Wikipedia

Petro Wodkins

Petro Wodkins is a Russian artist and performer, known for a series of art happenings covered by global media.[1]

Petro Wodkins
Born
Russia
EducationUnknown
Known forPerformance Art, New media art, Street art, Sculpture Photography, Video Art, Satire, Social commentary
Notable workArmani Diapers

Pissing Petro
Closed until further Notice
The Price of Art

Sound of Power
MovementConceptual art
Websitepetrowodkins.com

His name is a pseudonym that derives from the Russian artist Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin (1878, Khvalynsk, now Saratov Oblast – February 15, 1939, Leningrad). His date of birth and background is uncertain.[2][3][4]

His provocative and subversive art has its roots in street art and media art.[5] Wodkins works in a collaborative way and often invites photographers, directors and creatives to be part of the art works.

Notable artworks

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Sound of Power

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Sound of Power (SOP) is an art series where Wodkins portrays powerful people who, in their own way, played the world like instruments. According to Wodkins Sound of Power is a contemporary reincarnation of classical busts turned into powerful speakers and his first attempt to create "useful art". Wodkins explains this artwork as a way to "play the people who play the world". Busts of Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-Un, Margaret Thatcher, Donald Trump and Pablo Escobar were made in an edition of 100 pieces.[6][7][8][9][10]

My Gift to Robert

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In the beginning of 2014 Wodkins built a huge golden statue of himself as a gift to Robert Mugabe. It included the rap song entitled "My Gift to Robert" with lyrics "I'm bad for my country, but good for myself" and "My name is Mugabe my face top five, if don't agree I'll burn you alive".[11][12] Wodkins traveled the streets of Zimbabwe with his statue, playing My Gift to Robert. According to Wodkins this went well until he arrived in the city center of Harare, were the statue was confiscated after only five minutes. Wodkins fled the country before being caught.[13][14]

Armani Diapers

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In the name of Emporio Armani Wodkins produced fake Armani Diapers, marketing it on a specially created web page for Russian Armani.[15] Wodkins managed to trick some blogs as well as media outlets Die Welt and PRiv'et Russia on RT into believing that the diapers were real.[16][17] This until Armani denied being part of the diapers, threatening to take legal action.[18][19][20]

Pissing Petro

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Wodkins replaced the Manneken Pis in Brussels with a statue of himself urinating.[21] The statue was taken into custody by the authorities.[22] Reports of the street art went viral in Europe, Asia and the United States.[23][24][25][26] The art work was described as one of the most bold and daring performances of street art seen in a while.[27]

Closed until Further Notice

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Closed until Further Notice is a series of artworks where Wodkins claims to close down contemporary art museums by creating fake webpages, sending out press releases as well as barricading himself outside museum entrances.[28] He has performed this for Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (Denmark) and MUMOK (Austria).[29][30]

Art market

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In the artwork "Price of Art" Wodkins investigated the art world's relationship to money. Wodkins acted like the businessman Petr Fomin, representing Emomalii Rahmon, the president of Tajikistan, trying to buy art.[31] Tajikistan is a poor and corrupt country and Rahmon has ruled for 19 years.[32] Wodkins' question was whether this would affect art dealers' willingness to sell art to the President - being paid from off offshore bank accounts, leaving no trace of the buyer, and arranging for discrete delivery of the art, including pieces by Ai Wei Wei, via the free-port of Geneva.[33] It transpired that galleries Lisson Gallery and Hauser & Wirth were willing to sell art under such conditions to Rahmon.[34][35]

References

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  1. ^ Angela Saltarelli (February 6, 2013). "Interview with Petro Wodkins, the Russian artist chased by Zimbabwe's government after mocking Mugabe". Art and Artifice. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  2. ^ "Artist behind 'Armani diapers' stunt speaks out for first time". NBC News. California. July 23, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  3. ^ Natassia Astrasheuskaya (August 15, 2013). "Художник Petro Wodkins об акции "Подгузники от Армани"". Blouinartinfo. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  4. ^ "Kulturgeschnatter meets Petro Wodkins, part 2". Kulturgeschnatter. May 15, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  5. ^ Sara Gates (May 13, 2013). "Artist Petro Wodkins Replaces Manneken Pis Statue In Brussels With Own Effigy". The Huffington Post. New York City. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  6. ^ Damien Sharkov (2015-10-14). "SPEAKER SHAPED LIKE VLADIMIR PUTIN'S HEAD SELLS FOR €6,500". Newsweek. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  7. ^ Design Boom (2015-09-23). "Petro Wodkins fuses speaker to vladimir putin's head to create musical bust". Design Boom. Retrieved 2015-09-23.
  8. ^ Stephanie Topacio Long (2015-09-26). "Vladimir Putin's head is now a speaker you can buy for $1,235". Digital Trends. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  9. ^ James O Malley (2015-09-21). "Russian Artist Creates Vladimir Putin Speaker". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  10. ^ Savannah Cox (2015-09-25). "Russian Artist Petro Wodkins Takes On Vladimir Putin, Tells Us Why". All that is Interesting. Retrieved 2015-09-25.
  11. ^ "Petro Wodkins' Absurd Robert Mugabe Art". Okay Africa. Retrieved 2014-01-16.
  12. ^ "Russian prominent artist comes to Zimbabwe to mock Mugabe, flees for dear life". My Zimbabwe. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
  13. ^ Alex Bell. "Russian artist who mocked Mugabe describes fleeing Zimbabwe". Nehanda Radio. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
  14. ^ "The Artist Responsible for Those Armani Diapers Is Back". Hint Magazine. 2014-01-15. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
  15. ^ Lee Carter (2013-07-13). "Designer Diapers: Does Consumerism Need Changing?". BlouinArtinfo. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  16. ^ "Emporio Armani Makes €23 Diapers for Russian Babies — Discuss!". Hint Mag. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
  17. ^ Caroline Stern (2013-07-10). "Windeln für russische Millionärs-Babys". Die Welt. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
  18. ^ Erika Ostroff (2013-07-17). "Armani's Baby Diaper Line Is Fake, Don't Worry". Yahoo! Shine. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  19. ^ Sara Gates (2013-07-24). "Armani Diapers Hoax Staged By Artist Petro Wodkins As Message Against Consumerism". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2014-02-16.
  20. ^ Abby Schreiber (2013-07-24). "THOSE ARMANI DIAPERS WERE A HOAX AFTER ALL -- WE SPEAK TO THE ARTIST BEHIND THEM". Papermag. Retrieved 2014-02-16.
  21. ^ Ian Rogers (2013-05-28). "Petro Wodkins - Manneken Pis". Grey Not Grey. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  22. ^ "Un artiste russe remplace la statue du Manneken Pis par la sienne". Rtbr. 2013-05-13. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  23. ^ "Россиянин подменил статую "Писающего мальчика"". Life News. 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  24. ^ "藝術家開玩笑 換掉尿尿小童". Yahoo!. 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  25. ^ "艺术家开玩笑 换掉尿尿小童". Chinatimes. 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  26. ^ "Un artiste remplace la statue par une autre". Paris Match. 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  27. ^ "RUSSIAN ARTIST HIJACKS MANNEKEN PIS IN BRUSSELS". Wooster Collective. 2013-05-17. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  28. ^ "Wirbel um MUMOK-"Schließung"". Wien ORF.at. 2013-04-30. Retrieved 2014-02-16.
  29. ^ "Wegen Reichtum geschlossen - Kunstaktion legt Mumok lahm". 3sat. 2013-04-30. Retrieved 2014-02-16.
  30. ^ "Russisk kunstner lukker Louisiana". DR. 2013-04-19. Retrieved 2014-02-16.
  31. ^ "Russian Artist Petro Wodkins Goes Undercover to Investigate Shady Art Dealings". Complex. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  32. ^ "The world's enduring dictators: Emomali Rahmon, Tajikistan". CBS News. 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
  33. ^ Daisy Sindelar (3 October 2013). "Russian Prankster Tests Art-World Scruples In Fake 'Sales' To Tajik President". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 2013-10-10.
  34. ^ Robin Henry. "Top UK galleries in frame over 'sale' to Tajik despot". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
  35. ^ Азаттык, Радио (5 October 2013). "Как галереи "продавали" картины президенту Таджикистана". Радио Азаттык. Azattyq. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
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