Art and Politics Under Modern Dictatorships : A Comparison of Chile and Romania

This book analyzes the relationship between art and politics in two contrasting modern dictatorships. Through a detailed look at the Chilean and Romanian dictatorships, it compares the different ways in which political regimes convey their view of the world through artistic means. It examines how artists help \ convey a new understanding of politics and political action during repressive regimes that are inspired by either communism or anti-communism (neoliberalism, traditionalist, conservative). This book demonstrates how artistic renderings of life during dictatorships are similar in more than one respect, and how art can help better grasp the similarities of these regimes. It reveals how dictatorships use art to symbolically construct their power, which artists can consolidate by lending their support, or deconstruct through different forms of artistic resistance.-- Provided by publisher Contents 6 List of Figures 7 Chapter 1 Art and Politics Under Modern Dictatorships: An Introduction 9 1.1 Methodologically Speaking 15 1.2 Studying Modern Dictatorships 16 1.3 The Study of Art and Politics of Modern Dictatorships 24 1.4 The Role of Art (and the Artist) in Dictatorships: Provide Alternatives 35 1.5 Looking Ahead 40 References 50 Chapter 2 The Two Modern Dictatorships in Romania and Chile 1970s–1989 55 2.1 The Ceaușescu Regime (1965–1989) 56 2.1.1 Extreme Personalization of Power 59 2.1.2 People’s Dictatorships: Mandatory Ritualized Participation 61 2.1.3 The Economic Model 63 2.1.4 Repression, Fear, and Suspicion: The Securitate 67 2.1.5 An Atomized Society: Private Spaces of Encounter 69 2.2 The Pinochet Regime (1973–1989) 70 2.2.1 Centralization of Power 71 2.2.2 Eclectic Legitimacy 73 2.2.3 Repression and the Market: Demobilization and Exclusion 76 2.2.4 The Televised World of the “Credit Card Citizen” and the Popular Mobilization 78 References 88 Chapter 3 Art Should Be Apolitical: Official Art in Chile 91 3.1 The Ideological Project and the Pluralist Approach of the Pinochet Regime 91 3.1.1 Erasing the Past: Physical, Cultural, and Institutional Repression 98 3.2 The Multiple Cultural Entities of the Subsidiary State 109 3.2.1 The Nationalist-Authoritarian Coordinate: The Desired Institutionalism 113 3.3 The Neoliberal Model: Apolitical Art, Art for Art’s Sake 117 3.3.1 “High Art”: Classical Images, Sounds, and Movements. Private, Company Art 118 3.3.2 Cultural Industries: Books, Music, Cinema, and Television. “El Libre Mercado Unido Jamás Será Vencido.” 125 References 144 Chapter 4 Art Must Be Politicized: Official Art in Romania 148 4.1 Ceaușescu’s Ideological Project for the Arts 148 4.1.1 Summer Inspiration: The July 1971 Theses and the August 1983 Mangalia Theses 151 4.2 The Institutional Framework Dominated by the State and the Ceaușescu Addendum 156 4.3 Art for the Masses by the Masses: Cultural Centers, Popular Art Schools, and Popular Universities 161 4.3.1 Amateur Culture and Art for the Masses by the Masses: Cenaclul Flacăra (1973–1985) and Cântarea României (1976–1989) 164 4.4 Negative Policies: Artistic Self-financing and Censorship 168 4.4.1 Censorship 172 4.5 The Art of the Ceauşescu Regime: An All-Encompassing Politicized Art 178 4.5.1 Art Portrayed the Dictator: Homage Art 179 4.5.2 Art Portrays the Socialist Reality: Film, Music, and Literature 186 References 213 Chapter 5 Alternative Art in Chile: Politicized Art 217 5.1 Cultural Resistance: Artistic Confrontation 218 5.1.1 Testimonial Art: Recuperate the Forbidden Memory and Testify to the Horror 220 5.2 Escena de Avanzada: Metapolitics 223 5.2.1 Art-Life-Art-Politics: C.A.D.A 226 5.2.2 Exposing Violence, Fear, and Death 229 5.2.3 Marginality 234 5.2.4 The Absence: Disappearance and Photography 235 5.2.5 Staging a Critical Reflection of the Immediate Reality: Theater and Dance 237 5.3 Escape: Distractions and Diversions. Art as a Refuge in Self-made Worlds 239 5.3.1 Distraction, Diversion: “La Voz de Los Ochenta” 240 5.4 Allegories, Metaphors, and Symbols: Writer-Reader 242 References 254 Chapter 6 Alternative Art in Romania: Aesthetic Resistance 258 6.1 Resistance Through Culture: Art Instead of Politics, Aestheticism 260 6.2 Tolerated Alternatives 265 6.2.1 Atelier 35 and Other Art Groups 265 6.2.2 Immobile Silence: Marginal Body Expressions of Exasperation 267 6.2.3 Self-portraits as Accidental Subversion: “The Artist was Free” 269 6.3 Escaping Reality: Parallel Realities 277 6.3.1 Private, Apartment Art: “Reality is a Myth” 279 6.3.2 The Obsessive Television Set as a Metaphor for Propaganda 280 6.3.3 The Forbidden Public Space and the Impossible Collective Action 281 6.4 Chronicle the Real: Art as Evidence 286 6.4.1 Minimal Histories 287 6.4.2 Conceptualist Practices: Aesthetics of Poverty and Marginality 290 6.5 Disguised Critiques 293 6.5.1 Forbidden Words and Lizards 293 6.5.2 Allegories, Metaphors, Symbols, and Drawer Literature 294 References 304 Chapter 7 A Model for Comparative Analysis of Art and Politics in Dictatorships 307 7.1 The Chilean and Romanian Dictatorships’ Influence on Art 308 7.2 A Model for Understanding the Role of Art During Modern Dictatorships 318 References 321 Index 323 This book analyzes the relationship between art and politics in two contrasting modern dictatorships. Through a detailed look at the Chilean and Romanian dictatorships, it compares the different ways in which political regimes convey their view of the world through artistic means. It examines how artists help \ convey a new understanding of politics and political action during repressive regimes that are inspired by either communism or anti-communism (neoliberalism, traditionalist, conservative). This book demonstrates how artistic renderings of life during dictatorships are similar in more than one respect, and how art can help better grasp the similarities of these regimes. It reveals how dictatorships use art to symbolically construct their power, which artists can consolidate by lending their support, or deconstruct through different forms of artistic resistance. -- Publisher's website Front Matter....Pages i-x Art and Politics Under Modern Dictatorships: An Introduction....Pages 1-46 The Two Modern Dictatorships in Romania and Chile 1970s–1989....Pages 47-82 Art Should Be Apolitical: Official Art in Chile....Pages 83-139 Art Must Be Politicized: Official Art in Romania....Pages 141-209 Alternative Art in Chile: Politicized Art....Pages 211-251 Alternative Art in Romania: Aesthetic Resistance....Pages 253-301 A Model for Comparative Analysis of Art and Politics in Dictatorships....Pages 303-318 Back Matter....Pages 319-323