Pussy Riot turns Venice Biennale protest into a music video

Pussy Riot said it had turned a protest at the 61st Venice Biennale into a music video, linking a demonstration at the Russian pavilion to the rollout of its debut full-length album. Artnet reported on June 2 that members of the activist art collective chanted behind pink balaclavas and set off multicolored smoke bombs in the Giardini during the Biennale’s unveiling. A boombox played “DISOBEY,” which Artnet described as the lead single from the album *CYKA*. The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia opened on May 9 and runs through Nov. 22, according to the Biennale’s website. ### How did the protest become part of a music rollout? Artnet said the Venice action was repurposed as a music video connected to *CYKA*, which it described as Pussy Riot’s first full-length album. The outlet said the album is scheduled to hit streaming platforms on June 12. The song used in the action was “DISOBEY,” Artnet reported, and the outlet said a boombox played the track during the protest itself. (news.artnet.com) That tied the street action directly to the group’s release campaign rather than treating it as a separate demonstration. ### What exactly happened outside the Russian pavilion? (news.artnet.com) The Giardini protest took place in front of the Russian pavilion, according to Artnet’s reporting from May 6 and June 2. Artnet said activists used pink smoke, carried Ukrainian flags and chanted against war and propaganda as they protested Russia’s return to the Biennale. (news.artnet.com) Artnet reported that members appeared in pink balaclavas and set off multicolored smoke bombs during the action. The publication described the demonstration as targeting what it called Russia’s return to the world’s largest art exhibition. ### Why was Russia’s pavilion a flashpoint this year? Pussy Riot had already made the Russian pavilion a focus of its Venice campaign before the opening. (news.artnet.com) In an April 21 report, Artnet said the group wanted to take over the pavilion with an exhibition of work by political prisoners and had been a vocal critic of Russia’s planned comeback to the event. (news.artnet.com) The Biennale itself lists the 2026 exhibition as the 61st International Art Exhibition, titled *In Minor Keys*. It is being held at the Giardini, Arsenale and other Venice sites from May 9 to Nov. 22. ### What is Pussy Riot releasing now? Artnet said *CYKA* is Pussy Riot’s first full-length album after earlier EPs and mixtapes, including *MATRIARCHY NOW* in 2022. (news.artnet.com) The outlet said the title uses the Russian word for “bitch.” Pussy Riot started 15 years ago by combining protest and music, Artnet wrote in its June 2 report. (labiennale.org) The Venice video continues that format by using footage from a live political action as part of the album campaign. ### Where does the Venice action sit in the Biennale calendar? The Biennale’s official information page says the 2026 exhibition is open from May 9 through Nov. 22. (news.artnet.com) The event is staged across the Giardini and Arsenale, with summer opening hours running from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and later hours on some Arsenale evenings. June 12 is the next named date in Pussy Riot’s rollout. (news.artnet.com) Artnet said that is when *CYKA* will arrive on streaming platforms, following the Venice protest video and the earlier single “DISOBEY.” (labiennale.org)