Imaging Evil in the First Chapters of Genesis: Texts behind the Images in Eastern Orthodox Art

Satan’s interference in the events described in the first chapters of the book of Genesis and in the life of the protoplasts is not mentioned at all in the biblical text. This happens, however, in pseudo-canonical texts. The article is a short survey on the apocryphal accounts that mention Satan and their influence on art. The main focus is put on the inclusion of the image of Satan behind Cain’s figure in a number of depictions of the scene The Murder of Abel in the Russian art of the 16th and 17th centuries. The possible links between this visual motif with several literary sources is examined, among them the Short and the Explanatory Palaea, the Tale of Bygone Years (Povest’ vremennykh let or Primary Chronicle), Russian recensions of the apocryphon The Sea of Tiberias, and of The Revelation of Pseudo-Methodius of Patara. In addition, some instances of the same visual decision in Balkan art are pointed out and their connection to Russian models is underlined

Russian police and transition to democracy: lessons from one empirical study

The paper discusses public experiences of policing in today’s Russia, public attitudes towards police resulting from such experiences and wider social implications of those attitudes. At the basis of the discussion is an empirical study which has been carried out by the author. The study has found abundant evidence of distrust towards – and fear of – police by contemporary Russians. It is argued that the corrupt, brutal and unaccountable police who lack legitimacy in the eyes of citizens trigger public responses that may help to deepen social inequalities, subvert the process of establishing the rule of law and impede the Russian transition to democracy. Moreover, if citizens view the police as illegitimate – indeed, believe that the very state agency designed to protect them actually presents threats to their security – the legitimacy of the entire state structure is at risk

The Money Plot

Comprising paintings, drawings and a display of books, printed matter and other ephemera, ‘The Money Plot’, drew on autobiographical material from the artist’s own Soviet childhood as a starting point. The works plotted a serendipitous course through an imagined, personal history of the birth of modern consumer society. The thesis offered an empathic response to the vast, vital energies of capital flows that animate our world. The title of the exhibition was taken from an appendix of Balzac's novel La Cousine Bette, in which the editors provided a synopsis called ‘The money plot’ – a breakdown of debts, financial dependencies and connections between the protagonists. As the global financial crisis escalated in 2008, the project became charged with an uncanny cultural urgency. The exhibition was one major outcome for this large research project, which linked several artistic and cultural modes into an accompanying visual essay. It deployed a multidisciplinary approach to visual production that looked at literature, biography, design and architecture to create works that exist as contemporary art in conversation with the other disciplines. Related outcomes included the group shows ‘Natural Wonders, New Art From London’, Baibakov Art Projects, Moscow (2009) and ‘Il Faut Être Absolument Moderne’, Paradise Row, Istanbul (2009–10). ‘The Money Plot’ was extensively covered in the international art press, including: ‘Margarita Gluzberg’ (The Money Plot, Paradise Row), ‘Critic’s picks’ by Laura K. Jones for Artforum.com (2008); ‘The Money Plot’, by Charles Darwent, Art Review (2008); ‘Manifesting commerce’, interview with Eva Pelczer, New York Arts Magazine (2008); ‘The plot unfolds’, interview by Peter Carty, Mute magazine (2010); ‘Margarita Gluzberg’, feature, Citizen K International (2009); ‘The colour of money’ by Lee Johnson, Art India (2008); and ‘The fashion for modesty’, interview with Clare Carolin, Block Magazine (2010)

The Victimization of the Misconceived: The Mentally Ill in the Criminal Justice System

It is unfortunate to say that the number of people who suffer from a serious mental illness has been drastically increasing in the criminal justice system since the late 1960s. This drastic change has captivated the minds of the public, forced them to develop a fallacious stereotype, and labeled the mentally ill population as wrongdoers. This image, however, is inaccurate. In reality, these people are the victims of a broken system. This paper establishes the victimization that a person with a serious mental illness experiences as they are processed through the criminal justice system. The following elaborates how victimization is exhibited through the three steps of the system: police interactions, court interventions, and correctional procedures

Phonographicon

This project is a visual enquiry in which ideas of recording and capture are investigated predominantly through drawing. Concepts are examined materially, and the idea of ‘encryption’ is presented through the production of images. Friedrich Kittler’s Gramophone, Film, Typewriter is a key text in the project

The public image of the contemporary Russian police : impact of personal experiences of policing, wider social implications and the potential for change

Purpose – The paper aims to discuss the perception of the police by members of the public in post‐Soviet Russia following their personal experiences of policing, identify broader social implications of the contemporary public image of the Russian police and assess the potential for changing the current situation. Design/methodology/approach – The discussion is conducted on the basis of findings derived from an empirical study carried out by the author which involved qualitative interviews with members of the public who had personal experiences of policing, and with police officers. Findings – Findings indicate a very negative perception of the police by members of the public. Personal experiences of police misconduct appear to affect negatively citizens' general evaluations of the entire institution. Research limitations/implications – The study was small, and only those who have had personal encounters with the police were interviewed, so the findings should not be treated as necessarily representing attitudes of the population in general. Practical implications – The negative public image of the police revealed by this study has numerous dangerous consequences: people feel insecure and unprotected, lose trust towards legal authorities and refuse to cooperate with the police. Social implications – Distrust towards the police generates a situation where citizens have to be self‐reliant in protecting themselves against crime. Many of the strategies adopted towards this end are problematic. Originality/value – The paper presents a unique insight into public perceptions of the Russian police. It may suggest implications for policy and practice that could help enhance support of citizens for the police, or at least prevent further deterioration of the existing situation