Chubarov, I. M. Art as a Crime Vs. Crime as Art. Understanding Moscow Actionism of the 1990’s

Abstract: The article is devoted to the difference between the status of legal crime and disturbance of traditional ways of perceiving modern actual art. In order to distinguish between transgression and crime, the author of the article appeals to Nikolay Evreinov’s theory of theatricalization of life, Michel Foucault’s methodological approaches and the relationship between ‘desire’ and ‘law’ described by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari. The main thesis of the article is that art must not imitate crime by crossing certain illusory borders established by the law because the law forbids much more than such ‘crime’ may violate (Gille Deleuze and Felix Guattari). The law imposes an idea that our desires aresomething forbidden and we can satisfy our desires only if we violate a law and commit a crime. At the same time, the law forbids us illegal actions. The article is devoted to the analysis of actions by modern Russian artists in the 90’s.

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