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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. – Sun. and on public holidays
11:00 AM – 6:00 Pm
Monday and Tuesday Closed
OPENING
MARCH 15, 2024
5:00 PM
We are Open
OPENING MARCH 15, 2024
5:00 PM
We are Open
Wed. – Sun. and on public holidays 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Monday and Tuesday Closed
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
