The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles has officially acquired Putin’s Ashes, a provocative and politically charged art installation by Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova. The acquisition marks a major milestone for the conceptual performance artist and activist, whose work continues to blur the lines between protest and contemporary art.

Originally exhibited at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in January 2023, Putin’s Ashes became a lightning rod for controversy—prompting a new criminal case against Tolokonnikova in Russia and landing her on both the Russian and international most-wanted lists. The work, emblematic of her bold and unapologetic political critique, now finds a permanent home at one of Los Angeles’ most prominent art institutions.

Alongside this announcement, Tolokonnikova is preparing to unveil her first full-length solo gallery exhibition in Los Angeles. Titled PUNK’S NOT DEAD (Pt. 2), the exhibit will run from April 25 through May 31 at Honor Fraser Gallery. The show continues her exploration of protest aesthetics, feminist defiance and resistance through mixed media and performance-driven installations.

Highlights of the upcoming exhibit include works from her “ICONS” series, which fuses Russian Orthodox religious iconography with modern slogans and intimate poetry—a practice that echoes the themes that led to her 2012 imprisonment. Other series on view include “SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN,” a critical reflection on Big Pharma’s role in biopolitics and “DARK MATTER,” featuring engravings of Pussy Riot protest imagery on birch wood soaked in black ink. The exhibition also revisits the striking “RIOT SHIELDS” from PUNK’S NOT DEAD (Pt. 1)—shields used as musical instruments and carved with brass knuckles.

Tolokonnikova, a co-founder of the global feminist art collective Pussy Riot, continues to cement her place in both the art and activist spheres. Her work has been exhibited or acquired by institutions such as The Brooklyn Museum, Serpentine Galleries, Dallas Museum of Art and The New Museum.

With MOCA’s acquisition of Putin’s Ashes, Tolokonnikova’s artistic legacy gains another powerful platform—one that ensures her message and resistance, endures.

Photo credit: Conny Chavez