Artists Against the Kremlin is more than a book — it is an ongoing artistic and cultural movement. Each year, the project presents exhibitions at the renowned art center DeBalie in Amsterdam, bringing together the courageous voices of critical artists. Following every exhibition, we publish a book that documents the event and preserves the artworks presented.

Artists Against the Kremlin is a collective statement by Russian-speaking protest artists reflecting on the actions of the Kremlin. It stands as evidence of how Russian culture resists power today — not only on international stages, including protests connected to the Venice Biennale's Russian pavillion and actions by Pussy Riot, but continuously, across contexts and in a wide variety of forms.

This project brings together more than 100 contemporary Russian-speaking artists who respond to the reality around them: the war in Ukraine, political repressions in Russia, the persecution of vulnerable groups and Indigenous peoples, environmental crises, and other urgent issues.

It can even be described as a form of “degenerate art” of our time, a century after the term emerged in Germany. This is precisely how such art is perceived by the Russian authorities: as dangerous, unacceptable, and subject to censorship.
This is art that exists under threat. The artists involved risk their freedom for their position, with some have already faced repression, including imprisonment.