Material Evidence (Russian: Вещдоки) is an international exhibition first presented in Russia in 2013[1][2] by Vladislav Shurigin and Denis Tukmakov with direct financial support from Zhurnalistskaya Pravda (Journalistic Truth), a Moscow-based newspaper,[3] indirectly financed by Internet Research Agency.[4] Both Shurigin and Tukmakov are authors of for far right magazine Zavtra, members of the National Bolshevik Party[3] and nationalist Izborsk Club.[5] The exhibition displays a strongly anti-Western and pro-Russian view on civil conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, Iraq and Afghanistan.[6] It is advertised as an "evidence of USA aggression"[1] and the section on Ukraine describes the events of surrounding Euromaidan as "upsurge of nationalists-banderovtsy groups" and War in Donbass as "opposition against banderovtsy and Western Oligarchs".[7]

Layout

Photo exhibition is based on the material submitted by war correspondents illustrating countries where civil conflicts take place,[8] including Andrey Stenin who died near Donetsk. The exhibition's original curator in Europe, Benjamin Hiller, is a German freelance photographer and journalist who works mainly on conflict photography in hotspots such as Syria and Ukraine.

Locations

The exhibition was held in a number of Russian, European, and American cities including Moscow, Ufa,[8][9][10] Grozny, Brussels, Berlin,[11] New York City. It is planned to hold the exhibition in Los Angeles and Washington, as well as Canada.[12]

Reactions

According to organizers, over 50 thousand people have visited the galleries.[13]

While it was on display in New York City the exhibition was attacked and vandalized by group of people who Hiller claimed were neo-Nazis upset with Hiller's negative representation of Ukraine.[14] As a result, some pictures had been defaced with black paint.[15]

Funding and controversies

The exhibit has become controversial due to its ties to Russian extremist newspaper Zavtra and its connection to a widespread Russian propaganda content farm network.[16] In an article by Gawker, according to the assistant curator of the New York exhibit "in Berlin, a "silent guy" visited, told the organizers he liked what he saw, then left. Later, he came back with a bag of cash and dropped it for them with no explanation."[16] Russian state-sponsored company Internet Research Agency is among the main sponsors of the exhibition.[4]

The organizers are also offering financial grants of 10-20,000 euro for journalists.[17]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "В Москве покажут "вещдоки" агрессии США на Ближнем Востоке". LifeNews. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
  2. ↑ "Trolls on tour: how Kremlin money buys Western journalists". StopFake.org. September 7, 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
  3. 1 2 Babiak, Mat (6 October 2014). "New York's anti-Ukrainian art gallery, and the far-right Russian network behind it". Euromaidan Press. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Emails Link Kremlin Troll Farm to Bizarre New York Photography Exhibit". StopFake.org. 2015-08-20. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
  5. ↑ "Шурыгин Владислав Владиславович". Institut Dinamicheskogo Konservatizma. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
  6. ↑ "Learn The Truth About What Is Going On". Material Evidence. Archived from the original on 2014-07-13. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
  7. ↑ "Ukraine". Material Evidence. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
  8. 1 2 "На выставке "Вещдоки. Сирия. Украина" в Нью-Йорке представлены работы уфимских фотографов". IA "Bashinform". September 22, 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
  9. ↑ "Документальная фотовыставка о преступлениях экстремистов на Украине и в Сирии вызвала повышенный интерес у американцев". Euronews. September 26, 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
  10. ↑ "В Уфе открылась выставка "Вещдоки.Сирия"". IA "Bashinform". February 15, 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
  11. ↑ Photo exhibition "Material Evidences. Syria. Ukraine" in Berlin Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ "Выставка о событиях в Сирии и Украине собрала несколько сотен человек". RIA Novosti. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-07.
  13. ↑ "В Нью-Йорке открылась выставка о военных конфликтах в Сирии и на Украине". Interfax-Azerbaijan. September 22, 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
  14. ↑ "Neo-nazis deface NYC art gallery over Euromaidan photo exhibit". Roger Annis. October 4, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
  15. ↑ "Exhibit on Ukraine Displays Signs of Vandalism". ArtsBeat, The New York Times. October 5, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
  16. 1 2 "Who's Behind This Shady, Propagandistic Russian Photo Exhibition?". Archived from the original on 2015-03-15. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
  17. ↑ "Tell your truth". Journalistic Truth. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
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