Radical Abstractionism VIII

The Russian Ministry of Culture has prevented the Louvre in Paris from showing Radical Abstractionism VIII (2004), a painting by Avdei Ter-Oganyan. The work was to be included in the Louvre's forthcoming Counterpoint: Russia Contemporary Art exhibition, though the Russian authorities allege that the painting incites violence against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

The painting is a geometric abstraction, though its caption reads: "This work urges you to commit an attack on statesman VV Putin in order to end his state and political activities". Ter-Oganyan also took part in the provocative Forbidden Art 2006 exhibition in Moscow.

Similarly, two years ago, police removed photographs by the Russian performance artist Oleg Kulik from another Paris exhibition. The images, part of a retrospective exhibition titled New Sermon, were confiscated on 28th October 2008 after police visited the exhibition at the FIAC art fair.