MoMA Symposium Explores Eastern European Art Discourse After Primary Documents Publication
On March 11, 2003, MoMA Gramercy hosted a roundtable titled East of Art: Transformations in Eastern Europe. This event explored the artistic, political, and historical landscapes of the region, coinciding with the release of Primary Documents, a sourcebook on Eastern and Central European art from the 1950s onwards, developed by Laura Hoptman. As the inaugural entry in MoMA's International Program series, the book features English translations of key texts. The discussion, led by Hoptman and Tomas Pospiszyl, featured panelists Boris Groys, Bojana Pejic, Slavoj Žižek, and Katarzyna Kozyra, with Roger L. Conover providing responses. Topics included post-World War II visual culture, cultural identities, and the conditions for artists, highlighting significant Eastern European perspectives.
Key facts
- Primary Documents was published as the first title in MoMA's International Program series
- The roundtable discussion occurred on Tuesday, March 11, 2003 at MoMA Gramercy
- Laura Hoptman originally conceived the book idea while a curator at MoMA
- The book provides English translations of seminal Eastern European art texts
- Panelists included Boris Groys, Bojana Pejic, Slavoj Žižek, and Katarzyna Kozyra
- Roger L. Conover served as respondent to the panel discussion
- The publication emerged during declining global interest in Eastern Europe post-1989
- Many Eastern European countries were joining NATO and preparing for EU membership in 2003
Entities
Artists
- Tomas Pospiszyl
- Glenn Lowry
- Roger L. Conover
- Laura Hoptman
- Boris Groys
- Bojana Pejic
- Slavoj Žižek
- Katarzyna Kozyra
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art
- MoMA
- MoMA Gramercy
- MoMA's International Program
- MIT
Locations
- Prague
- Czech Republic
- New York
- United States
- Eastern Europe
- Central Europe