Memoirs from a Cold Utopia
28th July-18th November, 2011. 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of rapid political change that included the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War, and the reunification Eastern and Western Europe. In a powerful series of films, images, installations and prints, an exhibition in the London Print Studio Memoirs from a Cold Utopia features the work of 18 artists from the former Soviet Bloc, examining their reponses to political transformation during the past two decades. Kęstutis Grigaliūnas’ (b. 1957, Lithuania) About Love, 2009 – 2010, is a portrait and biographical memorial to people excecuted for treason in the Vilnius Sectret Service Prison in the immediate aftermath of Soviet occupation of their country (1944 to 47).
Work on display ranges from a Lego concentration camp (Zbigniew Libera) to Alina Rudnitskaya’s Bitch Academy, from prints by Andrzej Krauze to the unique narrative of Edmunds Jansons whose Little Bird’s Diary animation was inspired by the extraordinary illustrated diaries of Irina Pilke.
Paradoxically, during the late Communist period, many artists withdrew from overt social engagement, considering the exploration of abstract, subjective and conceptual ideas to be a ‘political’ act, yet under capitalism many contemporary artists have turned to the exploration of political issues and socially engaged practices. Referring ambiguously to both the ‘Cold War Period’ and the social alienation of a free market economy, Memoirs from a Cold Utopia showcases artists whose work employs contemporary art strategies to explore historical, social and political issues in their regions.
The exhibition features work by The Blue Noses Group (Viacheslav Mizin, Alexander Shaburov), Stefan Constantinescu, Kęstutis Grigaliūnas, Edmunds Jansons, Igor Igor Grubić, Vit Klusák & Filip Remunda, Iosif Kiraly, Andrzej Krauze, Zbigniew Libera, Dan Mihaltianu, Tanja Muravskaja, Marko Mäetamm & Anu Juurak, Józef Robakowski, Alina Rudnitskaya, Ivan Moudov.
Curated by Eve Kask, President of the Tallinn Print Triennial, and drawing on a wide network of artists throughout the former Soviet Block Memoirs from a Cold Utopia presents a unique insight into the synergy between politics and the visual arts in Eastern Europe today. Zhivka Haskiya is Assistant Curator.
London Print Studio, 425 Harrow Road London W10 4RE. Gallery open: Tuesday - Saturday, 10.30am - 6pm, admission free.
Opening party: 28th July, 6.30pm - 9pm
More information: http://www.londonprintstudio.org.uk/
