Artists Oleg and Leonid of Voina are free after the Russian court finally accepted Banksy’s bail money (more useful than some Oscar). Now, the controversy has shifted to their nomination for the State Innovation Art Prize. They have just been cut from the list of nominees and other Russian artists are already threatening a boycott.

The nomination was publicly rejected by several members of the group as “schizophrenic” – how can the State nominate and incarcerate the same group of artists simultaneously? Especially, since the nominated work – the epic bombing of the St. Petersburg bridge that flipped off the Rusky Feds’ HQ – stood so strongly up against the State itself.

Voina has always rejected the Russian Art World, but censorship also influenced their decision. The Innovation Prize website chose to censor the nominated art work’s name from Cock in FSB Captivity to Member in FSB Captivity. Ironically, when addressing this issue, Art Info chose to censor itself by translating the work’s original name as Penis in FSB Captivity. “Хуй” is much closer to “cock” than “penis” and even Voina translates it as “dick.”

Voina’s A. Plutser condemned the nomination, but he also condemns Voina being cut from the list.

All ANIMAL Voina news.