Review of 'Art and Theory After Socialism' Examines Post-Communist Art and Ideology
Released in 2008 by Intellect Books, 'Art and Theory After Socialism' gathers ten essays stemming from a 2005 partnership between the Critical Spaces Research Group and the National Association of Art Critics in Armenia. Editors Mel Jordan and Malcolm Miles contend that no viable emancipatory initiative has surfaced since the fall of communism. The volume includes contributions from politically active artists and critics, such as Freee members Dave Beech and Andy Hewitt. The essays critique Western triumphalism, featuring Sophie A. Gerlach's examination of the Leipzig Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst and Klara Kemp-Welch's study of Jerzy Bereś. Public interventions are a common theme, illustrated by Daniela Brasil's suggested 'vacation' for a Weimar monument. Janet Kennedy reviewed the book for ARTMargins Online in 2009.
Key facts
- The book 'Art and Theory After Socialism' was published in 2008 by Intellect Books.
- It originated from a 2005 conference collaboration involving the Critical Spaces Research Group and the National Association of Art Critics in Armenia.
- Editors Mel Jordan and Malcolm Miles are critically oriented members of the British art world.
- Essays challenge Western assumptions of superiority in art, citing examples like the Leipzig Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst.
- Polish sculptor Jerzy Bereś engaged in a 'dialog' with Marcel Duchamp from 1981 to 1995.
- The art collective Freee, including Dave Beech and Andy Hewitt, creates disruptive public interventions.
- Daniela Brasil proposed a 'vacation' for a monument to Goethe and Schiller in Weimar.
- The review was written by Janet Kennedy and published on ARTMargins Online on August 25, 2009.
Entities
Artists
- Mel Jordan
- Malcolm Miles
- Dave Beech
- Andy Hewitt
- Daniela Brasil
- Jerzy Bereś
- Marcel Duchamp
- Sophie A. Gerlach
- Klara Kemp-Welch
- Janet Kennedy
Institutions
- Intellect Books
- Critical Spaces Research Group
- University of Plymouth
- Freee
- National Association of Art Critics in Armenia
- Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst
- Indiana University
- ARTMargins Online
Locations
- Bristol
- UK
- Chicago
- USA
- Eastern Europe
- East Germany
- Serbia
- Poland
- Armenia
- Great Britain
- Leipzig
- Weimar
- Bloomington
- IN