21.05.24 – 26.05.24, Veronika Akopyan, We will go to heaven and they will just drop dead

This exhibition offers a reflection on the state of Putin's Russia and its current realities. In the wake of the war in Ukraine, I found myself compelled to examine our past and the path that led us here. Having lived my entire life under Putin's presidency, I have keenly felt the imperialist narratives propagated by the state and their profound impact on society, particularly as a member of a national minority.

The onset of the war has starkly divided Russian society, creating two distinct realities. This exhibition probes the mechanisms of propaganda and explores how the artistic community in Russia, amidst escalating restrictions on freedom and political repression, can resist these forces and influence change. What role does visual art play in this new political landscape? This exhibition is an exploration and a search for answers to these pressing questions.

• Veronika Akopyan