English Artist Fooled Russian Security Service

On Thursday, September 29, a site appeared on the internet with a video message of the Russian president Dmitry Medvedev's former security officer offering to buy photographs, which he had made during he was on duty at FSO (Federal Security Office).

Site address: http://www.medvedevphotos.com

That story widely spread in blogs and mass media, raising many debates in the internet and causing official information disproof from FSO press service.

We would like to draw journalists' attention that mentioned site is a part of exhibition promoting campaign for an English artist Mark Patel's works named «The Look of Russian Democracy».

The exhibition basically collects manually created photos of Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev in unexpected, comic and ridiculous situations. It will be held in London Macklin Gallery from 3rd to 21th of October 2011. Since this is a new gallery, mass media will be specially provided with more detailed information about exhibition location soon.

As an example of one of the artist's work, President Medvedev's photo at the moment of coming out of the fast food restaurant recently appeared in the internet. Other works of the artist can be found on the project official website.

The site is located at the following link:

http://www.thelookofrussiandemocracy.com

«The Look of Russian Democracy» is the first large Mark Patel's project aimed to eradicate cultural misunderstanding between the UK and Russia and to re-establish cooperation of two great schools of art.

Mark Patel, an English artist and photographer, was born on August 21, 1984 near London and spent his childhood in Maidstone. At the age of twelve he moved to the capital with his mother, Emily.

During his school years he participated in photo exhibitions with pictures of his friends and weddings.

Mark took three year Diploma course at the City and Guilds of London Art School. That included a two month practice in Moscow's Institute for Media, Architecture and Design «Strelka».

Additional information for colleagues and mass-media: we are also looking for a place to show Mark Patel's works in Moscow. Feel free to ask our representative in Russia any questions about the exhibition.

Press contacts:
Mark Patel: [email protected]
Representative in Russia (Michael): [email protected]
+7-926-370-5497