Lopatin Caricatures (Russia)
Artist: Denis Lopatin
Year: 2012
Date of Action: April, 2012
Region: Russia and Central Asia
Location: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Subject: Political/Economic/Social Opinion
Medium: Installation, Online, Painting
Confronting Bodies: Kamchatka Regional Art Museum
Description of Artwork: Caricatures representing Russian politicians (Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev), Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky and business tycoon, Roman Abramovich. Medvedev is represented as a cook holding a two headed plucked bird; under his toque peeks a mouse with the features of President Putin. http://www.newsru.com/cinema/01may2012/lopatin.html
The Incident: The museum director, Tatyana Bikovec, removed the works from the exhibition. A reporter commenting on the incident said that she was a good person but a "victim of current circumstances who lives in the grip of fear." http://echo.msk.ru/blog/garycravt/883303-echo/
Results of Incident: Work remained removed.
Source:
• http://echo.msk.ru/blog/garycravt/883303-echo/
An internationally recognized caricature and cartoon artist, Lopatin has been publishing in Kamchatka papers since 2002 and has also been summoned to court for a caricature of the Kamchatka vice-governor, called to the prosecutor's office for a cartoon, as well as issued warnings and threats by officials on various levels. Once his exhibition was banned at the last moment because the governor decided that some of the caricatures offended the dignity of some female clerks.
