A gigantic Louis Vuitton suitcase set up in Moscow's Red Square to house an exhibit on travel and possessions of the rich and famous has caused outrage in Russia. Communists have denounced the suitcase-shaped pavilion placed near the Kremlin and mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin as a symbol of the conspicuous consumption that has enveloped Russia since the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Members of the Russian intelligensia have seen something more profound, describing it as an unintended art installation that depicts, with cutting precision, the essence of modern Russia. One commentator has even suggested that it is worthy of the Kandinsky Prize, Russia's largest and most prestigious contemporary art award.
Image: the Louis Vuitton pavilion in Moscow's Red Square
