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Enchanted Socialist Modernity
Art of Central and Eastern Europe (1945â1989) in the Face of Alternative Spirituality
Series: - Aries Book Series, Volume: 41
Central and Eastern Europe, a meeting place of diverse cultural traditions, remains a little-known area in terms of the relationship between art, spirituality and modernity. This pioneering book aims to change this situation. It was written in response to the question of what role alternative forms of spiritualityâsuch as Eastern religions, esotericism and mysticismâplayed in artistic practices shaped by imposed secularization and Marxist ideology in post-war socialist countries. The articles collected in this volume reveal the complexity and ambiguity of these connections, shedding light on forgotten artists, works and themes. Through this book, we invite you to take part in the enchantment of exploring a previously unknown chapter in the history of modern art.
Justyna Balisz-Schmelz, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor at the Department of the History of Modern Art, Institute of Art History, at the University of Warsaw. She researches the relevance of Far Eastern spirituality to artistic practices and art theory, as well as Carl Jungâs inspirations on art.
Kamila Dworniczak, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor at the Department of Art Theory, Institute of Art History, at the University of Warsaw. She studies the significance of spirituality for the understanding of post-war realism and the relationship between word and image in spiritual practices.
Kamila Dworniczak, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor at the Department of Art Theory, Institute of Art History, at the University of Warsaw. She studies the significance of spirituality for the understanding of post-war realism and the relationship between word and image in spiritual practices.
List of Figures and Tables
Notes on Contributors
Introduction: How to Enchant Socialist Modernity with Art?
âJustyna Balisz-Schmelz and Kamila Dworniczak
1 Josef Kotzian: Apostle of Silesian Media Drawing
âMartin Jemelka
2 âAre There Ghosts in the Fourth Dimension?â Xawery Dunikowskiâs Late Paintings and the Cosmic Occulture in Early Communist Poland
âÅukasz Å»uchowski
3 The Spirituality of the Carbocene: on Coal and Art in Upper Silesia
âAgata Stronciwilk
4 The Origin and Manifestation of Liudas Truikysâs Theory of the Synthesis of the Arts in Soviet Lithuanian Opera
âRasa ŽukienÄ
5 Genesis of Jana (Harms) Olexová
âEva Skopalová
6 The Secret Emissary of Saxony: the Mystical âCommunist Realismâ of Carlfriedrich Claus in Light of Jacob Böhmeâs Concepts
âJustyna Balisz-Schmelz
7 The Cultural Policy of Lyudmila Zhivkova between Party Ideology and Esoteric Teachings (1975â1981)
âZlatina Bogdanova
8 Forecast and Fantasy in the Kinetic-Cybernetic Environments of the Art Group Dvizhenie
âAndres Kurg and Mari Laanemets
9 In Search of Spirituality: Modernist Utopias â between Philosophy, Religion and Science in Romanian Art during Communism
âIleana Pintilie
10 The Decisive Moment of Contemplation: Photography as a Spiritual Practice in the Work of Andrzej StrumiÅÅo
âKamila Dworniczak
11 Spiritual Self-Education as a Micropolitics of Resistance: Urszula Brollâs Mandalas
âJustyna Balisz-Schmelz
12 A Journey to Understand Oneself: on Major Arcana Paintings by Maria Anto
âMarta Kudelska
13 The Spiritual Turn and Inner Emigration in Ukrainian Artistic Nonconformism of the 1970s and 1980s on the Example of Oleksandr Aksinin
âBohdan Pylypushko
14 Making Visible: Mandalas and Fibulae of GenÄdijs Suhanovs
âStella PelÅ¡e
15 Esotericism, Collectivism, Avant-Garde: Tamás Szentjóby and Béla Hamvas on the Parallel Course Study Track
âEmese Kürti
16 Occult Hungary: the Spiritual in Art in Hungary between 1945 and 1989
âErzsébet Tatai
17 Karel Malichâs Inner Turn: towards the Wire Plastics from 1976â1988
âKarel Srp
18 A Selection of Metaspiritual Art Theories and Practices in Croatia, Slovenia, and Serbia in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s
âNadežda ElezoviÄ
19 The Mediala Art Group and Esotericism in Communist Yugoslavia
âNemanja RaduloviÄ
20 The Re-enchantment of the East, or towards the Global History of the Occulture in Central-Eastern Europe during the Transition Era
âThe Case of Granary Island in GdaÅsk, Poland
âJakub Banasiak
21 Mystical Materialism: KoÅo Klipsa as a Case Study for Spiritualization in Art
âJarosÅaw Lubiak
22 Spaces for Spiritual Transformation: New Age-Inspired Architecture in Late and Post-Soviet Estonia
âIngrid Ruudi
Index
Notes on Contributors
Introduction: How to Enchant Socialist Modernity with Art?
âJustyna Balisz-Schmelz and Kamila Dworniczak
Part 1: Persisting Spiritual Traditions in Times of Political Ruptures
1 Josef Kotzian: Apostle of Silesian Media Drawing
âMartin Jemelka
2 âAre There Ghosts in the Fourth Dimension?â Xawery Dunikowskiâs Late Paintings and the Cosmic Occulture in Early Communist Poland
âÅukasz Å»uchowski
3 The Spirituality of the Carbocene: on Coal and Art in Upper Silesia
âAgata Stronciwilk
4 The Origin and Manifestation of Liudas Truikysâs Theory of the Synthesis of the Arts in Soviet Lithuanian Opera
âRasa ŽukienÄ
5 Genesis of Jana (Harms) Olexová
âEva Skopalová
Part 2: Utopias between Social Experiment and Esotericism
6 The Secret Emissary of Saxony: the Mystical âCommunist Realismâ of Carlfriedrich Claus in Light of Jacob Böhmeâs Concepts
âJustyna Balisz-Schmelz
7 The Cultural Policy of Lyudmila Zhivkova between Party Ideology and Esoteric Teachings (1975â1981)
âZlatina Bogdanova
8 Forecast and Fantasy in the Kinetic-Cybernetic Environments of the Art Group Dvizhenie
âAndres Kurg and Mari Laanemets
9 In Search of Spirituality: Modernist Utopias â between Philosophy, Religion and Science in Romanian Art during Communism
âIleana Pintilie
Part 3: Art as a Spiritual Practice
10 The Decisive Moment of Contemplation: Photography as a Spiritual Practice in the Work of Andrzej StrumiÅÅo
âKamila Dworniczak
11 Spiritual Self-Education as a Micropolitics of Resistance: Urszula Brollâs Mandalas
âJustyna Balisz-Schmelz
12 A Journey to Understand Oneself: on Major Arcana Paintings by Maria Anto
âMarta Kudelska
13 The Spiritual Turn and Inner Emigration in Ukrainian Artistic Nonconformism of the 1970s and 1980s on the Example of Oleksandr Aksinin
âBohdan Pylypushko
14 Making Visible: Mandalas and Fibulae of GenÄdijs Suhanovs
âStella PelÅ¡e
Part 4: From Spiritual Counter-modernism to the Neo-avant-garde
15 Esotericism, Collectivism, Avant-Garde: Tamás Szentjóby and Béla Hamvas on the Parallel Course Study Track
âEmese Kürti
16 Occult Hungary: the Spiritual in Art in Hungary between 1945 and 1989
âErzsébet Tatai
17 Karel Malichâs Inner Turn: towards the Wire Plastics from 1976â1988
âKarel Srp
18 A Selection of Metaspiritual Art Theories and Practices in Croatia, Slovenia, and Serbia in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s
âNadežda ElezoviÄ
19 The Mediala Art Group and Esotericism in Communist Yugoslavia
âNemanja RaduloviÄ
Part 5: Towards Capitalist Esotericism
20 The Re-enchantment of the East, or towards the Global History of the Occulture in Central-Eastern Europe during the Transition Era
âThe Case of Granary Island in GdaÅsk, Poland
âJakub Banasiak
21 Mystical Materialism: KoÅo Klipsa as a Case Study for Spiritualization in Art
âJarosÅaw Lubiak
22 Spaces for Spiritual Transformation: New Age-Inspired Architecture in Late and Post-Soviet Estonia
âIngrid Ruudi
Index
The book is intended for graduates of art history, visual culture studies and religious studies. Its interdisciplinary profile makes it a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of post-war Central and Eastern Europe.