Svetlana Boym, Harvard Professor and Theorist of Off-Modern Nostalgia, Dies at 49
Svetlana Boym, a notable figure in Slavic and comparative literatures as the Curt Hugo Reisinger professor at Harvard University, has sadly passed away. In her influential 2001 book, The Future of Nostalgia, she introduced the concept of 'off-modern,' which offers a fresh, non-linear view of modernization, highlighting often ignored possibilities. Her research explored themes like memory politics, artistic freedom, and the ties between exile and feelings of alienation. Boym received several prestigious awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Cabot Award for Research in Humanities. She also played a role in the editorial team of Public Culture and curated important exhibitions, including a significant media art show at the 2006 City of Women Festival.
Key facts
- Svetlana Boym died in 2015
- She was Curt Hugo Reisinger professor at Harvard University
- Her book The Future of Nostalgia was published in 2001
- She coined the concept of 'off-modern'
- She received a Guggenheim Fellowship
- She curated exhibitions in 2006 at Ljubljana Factory Rog Art Space and Boston University Art Gallery
- She served on the editorial collective of Public Culture
- Her research included politics of memory and art in the public sphere
Entities
Artists
- Svetlana Boym
Institutions
- Harvard University
- Guggenheim Fellowship
- American Council of Learned Societies
- Public Culture
- Ljubljana Factory Rog Art Space
- City of Women Festival
- Boston University Art Gallery
Locations
- Ljubljana
- Slovenia
- Boston
- United States