We are pleased to present a solo exhibition of a Russian artist, Ekaterina Muromtseva at the Museum on Echigo-Tsumari, MonET.

The exhibition features a series called “Women in Black”, watercolour paintings of women dressed in black with holding white flowers in their hands as if they are in mourning as quiet protests against the war in Ukraine took place in cities across Russia. This series of new artworks which seem to document “today” as “the important moment of history” show a feeling of solidarity amongst people who are courageous to protest against the war and carry a message to be engaged with changes happening in the history of the society. The artworks will be on sale and profits from the sales of the work will be donated to support the displaced person from Ukraine.

＜Artist’s statement＞

After the war in Ukraine started, I decided to paint a series dedicated to a wave of quiet protests that engaged women dressed in black, holding white flowers as if in mourning. These protests took place in different cities in Russia. The activists were mostly women, as the female anti-war movement is the most intense. Sometimes the protesters were detained, sometimes not. Initially, this form of protest originated in Israel, during the First Intifada, with female activists from the Left protesting violations by Israeli soldiers. It was taken up by many feminist organizations worldwide to criticize the actions of their governments. In photographs of the recent Russian protests I used for these works, the heads are often cropped out, so the authorities cannot identify the activists. The word “War” is banned in Russia in discussions of the situation, so protesters often hide this word behind asterisks or other slogans, for example, in calling for peace. Even then, protesters are not immune from persecution by the authorities. I sometimes use these alternative slogans in these paintings.

Anti-war protests in Russia are not that visible from the outside, because all mass demonstrations are violently suppressed, and the protesters face criminal charges. Even in these circumstances, dissent comes through in new disguises. I created these works to share my belief that it is possible to raise your voice against injustice in any kind of pressure, even if your protest looks like a wake. I stand in solidarity with everyone who has the courage to protest the war in any possible manner.

Artist profile

Ekaterina Muromtseva
Born in 1990 in Moscow, Russia. Muromtseva is a visual artist with a background in philosophy and stage design. Her art practice attempts to identify the possibility to renew historical narratives as well as alternative forms of existence within the hierarchical social and cultural systems of society. She has created a diverse form of works including large-scale paintings, videos, installations, and social-participatory art that explore personal and collective memories in a narrative and conceptual manner. She received the Forbes Russia innovation award as one of the thirty leaders of the next generation. In 2021, she participated in the Northern Alps Art Festival and presented a work featuring the local people of Shinano Omachi and its history in context. For Setouchi Triennale, she presents “The School Teachers” in Ogijima during the summer iteration of the festival.

About the exhibition

In addition, Art Front Gallery in Daikanyama, Tokyo will feature the artist through the exhibition, Ekaterina Muromtseva: Breaking History, consisting of two independent series of works from “Women in Black” as well as “Take Lee Down”.
【Duration: Fri 5 – Sun 28 August 2022】
≫ART FRONT GALLERY