Marat Guelman dismissed from Perm museum post

Curator Marat Guelman has been sacked as director of the Perm Museum of Contemporary Art (PERMM) by the minister of culture of the Perm region Igor Gladnev.

The dismissal follows questions over the high budget of the White Nights festival in the Ural city and the closure of four exhibitions at the festival at the request of unhappy local politicians. Following the closures, Guelman moved the exhibitions the PERMM museum.

Writing on his twitter this morning Guelman said: “Gladnev just called and confirmed the dismissal. The minister of culture who was shutting down the exhibitions, has clearly confused his role with the FSB.”

The month long White Nights festival, which has been running since 2011, includes concerts, theatre, master-classed and dance performances as well as exhibitions form across Russia and other countries.

Guelman was appointed director of the PERMM museum in 2008. The city has received widespread coverage for the cultural revolution that has been praised for transforming the city from a industrial city into a cultural hub outside Moscow and St Petersburg.