Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc 1960s1980s

A massive panorama of Eastern Europes postwar avant-gardes, featuring both canonical and lesser-known artists Multiple Realities offers a sweeping survey of experimental art made in six Central Eastern European nationsGDR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Yugoslaviaduring the 1960s to 1980s. Despite their geographical proximity, artists working during this time encountered different conditions for daily life and art-making, confronting varying degrees of control and pressure exerted by state authorities. Embracing conceptual or formal innovation and a spirit of adventurousness, Multiple Realities sheds light on ways that artists refused, circumvented, eluded and subverted official systems, in the process creating works often riddled with wit, humor or irony. While it presents select canonical figures from the region, the exhibition foregrounds lesser-known practitioners, particularly women artists, artist collectives and those exploring embodiment through an LGBTQ+ lens. Artists include: Milan Adamciak, Autoperformationsartisten, AWACS, Lubomr Benes, Sndor Benk, A.E. Bizottsg, Vladimir Bonacic, Geta Bratescu, Adina Caloenescu, Zdenka Cechov, Vera Chytilov, Lutz Dammbeck, Jan Dobkowski, Sherban Epur, Barbara Falender, Lszlo Fehr, Stano Filko, AG Geige, Teresa Gierzyska, Karpo Godina, Tomislav Gotovac, Ion Grigorescu, Wiktor Gutt & Waldemar Raniszewski, Gino Hahnemann, Heino Hilger, Kroly Hopp-Halsz, Jans Istvny, Sanja Ivekovic, Libuse Jarcovjkov, Zeljko Jerman, Krzysztof Jung, Eva Kmentov, Milan Knzk/AKTUAL Group, Jlius Koller, Jir Kovanda, Gyula Konkoly, Kryzys, Jolanta Marcolla, Florin Maxa, Tomislav Mikuli, Teresa Murak, Katalin Ladik, Matei Lazarescu, Natalia LL, Ana Lupas, Dra Maurer, Simon Menner, Andrzej Mitan, Kolomon Novak, Ewa Partum, Plastic People of the Universe, Polish Radio Experimental Studio, Queer Art Institute, Jzef Robakowski, Jerzy Rosolowicz, Akademia Ruchu, Zbigniew Rybczyski, Alina Szapocznikow, Peter stembera and Krzysztof Wodiczko.