ARTMargins Introduction Examines Marginal Art Scenes Under Cold War Dictatorships

On June 5, 2012, ARTMargins Issue 1:2–3 was launched by guest editors Klara Kemp-Welch and Cristina Freire. They contend that the marginal art movements in Latin America during the 1960s and 1970s, amidst military regimes, as well as in Late Socialist Eastern Europe, were characterized by a pursuit of freedom. These movements promoted liberty through cultural networking and exchange. As direct interactions were restricted by authorities, their importance paradoxically increased from grassroots levels. Artists from Cold War margins devised innovative strategies to create alternative spaces and identities. The introduction outlines the transnational networks formed by these artists outside conventional market systems and urges scholars to reassess the intricate nature of international artistic exchanges across time. Full access to the article is available via MIT Press.