“Putin Is Forever”: Artists Respond
The Art Newspaper reports: ‘The prospect of six more years of President Vladimir Putin has been met by Russian artists with varying degrees of desperation, exaltation and resignation, reflecting the ideological divisions of the country’s cultural scene. Putin announced his candidacy for the 2018 presidential elections last month at a youth rally in Moscow where he coyly asked the crowd if they wanted him to run; they responded with rapturous cheers. Within hours he was at a car factory being entreated by workers to seek re-election. If he does win, which seems almost certain, his next term will bring his years in office as president to a total of 20 in addition
to the four-and-a-half he served as prime minister.’
