CEE CONTEMPORARY. STUDIES ON CONTEMPORARY ART FROM CENTRALEASTERN EUROPE
(Kortárs Kelet-Közép-Európa. Régiós kortárs művészeti tanulmányok)
Primary source analysis, BMVD-080.17 and BBV-080.17 (spring semester 2014/2015)
Jan Elantkowski
ELTE BTK, Institute of Art History
Tuesday, 8:30-10:00, MUK 6-8.I/110 (Múzeum körút 6-8)
jan.elantkowski@gmail.com
What is Central(-Eastern) Europe? What does Central-Eastern Europe mean for contemporary
art? Does the Central-Eastern European art exist, anyway? – Those are just a few questions
which will arise during this course, which is just a miniature-attempt to analyze subjectively
chosen studies on contemporary art from Central-Eastern Europe and to present the newest
approaches concerning writing art history in the region.
Since it is a primary source analysis, its main objectives are critical reading and analysis of
the texts. The main focus is set to art; however, many crucial aspects of political, historical,
social, and economic nature will be taken into consideration. Two of the classes will partly
take the form of a lecture, carried on by invited guests – academics dealing with various
aspects concerning contemporary art from Central-Eastern Europe. Moreover, visit in Ludwig
Múzeum is scheduled.
For each class an article or two, will be assigned to be read by all participants and to be
analyzed during the discussion (active participation is crucial!). Every week students shall
prepare at least three questions/remarks concerning the given text – those will be regarded as
starting points for a conversation during the class. All texts will be sent in electronic version
per e-mail. The seminar will be held in English; therefore, good command of English is
required. The condition to be classified will consist of the following factors: presence at
classes (up to 3 missed classes are allowed) and active participation in the discussion (75%);
and a final essay (25%) – to be delivered in printed version at latest during the class on the
04/28.
02/17
Introduction
02/24
EMIL KUNDERA – “The Tragedy of Central Europe”, New York Review of Books, Vol. 31,
April 26, 1984.
03/10
“CIPRIAN MUREŞAN – YOUR SURVIVAL IS GUARANTEED BY TREATY” exhibition, Ludwig
Múzeum
Guided tour by curator KRISZTINA SZIPŐCS.
“Strange Days: An Interview with Ciprian Mureşan” by EMILY NATHAN. In: artnet. Published:
2011.07 http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/features/nathan/ciprian-muresan-7-20-11.asp ,
Accessed: 2015.02.01.
03/17
SAMUEL ABRAHÁM – „Central Europe: Myth, Inspiration, or Premonition?” In: Leonidas
Donskis (ed.), Yet Another Europe After 1984: Rethinking Milan Kundera and the Idea of
Central Europe. Amsterdam: Rodopi Press, 2012.
03/24
ALEŠ ERJAVEC – “Eastern Europe, Art, and the Politics of Representation”. In: Boundary 2,
41:1, Spring 2014. 52-77.
03/31
CHRISTINE MACEL & JOANNA MYTKOWSKA – “Promises of the Past”. In: Christine Macel,
Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez (eds.), Promises of the Past. A Discontinuous History of Art in
Former Eastern Europe (exh. cat.). Zurich: JRP Ringier, Centre Pompidou, 2010. 18-21.
MICHAEL FEHR – “Constructing History with the Museum: A Proposal for an East Art
Museum”. In: ERWIN (ed.), East Art Map. Contemporary Art and Eastern Europe. London:
Afterall Book, c2006. 466-471.
04/14
LUCHEZAR BOYADJIEV, “The Balkanization of Alpa Europaea” (304-311),
BOJANA PEJIĆ, “Balkan for Beginners” (325-340), In: Laura Hoptman, Tomáš Pospiszyl,
Primary Documents: A Sourcebook for Eastern and Central European Art since the 1950s.
New York: Museum of Modern Art, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2002.
04/21
PIOTR PIOTROWSKI – Art and Democracy in Post-Communist Europe. London: Reaktion
Books, 2012 (Chapter: Democracy).
04/28
Guest lecture: BARBARA DUDÁS – “End of an Era. Art and theory in the early 1990s”.
EDIT ANDRÁS – “An Agent that is Still at Work. The Trauma of Collective Memory of the
Socialist Past” In: Writing Central European Art History Reader, 2008/2009. 5-19.
05/05
Guest lecture: LÁSZLÓ BEKE – “Post-Contemporary”.
Text to be announced.
05/12
Evaluation, grading.