Belarus Free Theatre (BFT), an exiled troupe based in London, is presenting its first major visual art project, titled 'Official. Unofficial. Belarus.', at the Venice Biennale. The installation, masterminded by the founders' daughter Daniella Kaliada, features contributions from former political prisoners, painters, sculptors, composers, and world-renowned chef Rasmus Munk, who created a dish evoking detention under an authoritarian regime. The work includes a giant ball of banned books, surveillance cameras attached to an iron crucifix, and a custom scent of a freshly dug grave, all reflecting the terror of life under Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.
This project matters because it marks a significant shift for BFT from political theatre to visual art, using the global platform of the Venice Biennale to spotlight the ongoing repression in Belarus. The involvement of exiles and former prisoners underscores the real human cost of authoritarianism, while the installation's immersive, multi-sensory approach aims to engage audiences in a deeply personal confrontation with totalitarian terror. It also highlights the role of art as a form of resistance and testimony for displaced communities.