Enchanted Socialist Modernity. Imagining Spiritual (in) Art History of Central and Eastern Europe
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Abstract
In 21st century the study of the relationship between art and spirituality has become an important area of research. It is curious, however, why so few consider the art of Central and Eastern Europe. In socialist countries, the practice of spirituality was strongly present in the private sphere, and was an important point of reference for many artists who could be described as “seekers”. In this paper we want to present our findings on how the study of both art and spirituality in Central and Eastern Europe under Communism can contribute to the practice of art history today.
Presenter Biographies
Kamila Dworniczak, PhD – Assistant Professor at the Department of Art Theory, Institute of Art History, University of Warsaw. As a principal investigator in the project “Alternative forms of spirituality in Polish art 1945-1989”, she studies the significance of spirituality for the understanding of post-war realism and the relationship between word and image in spiritual practices.
Justyna Balisz-Schmelz, PhD – Assistant Professor at the Department of the History of Modern Art, Institute of Art History, University of Warsaw. As a main co-investigator in the project “Alternative Forms of Spirituality in Polish Art 1945–1989", she researches the relevance of Buddhist spirituality to artistic practices and art theory, as well as Jung’s inspirations.