Embankment, Vienna, 2011

“Voina Wanted” – worldwide solidarity action by the Voina Group for the persecuted group member Oleg Vorotnikov. As a protest against the repressions of the Russian artist, Voina activists will hang hundreds of the 3x4 m banners depicting a portrait of Oleg Vorotnikov in various cities of the world.

It is known that on demand of the Russian Interior ministry, Interpol put the artist on the international wanted list and is searching for him outside of Russia. It is also known that during the arrest on November 15, 2010 Russian cops confiscated all the IDs from Oleg Vorotnikov, Leonid Nikolayev, Natalia Sokol and her son Kasper, so none of them can leave the country. The “Voina Wanted” action mocks the actions of Russian Interior ministry and Interpol, which also needs to be reformed as it has become a toy in the hands of the corrupted bureaucrats from the authoritarian countries.

The protest art action started in Vienna with the support of Sydney Ogidan (independent curator and director of the Black River Festival), Wolfgang Stranzinger (president of Lomographische AG), Gerald Matt (director of Kunsthalle Wien), Catherine Hug (curator of Kunsthalle Wien).

(The author of the Voina Wanted action is Alex Plutser-Sarno, Voina Group chief media-artist. Photos of the action - Yana Sarna. Portrait of Oleg Vorotnikov used in the action - Vladimir Telegin.)