1-3 March 2013
THE MOSCOW TRIALS at the Sakharov Centre Moscow

Sakharov Centre Moscow // Exhibition Hall
Ul. Zemlyanoy Val 57/6
Metro Kurskaya
1-3 March 2013 // Opening session: 1 March, 19.00

> for detailled schedule // press conference // please scroll down

The images of the trial against the art-activists from Pussy Riot were
omnipresent in Russian and international media. All over the world people discussed
the case, and generally opinion was divided in two groups:
On the one hand, people were reflecting about the limits of freedom of
expression and on the other hand the supporters of Pussy Riot spoke of the
end of democracy in Russia. But what seemed to be a sudden outburst of a
deep division in Russian society has a long case history. In winter 2003,
four days after the opening, the art exhibition „Caution! Religion“ in
the Sakharov Centre in Moscow was destroyed by radical Orthodox Christians;
shortly afterwards the Russian parliament demanded the investigation against
the curators. In 2007, a second trial ensued against the exhibition
„Forbidden Art“, also critical of religion. Both trials ended with the
condemnation of the curators based on “agitation of religious hate”.

The project „The Moscow Trials“ resumes the history of the dispute between
artists and orthodox believers – in the form of political theatre. At the
scene of the confrontation, in the exhibition hall of the Sakharov Centre, a
trial room will be set up and the three most controversial cases of the last
decade („Caution, Religion“, „Forbidden Art“ and „Pussy Riot“) will be
reopened for discussion. Both sides, the believers and the defenders of
freedom of art will have space to place their arguments. No
actors on stage, just real-life protagonists: Artists,
politicians, church leaders and proper lawyers. A court of 7 lay assessors –
constituted out of the Moscow population – will after 3 days finally decide
the verdict.

> 26 February 2013
14.00-16.00: Press Conference
National Centre for Contemporary Arts (NCCA)

> 1-3 March 2013
Three-day court show
Sakharov Centre – Exhibition Hall

> Friday, 1 March
19.00-21.00: Opening session

> Saturday, 2 March
12.00-15.00: „Caution, Religion“
16.00-19.00: „Forbidden Art“

> Sunday, 3 March
11.00-14.00: „Pussy Riot“
15.00-17.00: Closing session
19.00: Proclamation of the sentence

> For further informations

Maria Kroupnik, tel. +7 926 105 89 03 // m.kroupnik@gmail.com (IIPM Russia)
Yven Augustin, tel. +30 240 88 28 21 // info@augustinpr.de (IIPM Germany)
Maria Federmesser, tel. +7 499 254 84 92 // pr@ncca.ru (NCCA)