ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

2007 Book Documents Ten Exhibitions Exploring Post-Wall 'New Europe' Art and Identity

publication · 2026-04-19

So, there’s this book called 'Arrivals > Art from the New Europe' that came out in 2007. It covers a two-year art exhibition series that took place at Modern Art Oxford and Turner Contemporary in Margate. The book features artists from several countries like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and more. The editors—Suzanne Cotter, Andrew Nairne, and Victoria Pomery—explore the hurdles these artists faced after the Berlin Wall came down. They touch on topics like building art structures, finding cultural identity as the EU expanded, and the 'East-West problem.' Contributors like Aneta Szylak and Zdenka Badovinac discuss national art histories, while artists such as Beáta Veszely and son:DA are highlighted. The design includes vivid blank pages to spark conversation about art's role in changing societies.

Key facts

  • Book 'Arrivals > Art from the New Europe' published in 2007
  • Documents ten exhibitions over two years by Modern Art Oxford and Turner Contemporary
  • Features artists from ten EU accession countries including Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, and Cyprus
  • Editors are Suzanne Cotter, Andrew Nairne, and Victoria Pomery
  • Explores challenges of building art infrastructure post-communism
  • Includes essays on East-West dynamics and constructing national art histories
  • Artists featured include son:DA, Beáta Veszely, Paweł Althamer, and Artur Żmijewski
  • Critics discuss lack of historicization for neo-avant-garde and conceptual art in Eastern Europe

Entities

Artists

  • Suzanne Cotter
  • Andrew Nairne
  • Victoria Pomery
  • Karen Eslea
  • Aneta Szylak
  • Louli Michaelidou
  • Metka Golec
  • Miha Horvat
  • Zdenka Badovinac
  • Raphael Vella
  • Maja Fowkes
  • Reuben Fowkes
  • Beáta Veszely
  • Paweł Althamer
  • Artur Żmijewski
  • Ibolya Hegyi
  • Kristina Norman
  • Chris Burden

Institutions

  • Modern Art Oxford
  • Turner Contemporary
  • European Union
  • Art Monthly

Locations

  • Oxford
  • Margate
  • United Kingdom
  • Estonia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Poland
  • Czech Republic
  • Slovakia
  • Hungary
  • Slovenia
  • Malta
  • Cyprus
  • Pasadena
  • Jerusalem

Sources