Full interview by Ricardia Bramley and Anja Prinz
Part of one is in the official site of SLEEK magazine
Part of one is in the official site of SLEEK magazine
Images of Russia these days fill me with respect; despite the minus temperatures in Moscow, the supporters of Putin opponent Alexei Navalny show up in droves. I see this kind of dedication, earnestness and commitment in Alisa Yoffe only two minutes in the Zoom call. The young Russian artist and activist has shaved her head in solidarity with Russian prisoners. And not just any prisoners. Нег gesture concems the incarceration of Russian lawyer-turned-activist Navalny, following his retum in January to Moscow from Berlin, where he had been treated for poisoning after а suspected assasination -а "homecoming" that happened only days before our conversation.
SLEEK: Alisa, thank you for joining us. My first question with all that is going оп: how are you?
Alisa Yoffe: I am fine.
S: Regarding the recent protests in Russia for Navalny, how did you react?
АУ: I painted the very next day after the protest because it was important for me to see what is going to happen, how people will react. There was anotherwork when Navainy was arrested, it was painted right after the arrest I have bееn following the political agenda
S: Is the political always personal for you or is the political always personal for any Russian soul? What is the connection there?
АУ: You could say it is part of the Russian way of life because we have very big differences between rich and poor. lt is very obvious. You cannot ignore it. There are many people whose rights aren't protected. They express what it is they want. The Russian way of life means you are interested in politics.I started working on political topics in 2013. lt still excites me because I moved to Russia from Uzbekistan in 2000. I had to go
through quite а process. I am from а poor family, so the social agenda is important to me. lt affects me.
S: So, in а way, you are а refugee. Do you feel out of place where you are now or do you feel you are exactly where you should bе?
АУ: After the Soviet Union fell apart there was а lot of nationalistic sentiment in former member countries. lt was а very difficult situation. The Cyrillic alphabet was cancelled. The Russians who lived in Uzbekistan
felt their rights had been limited. We decided to move to Russia and we had to sell our apartments for pennies. Now I don't feel connected to any place at all. With the lnternet, I сап speak to anybody in any part of the world. l don't feel any ethnic or geographic connections or limits. I just feel I am an international artist who сап do something for anybody in the world.
S: What about femininity? What about being а woman at this time? Is that important?
АУ: l like to reflect оп the topics of sex and feminism when it comes up in my life, but in general I don't feel
like а woman that much. Мауbе that has to do with hormones, or because I try out different conditions in my life. When it shows up in my life and creativity, yes; but I don't feel there is anything special about being а woman.
S: You shaved your head and right now I am looking at а portrait of you. То me, this gesture seems to bе а politicisation of femininity. ls it?
АУ: Getting rid of my hair had nothing to do with sex or femininity. Yes, exactly - it is political. When you go to prison, your hair is shorn. The suit was а way to undress without undressing. The idea was to get rid ofthe social aspect of gender, like, clothes mark who you are, man or woman, poor or rich, one class or another. The idea was to undress а woman who is actually dressed.
S: Do you get а lot of resistance with regards to your work?
АУ: When speaking about the audience that follows me, I feel great support. Everybody is very positive in their responses. I feel fragile and vulnerable with the system that we tace here. I just finished а workshop. ln it you find the wall of the prison Matrosskaya Tishina ['Sailor's Silence' - telling, isn't it?] where Navalny is being kept, and that wall morphs from а barbed wire wall into
Alisa Yoffe: I am fine.
S: Regarding the recent protests in Russia for Navalny, how did you react?
АУ: I painted the very next day after the protest because it was important for me to see what is going to happen, how people will react. There was anotherwork when Navainy was arrested, it was painted right after the arrest I have bееn following the political agenda
S: Is the political always personal for you or is the political always personal for any Russian soul? What is the connection there?
АУ: You could say it is part of the Russian way of life because we have very big differences between rich and poor. lt is very obvious. You cannot ignore it. There are many people whose rights aren't protected. They express what it is they want. The Russian way of life means you are interested in politics.I started working on political topics in 2013. lt still excites me because I moved to Russia from Uzbekistan in 2000. I had to go
through quite а process. I am from а poor family, so the social agenda is important to me. lt affects me.
S: So, in а way, you are а refugee. Do you feel out of place where you are now or do you feel you are exactly where you should bе?
АУ: After the Soviet Union fell apart there was а lot of nationalistic sentiment in former member countries. lt was а very difficult situation. The Cyrillic alphabet was cancelled. The Russians who lived in Uzbekistan
felt their rights had been limited. We decided to move to Russia and we had to sell our apartments for pennies. Now I don't feel connected to any place at all. With the lnternet, I сап speak to anybody in any part of the world. l don't feel any ethnic or geographic connections or limits. I just feel I am an international artist who сап do something for anybody in the world.
S: What about femininity? What about being а woman at this time? Is that important?
АУ: l like to reflect оп the topics of sex and feminism when it comes up in my life, but in general I don't feel
like а woman that much. Мауbе that has to do with hormones, or because I try out different conditions in my life. When it shows up in my life and creativity, yes; but I don't feel there is anything special about being а woman.
S: You shaved your head and right now I am looking at а portrait of you. То me, this gesture seems to bе а politicisation of femininity. ls it?
АУ: Getting rid of my hair had nothing to do with sex or femininity. Yes, exactly - it is political. When you go to prison, your hair is shorn. The suit was а way to undress without undressing. The idea was to get rid ofthe social aspect of gender, like, clothes mark who you are, man or woman, poor or rich, one class or another. The idea was to undress а woman who is actually dressed.
S: Do you get а lot of resistance with regards to your work?
АУ: When speaking about the audience that follows me, I feel great support. Everybody is very positive in their responses. I feel fragile and vulnerable with the system that we tace here. I just finished а workshop. ln it you find the wall of the prison Matrosskaya Tishina ['Sailor's Silence' - telling, isn't it?] where Navalny is being kept, and that wall morphs from а barbed wire wall into
Photo by Roman Shell
the Kremlin wall. lt shows that there is no difference between these two walls. I was part ol the work, saying that any ol us can land behind that wall. I think it touched many people who leel they can become victims ol this system at any moment.
S: How has this movement developed amid the pandemic? Has the way life has moved online because of Covid been helpful or а hindrance?
АУ: I have been working in social media or а long time now. I have always posted what I see and leel and leatured my works on lnstagram and other social networks, so I have had а close connection to my audience lor а long time. I haven't been affected at all. We don't have а lot ol restrictions at all iп Moscow. Restaurants, etc. have bееn open, and museums, theaters, etc. opened back up this week. I think that part has to do with Navalny - so people don't get too angry and go out protesting again.
S: Since 2013, in Russia you сап be arrested for provoking religious offence, a law that was famously used against the members of Pussy Riot. Have you been affected by this at all?
AY: I feel the pressure and tension. lt is like an imaginary pressure because you don't usually meet people Who interpret laws in that way. But once you have ап exhibition, stating something important with regard to sex or religion, you'II get а visitor to that exhiЬition. Said visitor calls the police because his religious beliels have bееп insulted. Now it's а case lor the police. lt just got real and you start to put artists in prison.
S: What do you dream of foryourself, and foryour country?
АУ: l'm not dreaming about anything. My main task is to bе а rellection ol what is going оп around me. of course, I know politics is not perlect, lile isn't perlect, but as long as it olfers topics for my work, l'd like to rellect them as accurately as possiЫe. lt's not about dreaming. lt's about working.
I have an exhibltion happening in my absence at the Pori Art Museum in Finland until the end ol February, right now. lt is а wall - digital - print 25 metres long and lour metres high. I painted it оп the computer and sent it there, where it was printed. The ball is still there. The player hasn't hit it yet but is already shouting "Fore!" - а term used bу goll players to warn people that а ball is accidentally coming their way, in case you, like I, аге а goll ignoramus. This is to symbolise instability in our world. You must expect anything lrom anywhere and you should bе cautious everywhere, too.
S: What do you think will happen to the Navalny movement going forward?
АУ: lt's hard to predict, but at least he said he won't commit suicide in prison. But what is important about him is what he said: "Please protest not lor me but lor your rights, for your freedom". Маnу people actually don't like Navalny, they're just unhappy about living in а country where their rights аге limited and they сап become а victim of the system at аnу moment.
What we аге seeing поw is that people are more and more interested in what is going оп - and commenting оп it - such as why we are paying so much in taxes and lines when the government uses this money to then buy more helmets lor police, recruiting more police officials, who turn around and beat protesters up. People аге not lor Navalny. They аге lighting lor their right to keep an open dialogue, and for а political system that doesn't hit them оп the head. I think the protests must continue. If anything happens to Navalny, the protests will get even bigger. We all hope it's going to change.
Navalny is а hero at the same time - even il someone is not for him - because we respect his position. Не is not alraid, and he showed us that а single person сап challenge the system.
We end the call soon after. Alisa smiles, turns to the camera and wishes me а nice day.
S: How has this movement developed amid the pandemic? Has the way life has moved online because of Covid been helpful or а hindrance?
АУ: I have been working in social media or а long time now. I have always posted what I see and leel and leatured my works on lnstagram and other social networks, so I have had а close connection to my audience lor а long time. I haven't been affected at all. We don't have а lot ol restrictions at all iп Moscow. Restaurants, etc. have bееn open, and museums, theaters, etc. opened back up this week. I think that part has to do with Navalny - so people don't get too angry and go out protesting again.
S: Since 2013, in Russia you сап be arrested for provoking religious offence, a law that was famously used against the members of Pussy Riot. Have you been affected by this at all?
AY: I feel the pressure and tension. lt is like an imaginary pressure because you don't usually meet people Who interpret laws in that way. But once you have ап exhibition, stating something important with regard to sex or religion, you'II get а visitor to that exhiЬition. Said visitor calls the police because his religious beliels have bееп insulted. Now it's а case lor the police. lt just got real and you start to put artists in prison.
S: What do you dream of foryourself, and foryour country?
АУ: l'm not dreaming about anything. My main task is to bе а rellection ol what is going оп around me. of course, I know politics is not perlect, lile isn't perlect, but as long as it olfers topics for my work, l'd like to rellect them as accurately as possiЫe. lt's not about dreaming. lt's about working.
I have an exhibltion happening in my absence at the Pori Art Museum in Finland until the end ol February, right now. lt is а wall - digital - print 25 metres long and lour metres high. I painted it оп the computer and sent it there, where it was printed. The ball is still there. The player hasn't hit it yet but is already shouting "Fore!" - а term used bу goll players to warn people that а ball is accidentally coming their way, in case you, like I, аге а goll ignoramus. This is to symbolise instability in our world. You must expect anything lrom anywhere and you should bе cautious everywhere, too.
S: What do you think will happen to the Navalny movement going forward?
АУ: lt's hard to predict, but at least he said he won't commit suicide in prison. But what is important about him is what he said: "Please protest not lor me but lor your rights, for your freedom". Маnу people actually don't like Navalny, they're just unhappy about living in а country where their rights аге limited and they сап become а victim of the system at аnу moment.
What we аге seeing поw is that people are more and more interested in what is going оп - and commenting оп it - such as why we are paying so much in taxes and lines when the government uses this money to then buy more helmets lor police, recruiting more police officials, who turn around and beat protesters up. People аге not lor Navalny. They аге lighting lor their right to keep an open dialogue, and for а political system that doesn't hit them оп the head. I think the protests must continue. If anything happens to Navalny, the protests will get even bigger. We all hope it's going to change.
Navalny is а hero at the same time - even il someone is not for him - because we respect his position. Не is not alraid, and he showed us that а single person сап challenge the system.
We end the call soon after. Alisa smiles, turns to the camera and wishes me а nice day.
