Jasmina Tumbas's 'I am Jugoslovenka!' Examines Feminist Performance Politics in Yugoslav Socialism
In her 2022 publication, 'I am Jugoslovenka! Feminist performance politics during and after Yugoslav Socialism,' released by Manchester University Press, Jasmina Tumbas investigates the role of the Yugoslav woman (Jugoslovenka) in the realms of politics, female liberation, and artistic expression, centering on Lepa Brena's 1989 track 'Jugoslovenka.' The book spans various generations, analyzing performance politics within visual culture and avant-garde art from the 1980s to the present. It features five thematic chapters that highlight figures such as Marina Abramović and Esma Redžepova, queer movements in 1980s Ljubljana, and modern artists like Lala Raščić. Tumbas critiques the representation of Yugoslavia in gender-focused art narratives, challenging Western media depictions.
Key facts
- Jasmina Tumbas published 'I am Jugoslovenka! Feminist performance politics during and after Yugoslav Socialism' in 2022 with Manchester University Press.
- The book uses the figure of Jugoslovenka, inspired by Lepa Brena's 1989 song, to explore feminist performance politics from Yugoslav socialism to contemporary times.
- Tumbas covers artists from high and low cultural fields, including Marina Abramović, Lepa Brena, Esma Redžepova, and queer artists from 1980s Ljubljana.
- The work analyzes the collective Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK) from a feminist perspective, highlighting figures like Anja Rupel and Eda Čufer.
- Five thematic chapters address topics such as patriarchal socialism, queer Jugoslovenkas, and contemporary artists like Lala Raščić and Selma Selman.
- Tumbas discusses feminist activism during the Yugoslav wars, including Women in Black, and Western media misrepresentations of Jugoslovenka.
- The publication aims to fill gaps in gender-focused art history, contrasting with earlier works like 'Gender Check' (2009) curated by Bojana Pejić.
- Tumbas is currently researching queer and feminist Yugoslavs in the diaspora, with the book serving as a prelude to this work.
Entities
Artists
- Jasmina Tumbas
- Lepa Brena
- Marina Abramović
- Katalin Ladik
- Esma Redžepova
- Anja Rupel
- Eda Čufer
- Vlasta Delimar
- Lala Raščić
- Tanja Ostojić
- Selma Selman
- Raša Todosijević
- Marinela Koželj
- Šejla Kamerić
- Bojana Pejić
- Jelena Petrović
- Vesna Kesić
- Katalin Cseh-Varga
- Adam Czirak
- Klara Kemp-Welch
- Amy Bryzgel
- Uroš Čvoro
- Slobodan Milošević
- Dorothé Orczyk
Institutions
- Manchester University Press
- Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK)
- Videosex
- Women in Black
- Palgrave Macmillan
- Tallinn University Press
- Dutch Parliament
- ARTMargins Online
Locations
- Yugoslavia
- Poland
- Netherlands
- Serbia
- Croatia
- Slovenia
- Ljubljana
- Belgrade
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Srebrenica
- London
- Highgate Cemetery
- Amsterdam
- East
- West
- Iron Curtain
- Manchester
Sources
- ARTMargins —
- ARTMargins —