Bojana Kunst Analyzes Eastern-Western Performance Politics and Aesthetic Similarities

Bojana Kunst explores the dynamics of performance politics across Eastern and Western settings, referencing Boris Groys's idea of musealization. Groys posits that Eastern European art is often omitted from Western museums not because of its exotic nature, but rather due to its perceived resemblance to Western art, which is dismissed as "non-art." Kunst extends this analysis to the performing arts, pointing out that the rigidity of Eastern performances, shaped by their socialist backgrounds, contributes to their perceived dullness. This aesthetic likeness fosters feelings of déjà vu, exposing underlying "politics of affection and unease." Slavoj Žižek comments on the shared disillusionment following the transition. The label "old-fashioned" obscures political hierarchies as mere aesthetic distinctions, privileging Western modernity. Andre Lepecki observes that synchronicity is a hallmark of Western dramaturgy. Kunst advocates for the examination of parallel modernities outside dominant paradigms. This text appeared in Monty Catalogue and Maska, both in 2003.