The stigma of art in communism

The Eastern and Central European art industry suffers from the stigma of Communism even after over 20 years since its fall. As argued by the writer Boris Groys in his book "Contemporary Art in Eastern Europe", the shrouded mystery of Communism and entrenched corruption still make their way to influence art in these peripheral art markets. He contends that Communism, being the sole historical aspect not shared by Western Europe, is one and the only element that sets Eastern European art apart in the global art market. Even though the region has been released from the shackles of Communism, it is still gripped by the memories of the shared Communism experiences which ultimately influence the art industry in this region. Groys, in fact, contrasts the contemporary East European art market to the early 19th-century Western industry. It is true that the 90s brought a fundamental shift by rapidly including post-Communist countries’ art in the international art scene. During the last decade of the 20th century, in fact, Eastern and Central European art have found its way in galleries all across the world. Yet, following the fundamental shifts, most galleries in the former Eastern Bloc including Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Hungary have been on an incessant endeavor to gain recognition in the global art market and support local contemporary artists. Even after their existence for more than 25 years in the art industry, contemporary art galleries in the East and Central region have hardly thrived. It is no surprise that only two galleries participated in Europe’s top three contemporary fairs – Art Basel, Frieze, and FIAC. Surprisingly, a few Eastern artists were selected to participate only after they relocated to the West, thus, gaining superficial credibility.

The absence of the Baltic States representation in the art industry

The artistic expression emanating from Eastern and Central Europe has minimal impact on the international scene. In fact, the presentation of the Baltic States especially in the art industry has been extremely underrepresented. The Baltic galleries have actually been completely absent from the three fairs. Swiss art critic Simon Hewitt researched the Baltic art scene and found that because the art industry in the countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania is so undeveloped that they lack ‘flag-bearer’ artists and an undisputed number-one gallery. Such a wild and undeveloped nature of the industry makes it ostensibly difficult for galleries in this region to make a meaningful expression in the European art industry let alone on the international scale. In an attempt to increase baltic representation in the industry, ‘Baltic Biennale’ featuring artists from all countries around the Baltic was organized. Unfortunately, the event had a trivial impact globally and was not repeated. The Baltic States are ostensibly minimally represented in the international market and take shape only gradually.

Curator Choices: ARTO POLO. THE EMERGING FUTURE I. by Ziemowit. 

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How Victory Art helps underrated artists from Eastern Europe

Interestingly, looking at artworks from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, sometimes it is quite difficult to tell whether the artwork is Eastern European or Western European. Art from Central and Eastern Europe contrastingly is considerably rich and expresses diverse views. Western art, on one hand, is often associated with visual aesthetics, while Eastern artistic creation derives its inspiration from specific cultural memories and historical experiences. Despite the richness in the artistic context of Eastern and Central European art, it has lacked a platform to introduce local artists to a wider audience. West, on the other hand, implemented the traditional white cube gallery which runs smoothly until today. No matter how strong an artist’s voices may be or how emotionally they convey a meaning or a story on the canvas, a platform to promote to a wider professional is always a necessary resource to be successful. This is the reason why West has been successful in the industry and the peripheral art markets have not. This is what Victory Art intends to do. Victory Art intends to connect uprising Eastern and Central European artists to the global art market and create a platform dedicated to bridging the unfortunate gap between talented Eastern and Central European artists and the global art market. We provide a platform to help these undervalued yet talented artists who lack opportunities to exhibit and sell their artwork and designs to various organizations in the art market. Yet, Victory Art is much more than just a platform. It is a support system created to help artists with a fresh style and a unique take on art acquire their place in the art industry.

Curator Choices: Over again. by Olga. 

The activation of East and Central European art is thus essential to accelerate the visibility of the peripheral art market globally. An artistic expression focused on these peripheral art markets helps create a strong sense of identity and confidence in artists from these regions. It would bring to the forefront the diversified artistic approaches of these inspired yet undervalued artists. Bringing forward the works of these inspired minds is crucial not only to integrate them into the international art scene but also to alleviate the associated negative attitudes and free them from the stigma.

You can read more about Central and European art here! And you can check out our artists and their collections. If you want to know more about our art services, you can always book an appointment with us! 

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