The extraordinary case of Russian performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky: Psychopathology or contemporary art?

Abstract

This article examines the psychiatric and political issues surrounding the case of the controversial Russian performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky, who received a number of court-ordered psychiatric evaluations as part of the legal actions initiated subsequent to his political protest actions. The author presents the results of his own clinical investigation into Pavlensky's case, arguing that previous diagnoses made by psychiatrists were unwarranted and unreasonable. This case draws the attention of experts to a problem: the need for more accurate criteria for the differentiation of behavioral disorders from behavior understood locally as socially-deviant. This issue is especially relevant during the assessment of the mental health of persons engaged in socially transgressive behavior which is explicitly framed as aesthetic and political action.

When Cotard's syndrome fits the sociocultural context: The singular case of Per “Dead” Ohlin and the Norwegian black metal music scene

“…Artists are very often misinterpreted regarding their eccentricities. They may be wrongly appraised as suffering from a mental disorder, as in the recently reported case of the Russian performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky (Mendelevich, 2018). However, if there is, indeed, a psychiatric disorder, besides hindering the diagnosis, the congruence with the context may provide secondary gains such as social acceptance, further impairing the patient's search for treatment.…”

Interior Design Considerations to Enhance Student Satisfaction in Classrooms

“…The obtained results suggest that artistic innovation goes through four stages: proximal innovation, fuzzy innovation, innovation, and innovation supported by the artist's vibrations (Montanari, Scapolan, & Gianecchini, 2016). The questions of innovation in creativity are covered in the article on psychedelic art (Krippner, 2016), as well as the sides of bold innovation and painful condition of Peter Pavlensky (Mendelevich, 2018).…”