You're reading: Activists ‘occupy’ Russian pavilion at Venice Biennale to protest Crimea occupation

Ukrainian activists held a peaceful protest action at the 56th International Art Exhibition of the Biennale di Venezia. Five activists came to the Russian pavilion wearing camouflage clothing to perform a mock occupation of the pavilion that referred to the way Russian troops quietly occupied Ukrainian peninsula Crimea in February 2014.

The group of activists, calling themselves On Vacation, were offering visitors of the pavilion to take a selfie in the offered military uniform and post it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with hashtag #onvacation. On May 9 the activists intend to choose a winning photo and give its author a four-day stay in Balaklava, seaside city in Crimea.

According to its press release, On Vacation is an
anonymous action targeting occupation and military aggression.

Mykhailo Glubokiy, manager of Donetsk art project Izolyatsia, captured the action on video. The video shows activists taking photos and hanging out in the red-and-green Russian pavilion, engaging visitors to join them.

One can hear one of the guests tell an activist a joke about a Russian man being questioned by a border guard when entering a foreign country: “Nationality?
Russian. Occupation? No, just visiting.”

With this free trip On Vacation offers a possibility
to interface with an actual conflict without influence of media propaganda.

Kyiv Post staff writer
Yuliana Romanyshyn can be reached at [email protected]