Old and New Narratives – Art and Communism in East-Central Europe - winter semester

Timetable

Module aim (aims)

· Knowledge of art of Central-Eastern Europe from 1945 until 1989
· Knowledge of history of the region
· knowledge of the dynamics of the changes of art in particular countries of the region
· familiarity with key texts on modernism in East- Central Europe
· familiarity with narratives and problems related to art in E-C Europe
· familiarity with history of communism in E-C Europe
· detailed knowledge on the oeuvre of most important artists and artistic groups of the region

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

Students with various geographical and discipline backgrounds are welcome.

Syllabus

Week 1: Communist art vs art during communism - key concepts and theories
Week 2: Marxism-main entries
Week 3: Dynamics of modernism in East-Central Europe
Week 4: Political performative gestures
Week 5: Art and ecology
Week 6: Art with marxist background
Week 7: Artistic responses to censorship
Week 8: Gender behind Iron Curtain
Week 9: Collaborations, Exchanges and Networks
Week 10:
Week 11: New borders and new maps
Week 12: Video art
Week 13: Key art historians of E-C Europe
Week 14: Students’ presentations
Week 15: Students’ presentations

Reading list

Bartošová, Z. (ed.), Contemporary Slovak Fine Art. 1960-2000. From the First Slovak Investnemt Group’s Collection, Bratislava 2000.
Bazin, J., Glatigny P., Piotrowski, P., Art beyond Borders: Artistic Exchange in Communist Europe (1945-1989), Budapest 2016.
Bosteels, B. The Actuality of Communism, London-New York 2011.
Bryzgel, A., Performance Art in Eastern Europe Since 1960, Chicago 2017.
Fowkes, M., The Green Bloc: Neo-avant-garde Art and Ecology under Socialism, Budapest 2015.
Groys, B., Art Power, Cambridge, MA 2008.
Gržinić, M., Retroavangarde, Wien, 1997.
Kemp-Welsh, K, Networking the Bloc. Experimental Art in Eastern Europe 1965–1981, Manche-ster 2019.
Pejić, B. (ed.), Gender Check. Femininity and Masculinity in the Art of Eastern Europe, Wien/Cologne 2011.
Piotrowski Piotr, In the Shadow of Yalta Art and the Avant-garde in Eastern Europe 1945-1989, London 2009.
Šuvaković, M., Impossible Histories: Historic Avant-Gardes, Neo-Avant-Gardes and Post-Avant Gardes in Yugoslavia, 1918-1991, Cambridge 2003.