Eastern Europe's 1980s Alternative Art: Pluralism, Politics, and the Neo-Avant-Garde Break
An essay by Maja Fowkes and Reuben Fowkes, published by Afterall on 25 September 2017, examines the alternative art of Eastern Europe in the 1980s, characterized by pluralism, a turn away from neo-avant-garde social engagement, and the use of unofficial spaces. The decade saw a 'return to painting' and a fascination with decadence, deviation, and exoticism, as seen in exhibitions like 'Rejected Heritage' and 'I Could Live in Africa'. In Poland, the uncovering of socialist realism memory critiqued the avant-garde, while in Yugoslavia, artists like Željko Jerman and Mladen Stilinović rejected social engagement. In Czechoslovakia, harsh political conditions led artists like Petr Štembera to abandon art. The new generation favored alternative venues: private apartments, community centers, and university clubs. Groups like Gruppa in Warsaw and Koło Klipsa in Poznań created immersive installations. Political resistance took absurd forms, such as the Orange Alternative's dwarf stencils in Wrocław. In Hungary, Artpool Archive and the Inconnu Group staged banned exhibitions. In Slovenia, Neue Slovenische Kunst (NSK) used retro-principle to subvert totalitarian aesthetics. The essay concludes that despite distrust of collectivism, artists formed groups and were poised for the fall of political frontiers.
Key facts
- Essay published 25 September 2017 by Afterall.
- Authors: Maja Fowkes and Reuben Fowkes.
- Focus on Eastern European alternative art of the 1980s.
- Characterized by pluralism and rejection of neo-avant-garde social engagement.
- Exhibitions include 'Rejected Heritage', 'I Could Live in Africa', 'Sweet Decadence of the Postmodern'.
- In Poland, Wojciech Włodarczyk's 1986 book on socialist realism critiqued the avant-garde.
- In Yugoslavia, artists like Željko Jerman and Mladen Stilinović rejected social engagement.
- In Czechoslovakia, Petr Štembera, Karel Miler, and Jan Mlčoch gave up art in 1980.
- Alternative venues: private apartments, community centers, university clubs.
- Gruppa debuted in 1983 at Pracownia Dziekenka in Warsaw.
- Koło Klipsa created 'Exhibition 5' at Wielka 19 in Poznań in 1985.
- Orange Alternative stenciled dwarfs in Wrocław in 1982.
- Artpool Archive founded in Budapest in 1979.
- Inconnu Group's 'The Fighting City' banned in 1987.
- Neue Slovenische Kunst (NSK) founded in 1984 in Slovenia.
- IRWIN project 'Was ist Kunst?' used retro-principle.
- Decade ended with liberalization and fall of political frontiers.
Entities
Artists
- Maja Fowkes
- Reuben Fowkes
- Željko Jerman
- Mladen Stilinović
- Sándor Pinczehelyi
- Petr Štembera
- Karel Miler
- Jan Mlčoch
- Zvonko Maković
- Achille Bonito Oliva
- Jana Ševčik
- Jiří Ševčik
- Ákos Birkás
- Loránd Hegyi
- András Böröcz
- László L. Révész
- Wojciech Włodarczyk
- Boris Groys
- Ryszard Grzyb
- Paweł Kowalewski
- Jarosław Modzelewski
- Włodzimierz Pawlak
- Marek Sobczyk
- Ryszard Woźniak
- Mariusz Kruk
- Leszek Knaflewski
- Krzysztof Markowski
- Wojciech Kujawski
- György Galántai
- Júlia Klaniczay
- Péter Bokros
- Tamás Molnár
- Tibor Philippi
- Magdolna Serfőző
- Dušan Mandič
- Miran Mohar
- Andrej Savski
- Roman Uranjek
- Borut Vogelnik
- Marina Gržinić
- Marek Janiak
- Andrzej Kwietniewski
- Adam Repecki
- Andrzej Świetlik
- Andrzej Wielogórski
- Jozef Šramka
Institutions
- Afterall
- Museum of Modern Art Warsaw
- HDLU Zagreb
- Slovak National Gallery
- Zagreb Gallery of Contemporary Art
- Polish Association of Artists and Designers (ZPAP)
- Academy of Fine Arts Warsaw
- Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts
- University Theatre Budapest
- Kossuth Club
- Young Artists Club Budapest
- Lajos Vajda Studio
- Pracownia Dziekenka
- Wielka 19
- Artpool Archive
- Artéria
- Neue Slovenische Kunst (NSK)
- Laibach
- Scipion Nasice Sisters Theatre
- IRWIN
- Moderna Galerija Ljubljana
- Ernst Museum Budapest
- Pécs Gallery
- Venice Biennial
- Group-Art-Work Kassel
- Second Biennial of New Art Zielona Góra
- Revolver Revue
- Tvrdohlavi
- Zaostalí
- Čertovo kolo
- Rockfest
- Orange Alternative
- Łódź Kaliska
- Strych
- Inconnu Group
- Rabinec apartment gallery
- Sztuka (journal)
- Život umjetnost (journal)
- University Theatre (Budapest)
- Young Artists Club (Budapest)
- Wielka 19 (Poznań)
- Artéria gallery
- Group-Art-Work exhibition Kassel
Locations
- Eastern Europe
- Poland
- Warsaw
- Poznań
- Wrocław
- Kraków
- Lublin
- Zielona Góra
- Łódź
- Yugoslavia
- Zagreb
- Croatia
- Slovenia
- Ljubljana
- Čunove
- Bratislava
- Slovakia
- Hungary
- Budapest
- Pécs
- Szentendre
- Czechoslovakia
- Prague
- Kassel
- Germany
- Italy
- Venice