ICA Quickfire: Holy Mary! A discussion about the Pussy Riot case

About

On August 17th 2012, the three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot were convicted of hooliganism and jailed for two years after staging an anti-Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral. Broadcaster and art lawyer Mark Stephens will be in conversation with Index on Censorship CEO Kirsty Hughes and independent curator and art historian Nadim Samman to review the recent Pussy Riot case and its impact on contemporary culture. The panel will also address the consequences in relation to artists' freedom of speech as well as discussing the complexities of the legal case, alongside other similar controversial incidents relating to artists' actions. Mark Stephens is a solicitor specialising in artlaw and free expression. He has undertaken some of the highest profile cases, he also had the first UK law firm in the Soviet Union following perestroika and glasnost. Kirsty Hughes has worked for leading international thinktanks, NGOs and international organisations including Chatham House, Oxfam and the European Commission and written on international politics for a range of national and international media outlets. She is a passionate advocate for freedom of expression and has recently been appointed as the Chief executive of Index. Nadim Samman is a curator and art historian based in London and Berlin. He has curated numerous exhibitions featuring contemporary Russian artists in the UK. He has written for international publications and in 2012 he curated the 4th Marrakech Biennale with Carson Chan.