

Nadya Tolokonnikova, co-founder of the feminist protest art collective Pussy Riot, debuted her latest exhibition Punk’s Not Dead with a performance with Pussy Riot Siberia. The Siberian political activist, musician and conceptual artist held a private opening night event at the Honor Fraser Gallery in Los Angeles on Friday, January 17.
Tolokonnikova gained global recognition through Pussy Riot and their performances challenging authoritarianism. She is a leading voice in the global fight against authoritarianism. Tolokonnikova returns to LA with an artist residency at the Honor Fraser Gallery. During her residency, she will compose performances that illustrate her approach to resisting systems of oppression and dehumanization.
The inside of the Honor Fraser Gallery glowed red generating a hellish scenery. The back right corner held the performance area for Pussy Riot Siberia. Their musical equipment next next to a barbed wire fence adorned with white satin bows and brass knuckles. Nadya performed behind a black podium while wearing a clergy-like white robe and the iconic Pussy Riot balaclava. The exhibition features Tolokonnikova’s powerful self-portraits and sculptural installations that examine protest and imprisonment. It also emphasizes her artistic practice beyond performance, offering a deeper dive into her visual and conceptual art.
The exhibition includes three large silver canvases resembling the style of traditional Orthodox Iconography. The canvases include the text “punk’s not dead’ in the manner of a prayer. The font is specifically meant to appear as barbed wire. All three canvasses are identical with only the color of the text serving as the distinction from the three with the colors varying from black, white and red. The exhibit also includes 11 metallic riot shields that serve as both art work and musical instruments. Each riot shield holds distinct art either scratched into the metal or spray painted. The riot shields can be seen with Pussy Riot icons, tiny hearts, the Anarchist symbol, and more.
The Punk’s Not Dead exhibition runs from January 18-25 at the Honor Fraser Gallery. Pussy Riot Siberia will hold a closing ceremony at the gallery on Saturday, January 25 at 7 pm. See photos from the exhibition down below.


Photo credit: Conny Chavez


Photo credit: Conny Chavez


Photo credit: Conny Chavez


Photo credit: Conny Chavez