The New Yorker: “Art During Dictatorship”

Belarus holds the dubious distinction of being the last dictatorship in Europe; President Alexander Lukashenko, who came to power in 1994, resists economic privatization and controls the state’s media and cultural institutions.

The works in this show, which was curated by the Belarus-born Olga Kopenkina, may be uneven, but there’s no mistaking their political convictions. There’s a shocking video of the performance artist Ales Pushkin being physically restrained by police and downloadable posters by the collective antibrainwash.net, vibrating with rage, recall sixties designs by the Black Panthers. A Belarusian edition of Monopoly by the Minsk-based group FAU uses Belarusian rubles in lieu of play money; according to the rules, “Every fifth round devaluation occurs. Congratulations, this means nothing for you. We make deals with American cash only.” Through March 10.