12 Feb 2016

Olomouc Museum of Art| CEAD Conference | 'Central Europe 1945-1989'

Central Europe is a very diverse cultural area, fundamentally marked by the homogenizing efforts of totalitarian regimes. In spite of that, art and culture from 1945 to 1989 are all but a manifestation of hibernation, as can be seen by their increasingly intense reflection. If Central Europe is a myth, than the second half of the twentieth century is one of its specific variations. How can we work with such a highly conditional theme? What method should we choose? And how do we fit it into the general (European or global) context?

The Deep Flows of the Running Sea conference initiates a cycle of regular interdisciplinary meetings focusing on the research of the socio-cultural environment within the Visegrad Region countries in the second half of the twentieth century. This intention derives from a long-term research interest of the curators of the Olomouc Museum of Art, in terms of exhibitions, acquisitions, and research activities of the Olomouc Central European Forum and the recently launched Central European Art Database (www.cead.space).

The conference aims to help to establish functional disciplinary platform through which it would be possible to share information and new findings. The programme focuses primarily on creative culture and the fine arts, but input on other related topics (sociology, general history, cultural studies etc.) would also be appreciated.
The conference will be held in Czech and English (interpretation will be provided). Selected presentations will be published in conference proceedings online (July 2016). Post-graduate students are also invited to participate.

Suggested thematic areas
Central European art in the second half of the 20th century
Central Europe - cultural phenomenon/ myth
Art-historical and art-critical practice
International meetings, exhibitions, and shows