Socially Engaged Art After Socialism: Art and Civil Society in Post Communist Europe

The post-1989 period has seen artists in Central and Eastern Europe embrace socially engaged practices. Reclaiming public life from the ideologies of both communist regimes and neoliberalism, their projects have harnessed the politically subversive potential of social relations based on trust, reciprocity and solidarity. Drawing on archival material and exclusive interviews, in this book Izabel Galliera traces the development of socially engaged art from the early 1990s to the present in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. She demonstrates that, in the 1990s, projects were primarily created for exhibitions organized and funded by the Soros Centers for Contemporary Art. In the 2000s, prior to Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania entering into the European Union, EU institutions likewise funded socially-conscious public art in the region. Cover 1 Author bio 3 Endorsements 4 Title page 5 Copyright information 6 Contents 7 List of illustrations 11 Acknowledgements 19 Introduction 23 Within and Beyond the Borders of Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania 29 Subversive Potential in Social Capital 32 Politics of Socially Engaged Art in CEE 33 Research Methodologies and Significance 35 1 Points of Contention: Socially Engaged Art Practice in Contemporary Theory 40 2 Civil Society, and Social,Cultural and Political Capital 46 Civil Society 46 Social, Cultural and Political Capital 49 3 Historical Antecedents: Participatory Art under Socialism, 1956–89 55 Socially Engaged Art in Socialist Hungary 57 Participatory Art in Socialist Romania 75 Unconventional Art in Socialist Bulgaria 57 Part I From Second Society to Civil Society 93 4 Civil Society in a Period of Post-Socialist Transition 97 5 Antipolitics: Exhibitions at the Soros Centres for Contemporary Art 103 Reclaiming Public Life through Interventionist Public Art 105 Curatorial Visions: Framing Community-Oriented Art Projects 114 Soros Centres for Contemporary Arts: Constraint and Self-Determination 130 6 Sofia: Participatory Public Art and Emerging Contemporary Art Institutions 134 Friendship Networks in Post-1989 Emerging Art Institutions for Contemporary Art 140 Part II From Localized Public Sites To EU Transnational Public Spheres 151 7 Place-Making: Framing Art in Public Spaces Curatorially 155 Moszkva Tér (Gravitacio) / Moscow Square (Gravitation) 156 Visual Seminar 163 Spațiul Public București / Public Art Bucharest 169 Catching Up to Europe with Culture 172 8 Representing Counterpublics in Bucharest, Budapest and Sofia 176 h.arta: Undermining Curatorial Protocols in Self-Organizing Collaborative Projects 176 János Sugár: Staging Confrontation in Participatory Public Art 182 Luchezar Boyadjiev: Roma Counterpublic Art Monuments in Sofia 187 Ivan Moudov: Performing a Museum of Contemporary Art through Collective Participation 193 9 Contesting the Politics of Belonging in the Post-1989 EU Community 202 About the Artists: Bejenaru and Big Hope 204 ‘Mental Maps’ in ‘Fortress Europe’ 206 The Power of the Gaze 213 Constructing Differential Spaces through Social Capital and Political Capital 220 Part III Institutionalized and Institutionalizing 225 10 Institutionalized Community Arts Programmes 229 Art for Social Change: Bypassing Systemic Causes 230 cARTier: Cultivating Self-Help through Art in Marginalized Communities 242 Participation and Collaboration as Apolitical Strategies of Engagement 251 11 Big Hope: Reviving Leftist Activism in Budapest 254 Hungarian Cultural Institutions: Stage for Populist Right-Wing Narratives 255 Big Hope and Homelessness 257 Disobbedienti 267 In and Out of Institutions 275 12 Self-Institutionalizing as Political Agency 280 From DINAMO to IMPEX: Expanding Institutional Framing 282 Department of Art in Public Space: Challenging the Left’s Official Condemnation 287 0GMS’s Self-Institutionalization 293 Self-Institutionalizing as Platforms for Self-Determination 301 Conclusion 305 Notes 311 Bibliography 353 Index 371 Reclaiming Public Life From The Ideologies Of Both Communist Regimes And Neoliberalism, Their Projects Have Harnessed The Politically Subversive Potential Of Social Relations Based On Trust, Reciprocity And Solidarity. Drawing On Archival Material And Exclusive Interviews, In This Book Izabel Galliera Traces The Development Of Socially Engaged Art From The Early 1990s To The Present In Bulgaria, Hungary And Romania. She Demonstrates That, In The Early 1990s, Projects Were Primarily Created For Exhibitions Organized And Funded By The Soros Centers For Contemporary Art. In The Early 2000s, Prior To Bulgaria, Hungary And Romania Entering Into The European Union, Eu Institutions Likewise Funded Socially-conscious Public Art In The Region. Today, Socially Engaged Art Is Characterised By The Proliferation Of Independent And Often Self-funded Artists' Initiatives In Cities Such As Sofia, Bucharest And Budapest.focusing On The Relationships Between Art, Social Capital And Civil Society, Galliera Employs Sociological And Political Theories To Reveal That, While Social Capital Is Generally Considered A Mechanism Of Exclusion In The West, In Post-socialist Contexts It Has Been Leveraged By Artists And Curators As A Vital Means Of Communication And Action. Izabel Galliera. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 331-347) And Index. Reclaiming public life from the ideologies of both communist regimes and neoliberalism, their projects have harnessed the politically subversive potential of social relations based on trust, reciprocity and solidarity. Drawing on archival material and exclusive interviews, in this book Izabel Galliera traces the development of socially engaged art from the early 1990s to the present in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. She demonstrates that, in the early 1990s, projects were primarily created for exhibitions organized and funded by the Soros Centers for Contemporary Art. In the early 2000s, prior to Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania entering into the European Union, EU institutions likewise funded socially-conscious public art in the region. Today, socially engaged art is characterised by the proliferation of independent and often self-funded artists' initiatives in cities such as Sofia, Bucharest and Budapest. Focusing on the relationships between art, social capital and civil society, Galliera employs sociological and political theories to reveal that, while social capital is generally considered a mechanism of exclusion in the West, in post-socialist contexts it has been leveraged by artists and curators as a vital means of communication and action.