Contemporary Ukrainian and Baltic Art: Political and Social Perspectives, 1991-2021

by Svitlana Biedarieva (Editor)

Overview

This volume focuses on political and social expressions in contemporary art of Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. It explores the transformations that art in Ukraine and the Baltic states has undergone since their independence in 1991, discussing how the conflicts and challenges of the last three decades have impacted the reconsideration of identity and fostered resistance of culture against economic and political crises. It analyzes connections between the past and the present as seen by the artists in these countries and looks at their visions of the future.

Contemporary Ukrainian art portrays various perspectives, addressing issues from controversial historical topics to the present military conflict in the East of the country. Baltic art speaks out against the erasure of past historical traumas and analyzes the pertinence of its cultural scene to the European community. The contributions in this collection open a discussion of whether there is a single paradigm that describes the contemporary processes of art production in Ukraine and the Baltic countries.

With contributions by Ieva Astahovska, Svitlana Biedarieva, Kateryna Botanova, Olena Martynyuk, Vytautas Michelkevičius, Lina Michelkevičė, Margaret Tali, and Jessica Zychowicz.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783838215266
Publisher:	ibidem Press
Publication date:	12/07/2021
Series:	Ukrainian Voices
Pages:	302
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr. Svitlana Biedarieva studied History of Art and Semiotics in London and Tartu. She has held teaching positions at the Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Universidad Iberoamericana, Universidad de Anáhuac Norte, and Courtauld Institute of Art at London. Her previous books include At the Front Line: Ukrainian Art, 2013–2019 (Editorial 17, 2020). Biedarieva’s papers have been published by, among other outlets, Space and Culture (SAGE), Art Margins Online (MIT Press), and Revue Critique d’Art (University of Rennes 2).

Table of Contents

Introduction Svitlana Biedarieva 7

Mapping Transformations in Latvian and Baltic Art Ieva Astahovska 17

The Documentary Turn in New Ukrainian Art Svitlana Biedarieva 53

Artist as a Virus: Political Transformations and Art in Ukraine after 1991 Kateryna Botanova 79

Apocalyptic Perestroika and the Birth of the Ukrainian Contemporary Art Olena Martynyuk 103

Artists Rewriting Art History through Artistic Research and Collecting in Lithuania: From Pavilion to Museum to Cemetery Lina Michelkevice Vytautas Michelkevicius 137

Working with Difficult Histories to Reimagine the Future: Revisiting the Meanings of Memory and Identity in Baltic Art Margaret Tali 165

A New Dawn at the Centennial of Suffragism: Artistic Representation in Transeuropean and Transatlantic Kyiv Jessica Zychowicz 189

Contributors 213

Editorial Reviews

This is a timely volume that explores the newest artistic trends in the Baltic countries and Ukraine. From memories of WW2 through visions of the apocalypse in the 1990s to the documentary turn in contemporary art, these essays chart the impact of social transformations and political conflicts on a young generation of creative talents. The book offers an impressive range of critical approaches and provides an indispensable guide to an emerging and ambitious art scene.

Myroslav Shkandrij

A very good resource for a comprehensive understanding of post-Soviet societies and contemporary art in Ukraine and the Baltic states

H-Shera - Jennifer Boivin