The Art Newspaper

Criminal case against “extremist” Siberian artist ongoing

Artem Loskutov was jailed for his role in a political art group

By John Varoli. Web only
Published online: 12 August 2009

St Petersburg. On 24 August, a court will hear artist Artem Loskutov’s lawyer’s plea to have the criminal case against him dropped. Twenty-two-year-old university student Loskutov was arrested in May, charged with possession of drugs, belonging to a “criminal group” and “extremism” for his role as a leader of a political art group in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. He was released on 10 June, and the following day a group of St Petersburg artists announced they were ceasing a 14-day hunger strike in support of Loskutov. The hunger strike was held on the grounds of city hall, timed to coincide with the St Petersburg Economic Forum, an international business conference. Under the glare of international media, authorities decided not to move against the protestors.

On 15 May, Loskutov was walking with friends when he was apprehended and handcuffed by three unidentified men. Later it became known that they were officers from the recently created Center for Extremism Prevention, a police agency that human rights campaigners claim has the potential to be abused against those opposed to the Kremlin and its policies. Loskutov and his supporters claim that the police planted marijuana in his bag in order to incriminate him.

Although free, Loskutov is not off the hook. He is still forbidden from leaving Novosibirsk until the criminal investigation against him is finished. In 2003 Loskutov and Ekaterina Drobysheva founded CAT (Contemporary Art Terrorism), which sought to promote political art by criticising the political, business and religious establishment.

Supporters of Loskutov have used the internet to unite artists and members of Russia’s youth in a spirited defense, with websites such as kissmybabushka.com (the website of Loskutov’s art group Babuskha Posle Pokhoron) and free.kissmybabushka.com (with articles in English, German, and French).

“The Center for Extremism Prevention, formed from Interior Ministry units previously charged with combating organised crime, has to justify its existence,” says a statement on kissmybabushka.com. “Since its mission is to prevent extremism (whatever that means), it has to find, interrogate, and intimidate ‘extremists’, even if no real extremists are to be found.”