Review of 'Postmodernism and the Postsocialist Condition' Examines Politicized Art Across Former Socialist States
In 2003, Ales Erjavec compiled the book 'Postmodernism and the Postsocialist Condition: Politicized Art under Late Socialism', released by University of California Press. This work delves into politicized postmodernism in ex-socialist societies, featuring seven chapters that explore various regions: Russia (Boris Groys), Mitteleuropa and the Balkans (Misko Suvakovic), Slovenia (Ales Erjavec), Hungary (Peter Gyorgy), Cuba (Gerardo Mosquera), and China (Gao Mingli). The text differentiates between 'uncritical' and 'politicized postmodernism'. Erjavec's introduction frames late socialism as 'postsocialism'. Groys examines unofficial Russian art, while Suvakovic contrasts 'Sober Modernism' with avant-garde movements. Gyorgy looks at Hungary's marginal art, and Mosquera and Gao discuss postcolonial hybridity in their respective countries. The book concludes that postsocialist postmodernism signifies a shift from unsuccessful communism.
Key facts
- The book 'Postmodernism and the Postsocialist Condition' was published in 2003 by University of California Press.
- Editor Ales Erjavec structured the volume as a collective monograph with seven chapters covering specific regions.
- Contributors include Boris Groys, Misko Suvakovic, Ales Erjavec, Peter Gyorgy, Gerardo Mosquera, Gao Mingli, with a foreword by Martin Jay.
- The work distinguishes between 'uncritical postmodernism' and 'politicized postmodernism' in postsocialist contexts.
- Chapters analyze art from Russia, Mitteleuropa/Balkans, Slovenia/Yugoslavia, Hungary, Cuba, and China.
- Erjavec's introduction draws parallels between postmodernism and postsocialism using Zygmunt Bauman's ideas.
- The volume examines how artists use binary approaches to create works where incompatible realities coexist.
- Martin Jay's foreword frames the art as reflecting the global transition from communism to an uncertain future.
Entities
Artists
- Ales Erjavec
- Boris Groys
- Misko Suvakovic
- Peter Gyorgy
- Gerardo Mosquera
- Gao Mingli
- Martin Jay
- Zygmunt Bauman
- Vitaly Komar
- Alexander Melamid
- Ilya Kabakov
- Andrei Monastyrsky
- Pavel Peppershtein
- Sergei Anufriev
- Balint Szombathy
- Milan Knizak
- Milan Kunc
- Rasa Todosijevic
- Goran Djordjevic
- Mladen Stilinovic
- Sandro Pinczenhelyi
- Lazlo Rajk
- Gabor Bachman
- Attila Kovács
- Tibor Szalai
- Vadim Sidur
- Andrey Voznesensky
- Flavio Garciandia
- Carlos Rodrigues Cardenas
- Tomas Esson
- Dajan Knez
- Xu Bing
Institutions
- University of California Press
- Neue Slowenische Kunst
- Laibach
- subREAL
Locations
- Berkeley
- United States
- Russia
- Mitteleuropa
- Balkans
- Slovenia
- Yugoslavia
- Hungary
- Cuba
- China
- Poland
- GDR
- Ukraine
- Czech Republic
- Kazakhstan
- Ljubljana
- Seattle
- Budapest
- Goteborg