The Heritage, 2020

performance, Art-Belarus Gallery, Minsk

The Belgazprombank Corporate Collection, founded in 2011 and presented at the Art-Belarus Gallery, Minsk, is an art collection consisting of over one hundred pieces of art. The crown jewel of the Collection is a selection of works by Belarusian-born members of the School of Paris art movement. The Collection is the only assembly of paintings by such world renowned artists as Marc Chagall and Chaim Soutine in Belarus. Thirty-five artworks in the Collection are listed in the State Registry of Historical and Cultural Values of the Republic of Belarus.

On 13 June 2020, the authorities seized the collection as part of the criminal case against potential presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka, making it inaccessible to the public. In response, the gallery presented the works through QR codes. Despite this, on 1 July 2020, Sayapina organised a collective performance The Heritage, during which cultural workers attached reproductions of the confiscated paintings to their backs and stood for two hours at the site of the former exhibition. The action echoed the posture of detained protesters and became an act of solidarity, reclaiming the right to cultural heritage and presence. The performance speaks of art as a treasure preserved through endurance and shared responsibility, reflecting the dual meaning of the original title Dostoyanie –  both “heritage” and “standing up.”