All Rights Reversed
For the first time in Amsterdam, the concert will feature excerpts from the diaries of musician and political prisoner Pavel Kushnir – narrated by Gijs Kessler – who died in a Russian prison, alongside compositions by Kate Moore, Frederick Rzewski, and Alexei Skryabin. The program is directed by Vladlena Sandu.

Grand Opening — August 15:
18:00-19:00 Cocktail, press preview, photography
19:00-20:00 Curator’s tour of the exhibition Artists Against the Kremlin: Virus
20:00-21:00 Concert performance by pianist Maria Nemtsova and director Vladlena Sandu
21:00-23:00 Afterparty in De Balie’s foyer (free entrance)

The Concert:

Music performed by Maria Nemtsova:
Frederick Rzewski – Dear Diary
Alexander Scriabin – Vers La Flamme
Kate Moore – Bestiary

Video installation by Vladlena Sandu

Narrator – Gijs Kessler. During the concert, excerpts from the diaries of musician and political prisoner Pavel Kushnir, who died in a Russian prison, will be read. His words remain a final testimony to a spirit unbroken behind bars.

About the participants

Maria Nemtsova is an Amsterdam-based concert pianist and winner of major international competitions, including the Isabelle Bond Showcase (London), Fort Worth Concerto Competition (USA), and Rosario Marciano Competition (Vienna). She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw, Wigmore Hall, and the National Center of Performing Arts in Beijing. She is the founder of Re:FormersFest and Music for Peace, supporting musicians in conflict zones.

Gijs Kessler is a Senior Research Fellow at the International Institute of Social History (IISH) in Amsterdam, specializing in Russian and Soviet social and economic history. From 2002 to 2016, he worked and lived in Moscow, teaching at the prestigious BA program of the New Economic School. He is also a co-founder of the Electronic Repository of Russian Historical Statistics and author of‘Rusland – land dat anders wil zijn’, a first-hand account of thirty years of change in Russia.

Vladlena Sandu is a filmmaker and theater director. Raised in Grozny, she survived the Chechen War before being displaced to mainland Russia in 1998. She graduated from VGIK in film directing. Her films explore war, memory, and oppression. Holy God (2017) was censored in Russia but screened internationally. Eight Images from the Life of Nastya Sokolova (2018) won the Silver Eye Award. No Nation Without Culture (2023) won Best Short at GoEast IFF. Her autobiographical play The Rainbow Cinema won Best Amsterdam Fringe 2023. Now based in Amsterdam, she continues her work on themes of war, resistance, and memory.

Expositie

Artists Against the Kremlin: VIRUS

15 Aug – 4 Sep: Major anti-war and dissident art exhibition vol. 2

Artists Against the Kremlin returns to De Balie with the exhibition VIRUS featuring over 100 works by artists from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and the global diaspora

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