Les Brigittines

Over the past ten years, through graphic art and murals, the work of Victoria Lomasko has been a ceaseless counterargument to the official Russian narrative. Her pen portrayed situations and protests in various Russian cities, creating an invaluable political counter-archive. Previous works include Feminist Travels, a graphic art coverage of the Pussy Riot trial; and the book Other Russias, which bears witness to the dissident vitality of the Russian pro-democracy and LGBTQIA+ movements. Under pressure in Russia for several years, Lomasko fled Moscow shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, knowing she had become even more of a target. She took refuge first in Brussels, then in Germany. Despite her position as a political opponent, she at times faces exclusion in the West because of her Russian passport. For this edition of the festival, she created Five Steps, a lecture performance composed of words and live drawing. By talking and sketching, she recalls the life of a dissident artist in five steps: Isolation, Escape, Exile, Shame, and Humanity. In this unique form, Victoria Lomasko gives shape to the daily life under Putin's regime while questioning the production of narratives during a war, and the possible role of an artist.