Pussy Riot – Diana Burkot

Sweat and Blood
December 06, 2024 – January 31, 2025

“Sweat and Blood” explores themes of inner emigration — personal alienation from oppressive systems — amid sensory overload and mental escapism, blending social critique and personal trauma, while confronting today’s normalization of war through subtle acts of withdrawal rather than confrontation.

Drawing from actionism’s romanticized exploration of trauma, this work shifts focus to the modern response to horror: not radical shock but an aestheticized, introspective escapism. It critiques the sanitized, selective engagement with war, violence and discrimination that dominates today’s information space.

Curated by Julia Moebus-Puck
Production assistant Felix Wittibschlager

Opening programme:

06.12.2024, 6:00 pm: Opening & Artist Talk
07.12.2024, 7:00 pm: Music Performance
08.12.2024, 6:00 pm: Performance

About the album:

“Sweat and Blood” is a new multidisciplinary art project by Diana Burkot (member of the Pussy Riot collective for over 10 years, member of the Riot Days Show by Pussy Riot for 5 years) presented in different forms, one of which is a music album and live show. 

Blending atmospheric sound design with emotionally charged vocals, poetry, performance and personal narratives, this show delves into themes of inner exile / emigration, trauma, and resistance against social and political repression. 

Each song or narrative is named for its protagonist, illuminating individuals who navigate restrictions on freedom, isolation, and societal constraints—shedding light on lives that reflect broader social issues.

Throughout the performance, these stories are brought to life by the project’s creator, Diana Burkot in collaboration with the characters of the songs, whose artistic interpretation transforms personal experiences into a powerful statement on human rights, identity, and inner strength.

About the installation:

In the mythology of “Sweat and Blood”, characters with unique fates drive the project’s narrative, using personal stories to critique society and politics.

But central to each story is not only people but a red something — a “source” that embodies an animistic force with “shifting behavior”, interacting with each character’s essence to reveal hidden truths. 

The source transcends human-made notations or systems, but striving exposes deep desires, fears and contradictions, the human quest for meaning, themes of faith, violence, and hope.

About the Performance:

The performance ‘Sweat and Blood’ is an act of protest from a feminist perspective, intended to express powerlessness in the face of various forms of violence, but above all political violence. The work plays with the intersections of power, war, vulnerability and collective guilt and can be read as a clear anti-war statement. 


Diana Burkot
photo © Ekaterina Frolova

WED. — FRI.
1:00 PM — 6:00 PM
SAT. & SUN.
AND ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
11:00 AM — 6:00 PM

Monday and Tuesday Closed

Now Closed

WED. — FRI.
1:00 PM — 6:00 PM
SAT. & SUN.
AND ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
11:00 AM — 6:00 PM

Monday and Tuesday Closed

Copyright 2025 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH

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Ausstellung

Vier Aktionen

Eroffnung:
13.02.2025, 18:30 Uhr

14.02. – 27.07.2025

Now closed

exhibition

Four Actions

Opening:
13.02.2025, 6:30 pm

14.02. – 27.07.2025

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Now Closed

Opening exhibition

What is Vienna Actionism?

Gunter Brus

Otto Muehl

Hermann Nitsch

Rudolf Schwarzkogler

15.03.2024 – 31.01.2025

Dates & Events

February 2025

Opening: 13.02.2025, 6:30 pm
Exhibition: 14.02.2025 – 18.05.2025

Four Actions

With its second exhibition, the WAM is now going into greater depth. The opening exhibition WHAT IS VIENNA ACTIONISM? first offered an overview of the multi-layered developments of this movement in the 1960s, whereby the individual actions were only presented with exemplary photos. Now, under the title FOUR ACTIONS, an exhibition series is being launched that presents selected actions with all the available historical material. In this way, it will be possible for the first time to understand the actions in all their detail. The aim of the exhibition is to open up new perspectives on the reception of Vienna Actionism through the precise examination of individual actions.

February 25, Thursday,  5:00 pm

Public guided tour (DE)

Tour through the current exhibition.

March 2025

March 08, Saturday,  4:00 pm

Public guided tour (DE)

Tour through the current exhibition.

March 09, Sunday,  4:00 pm

Director’s tour (DE)

Our director Julia Moebus-Puck gives a personal insight into the development of Vienna Actionism.

March 15, Saturday,  3:00 pm

Public guided tour (DE)

Tour through the current exhibition.

March 16, Sunday,  4:00 pm

Director’s tour (DE)

Our director Julia Moebus-Puck gives a personal insight into the development of Vienna Actionism.

March 29, Saturday,  3:00 pm

Public guided tour (DE)

Tour through the current exhibition.

March 30, Sunday,  4:00 pm

Director’s tour (DE)

Our director Julia Moebus-Puck gives a personal insight into the development of Vienna Actionism.