Pussy Riot has transformed its protest at the 61st Venice Biennale into a music video for the song "DISOBEY," the lead single from the group's debut album *CYKA* (Russian for "bitch"), set for release on June 12. The protest, which took place last month in front of the Russian pavilion, featured members chanting in pink balaclavas and setting off smoke bombs to denounce Russia's return to the exhibition. Co-founder Nadya Tolokonnikova, who started Pussy Riot in 2011 as a faux punk band for political activism, produced the album after a durational performance at MOCA Los Angeles, collaborating with musical duo Gold Glove and featuring guests like B Real, Avenged Sevenfold, and Salem Ilese.
This matters because it marks Pussy Riot's first full-length album after years of EPs and mixtapes, bridging their art-world origins with mainstream music. The Venice Biennale protest and subsequent video underscore the group's enduring role as a platform for anti-authoritarian dissent, using art and music to challenge state violence and censorship. Tolokonnikova's willingness to embrace imperfection in the age of AI-generated music also highlights a broader cultural conversation about authenticity and resistance in contemporary art and music.