Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova honored at American Folk Art Museum exhibit: See photos

On Thursday (May 16), his art, music and activism Pussy Riot Founder Nadya Tolokonnikova was honored at a pop-up benefit in New York, presented by the American Folk Art Museum.

Held on Canvas 3.0 at The Oculus, An Evening with Nadya Tolokonnikova, the Pussy Riot creator presented an exhibition of the Russian-born punk rocker's recent artwork as well as a Q&A. Tolokonnikova also treated concertgoers to volume, taking to the venue's makeshift stage in a white ski mask with black X's painted on the eyes.

Special guest David Byrne of Talking Heads was on hand to present Tolokonnikova with an award for Dynamic Achievement in the Arts on behalf of the museum. “I have not understood [out] what do dynamic achievements mean yet, but it sounds very meaningful!' the founder of the feminist music collective later joked Instagram prices, sharing photos with the “Psycho Killer” singer.

The pop-up comes about a month before Tolokonnikova's first solo museum exhibition RAGE, which is scheduled to open June 21 at OK Linz in Linz, Austria. It will feature pieces from the multimedia artist's new series 'DARK MATTER', alongside works from her prison archive, including a replica of the Russian cell she spent over a year in during her 2012-13 incarceration and memorabilia from Pussy Riot. defense 2011-23.

“Nadya Tolokonnikova's pursuit of justice through art embodies the spirit of resilience and creativity we champion at the American Folk Art Museum,” CEO Jason T. Busch said in a statement. “We are honored to host this benefit event, which not only celebrates Tolokonnikova's extraordinary contributions to contemporary art and activism, but also supports the Museum's mission to promote dialogue and understanding.”

See photos from the museum's pop-up event with Tolokonnikova below.