Pyotr Pavlensky is an actionist artist who goes beyond the usual art, but creates action, performance. His protests are of a political and social nature, he strongly opposes government interference in human life and restrictions on freedom of speech.
In sight
You will not find paintings or sculptures by the artist Pyotr Pavlensky. This is not what he is famous for. His art is public actions that are aimed at combating the current regime or are a response to loud provocations. Although Pavlensky has an academic art education. He was born in Leningrad in 1984. Studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of Art and Industry at the Faculty of Monumental Painting. After graduation, he collaborated with the Museum of the Political History of Russia. But his main activity was the Internet magazine "Political Propaganda", which covered the connection between contemporary art and politics.
But the artist saw his art in actions and in attracting attention. His first public action was in response to the arrest of the members of the Pyssy Riot group. Pavlensky held a protest action in the form of a solo picket near the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The artist was holding a poster in his hands, and his mouth was sewn up with thread. Yes, this was nothing new, the technique with stitching the mouth was already used. But for Pavlensky, this was the first opportunity to express himself vividly. And, of course, they noticed him: first the police, then psychiatric help. But Pavlensky was found sane and released.
Peter, inspired by the "successful" experience, did not postpone the next performance for a long time. He held the rally "Tusha" in the building of the Legislative Assembly in his hometown. And in Moscow, he tried to attract attention on Red Square, nailing his genitals with a nail to the cobblestones. Naturally, after all these actions, Pavlensky was detained by the police, but a criminal case was not opened against him. Except for hooliganism, he had nothing to show, and the psychiatric examination constantly recognized him as sane.
Pavlensky began to actively support the events in Ukraine and even became a participant in the "Freedom" action. A group of people lit fires and hung Ukrainian flags near the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. However, even after that, Pavlensky managed to avoid punishment, although a criminal case was initiated against him.
Emigration
The boiling point of the authorities after a series of other antics of the artist was the arson of the door of the FSB building on Lubyanka. After the arson, Pavlensky was arrested, but at the trial the actionist got off with only a fine and damages. A year after these events, Pavlensky with his common-law wife and children left Russia for France. But the reason for such a rapid departure from the homeland is called more serious accusations than creative self-expression. A former work colleague accused Pavlensky of rape. True, after a while, she took her statement and the charges against the artist were dropped.
In France, Pavlensky did not cheat on himself and continued his "career" growth. He was again drawn to arson, only this time the object was the Bank of France. The French did not understand the deep meaning of the author's work and took him into custody, where he spent 11 months before the court decision. The court sentenced Pavlensky to three years in prison, where two of them were suspended.
There is always a muse next to the creator, and Pavlensky is no exception. He lives in a civil marriage with Oksana Shalygina, who also takes part in his actions. The couple have two children - daughters Alisa and Lilia, and the family follows the artist everywhere.
