Special Operation: Washing Machine
A satirical “gift” of a washing machine was presented at the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C. on Orthodox Christmas, Jan 7, 2023.
Staged on Day 317 of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
A blending of performance art, activism, and satire to expose Russian imperial violence while offering viewers resources to take concrete supportive action.
Collaborating with Benjamin Wittes, I “gifted” a washing machine to the Embassy, playfully subverting Russia’s term “Special Military Operation” and drawing attention to the looting of Ukrainian homes during the full-scale invasion.
Benjamin Wittes is an American legal journalist, author, and co-founder of Lawfare, widely recognized for his analysis of national security, law, and civil liberties. In addition to his commentary and writing, he engages in creative activism that blends performance, symbolism, and public spectacle. He is known for developing large-scale laser projections on the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., using bold text, imagery, and symbols to confront Kremlin propaganda and draw attention to Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
This event was shared with his over 400k Twitter followers at the time.
2 hours of live streaming and public interaction later the ruzzian embassy decided to call the secret service about a bomb threat while I decided to take my one lunch break at chipotle.
I spoke to the secret service and washington police, sharing the history of ruzzia’s imperial violence and the reason for this protest. This absurd gesture merged humor, activism, and performance art to confront violence with irony and wit.
The secret service agent encouraged me to put this on my portfolio.
