In Ukraine and Russia, artists openly protest against the Russian invasion, but there are still no reactions outside of that.
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The most important action in the culture sector could come from Paris in the coming days or months. There a discussion started about the art collection Morozow, which hangs in the Fondation Vuitton. Should the museum close and miss a record attendance of visitors (already a million)? And can France confiscate the collection of two hundred masterpieces when the expo ends on April 6?
In the US, knots were cut drastically. After the customer line of Carnegie Hall in New York was red hot on Thursday, it was decided to replace conductor Valery Gergiev with Yannick Nézet-Séguin last weekend. Gergiev has close ties to Putin, previously openly supported the annexation of Crimea and did not condemn his country’s invasion of Ukraine. Gergiev’s later concerts in Europe are also under threat.
‘I bring peace’
Many pop musicians in Ukraine themselves use social media these days. Dj Ivan Dorn asked his Russian fans on Instagram not to remain silent: ‘We want to determine our destiny ourselves.’ His label Masterskaya broke contracts with his Russian artists.
Singer-songwriter Khrystyna Soloviy released a new song just before the Russian invasion, ‘Ya Nesu Myr’ (I bring peace), with the message that young people in Ukraine want to get out of the Russian yoke.
Collect funds
In Russia, especially rappers stick their necks out without much fear. Some condemn the ‘military aggression’. The popular Oxxxmiron openly calls the war “a catastrophe and a crime” and canceled his entire tour in protest, with several sold-out concerts in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
And via Twitter, Nadya Tolokonnikov, of the punk band Pussy Riot, launched strong criticism of the raid and of Putin. She also immediately set up a fund to collect funds for civil society organizations in Ukraine that help people who are displaced or in danger. Pussy Riot had already collided with Putin several times and was arrested and imprisoned several times for this.
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