Art against the law

Happy new year.

While most were probably celebrating the arrival of 2012 in the usual manner, the controversial Russian art group Voina (which we have previously reported about here and here) celebrated the new year with a bang – or more accurately a fire.

As reported by the Huffington Post, "Voina rang in 2012 by setting a police car on fire… The group broke into a police station in St. Petersburg on New Years Eve and used Molotov cocktails to set fire to a police car. Or rather, what they refer to as a 'trash truck' or 'prison on wheels.' The action was a New Years gift to the political prisoners of Russia." Voina's president, known as Bucket Man, expressed the motives behind the piece in a rather explicit statement, which will not be repeated here. However, he is also said to have clarified that the act was not "art" but "beyond art."

So there you have it. Art against the law is ok, as long as it is "beyond art"…..

For those interested, footage of the "performance" can be found on the Huffington Post website. By way of preview, here they are starting the fire:



Source: The Huffington Post, 2 January 2012