Russian Museum Curator Fired for Refusing to Censor Critical Artwork
Installed an exhibit criticizing country's authoritarian culture and Sochi Olympics
The Russian-Jewish curator of a Moscow art museum was fired by Russian authorities for refusing to censor artwork that is critical of the 2014 Sochi Olympics, which have become increasingly controversial in recent weeks due to a widening crackdown on Russian civil society.
Marat Guelman, the director of the Perm Museum of Contemporary Art (PERMM), was quietly fired late last month after installing an exhibit that criticized Russian authoritarianism and Sochi.
The decision to fire Guelman received little attention in the West, but comes on the heels of a widespread crackdown by Russian authorities on homosexuals and other individuals President Vladimir Putin deems dangerous.