Gender Check. Femininity and Masculinity in Eastern European Art

After the very successful show at Vienna’s Museum of Modern Art (MUMOK), the exhibition Gender Check. Femininity and Masculinity in the Art of Eastern Europe travels to the Polish capital Warsaw, where it will be re-opened at Zacheta National Gallery of Art on 19 March 2010. The exhibition will be complemented by an extensive education programme including lectures, meetings and public discussions. A number of films and documentaries will give insight into how the question of gender was treated in the cinema of the Socialist bloc.

'Gender Check' is the first comprehensive exhibition featuring art from Eastern Europe since the 1960s based on the theme of gender roles. 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the curator Bojana Pejić, along with a team of experts from 24 different countries, has put together a selection of over 400 works including paintings, sculpture, installations, photography, posters, films and videos. With over 200 artists, the exhibition paints an exceptionally diverse picture of a chapter in art history that until recently had been largely unknown and that could also act as an important addition to contemporary gender discourse.

'Gender Check' follows the changes in the representation of male and female role models in art – especially as they develop under different socio-political conditions. The exhibition, initiated and supported by the ERSTE Foundation, shows the interrelationship between art and history following both a chronological and thematic approach:

Up into the 1960s, heroic male and female workers were the dominant figures in the socialist realist tradition of art. The intended realitytransforming program of a 'sexless society' propagated by the state was met with irony and unmasked by unofficial art at the time. Following the period of collective state utopian aesthetics, different individual and more open tendencies could be found on a local level – periodically provoking a hostile response – that created independent spaces for nonconformist art. Beginning in the 1970s, ideals of femininity and masculinity were reexamined beyond the propagandist clichés of the past: Self-portraits and representations of the body and subjectivity began to hint at a newfound self-confidence also reflected in openly displayed sexuality that called heterosexual standards and heroic ideals of masculinity into question. Even many of the abstract pieces worked with anthropomorphic forms and the relationship between the sexes within society.

The emancipation from role models went along with an emancipation from traditional means of expression, as new media and art forms like photography, film, video and performance became increasingly important. At the same time, more and more female artists began to gain in prominence.

With the fall of the wall in 1989 and the end of socialist regimes, new challenges became evident in the face of rising nationalism and neoliberal influences from the west. The newly won freedoms came hand in hand with neoconservative role constraints that soon also became the topic of artworks. A critique of chauvinist, militaristic, misogynist and xenophobic ideologies were expressed in the context of feminist theory. Homosexuality began to be brought up. Clichés about motherhood and traditional religious-inspired ideals of femininity and patriarchal power structures came under critique. To underline the political and public significance of female identity, allusions came to be made to historical allegories of femininity.

Artists represented in the exhibition:

Albania

Agolli Rovena (b. 1976 in Tirana, lives and works in Monterey, California)

Sala Anri (b. 1974 in Tirana, lives and works in Paris, France and Berlin, Germany)

Armenia

Arakelyan Anita (b. 1964, lives and works in Yerevan) Arevshatyan Arevik (b. 1957 in Yerevan, lives and works in Yerevan)

Kalentz Armine (1920-2007, lived and worked in Yerevan, Aleppo, Syria and Beirut, Lebanon)

Nerkararyan Arax (b. 1960, lives and works in Gyumri / Yerevan)

Belarus

Kovshar Anna (b. 1977 in Мinsk, lives and works in Minsk and Prague, Czech Republic)

Liankevich Andrei (b. 1981 in Grodno, lives and works in Minsk)

Vashkevich Ruslan (b. 1966 in Minsk, lives and works in Minsk)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Anđelić-Galić Gordana (b. 1949 in Mostar, lives and works in Sarajevo)

Hadžifejzović Jusuf (b. 1956 in Prijepolje, Serbia, lives and works in Sarajevo and Antwerp, Belgium)

Kamerić Šejla (b. 1976 in Sarajevo, lives and works in Sarajevo and Berlin, Germany)

Mujezinović Ismet (1907-1984. Born in Tuzla, lived and worked in Tuzla)

Nikšić Damir (b. 1970 in Sarajevo, lives and works in Stockholm, Sweden)

Bulgaria

Georgieva Alla (b. 1957 in Kharkov, Ukraine, lives and works in Sofia)

RASSIM (b. 1972 in Orehovitsa, lives and works in Sofia)

Rossa Boryana (b. 1972 in Sofia, lives and works in Sofia and Troy, USA)

Rousseva Lilyana (1932-2009. Born in Rousse)

Roussev Svetlin (b. 1933 in Pleven, lives and works in Sofia)

Croatia

Delimar Vlasta (b. 1956 in Zagreb, lives and works in Zagreb)

Fischer Vera (1925-2009. Born in Zagreb, lived and worked in Zagreb)

Gotovac Tomislav (b. 1937 in Sombor, Serbia, lives and works in Zagreb) Grubić Igor (b. 1969 in Zagreb, lives and works in Zagreb)

Iveković Sanja (b. 1949 in Zagreb, lives and works in Zagreb) Jerman Željko (1949-2006. Born in Zagreb, lived and worked in Zagreb)

Lahovsky Stjepan (1902-1989. Born in Donji Miholjac, lived and worked in Zagreb) Martek Vlado (b. 1951 in Zagreb, lives and works in Zagreb)

Stilinović Sven (b. 1956 in Zagreb, lives and works in Rijeka) Tolj Slaven (b. 1964 in Dubrovnik, lives and works in Dubrovnik) Vesović Mio (b. 1953 in Gornja Dobrinja, lives and works in Zagreb)

Czech Republic

Bromová Veronika (b. 1966 in Prague, lives and works in Prague)

Dopitová Milena (b. 1963 in Sternberk, lives and works in Prague)

Kmentová Eva (1928-1980. Born in Prague, lived and worked in Prague)

Kolářová Běla (b. 1923 in Terezin, lives and works in Prague and Paris, France)

Mlčoch Jan (b. 1953 in Prague, lives and works in Prague)

Ságlová Zorka (1942-2003. Born in Humpolec, lived and worked in Prague)

Šimotová Adriena (b. 1926 in Prague, lives and works in Prague)

Válová Jitka (b. 1922 in Kladno, lives and works in Kladno)

Válová Květa (1922-1998. Born in Kladno, lived and worked in Kladno)

Estonia

Group F.F.F.F. (Kaire Rannik, Kristi Paap, Berit Teeäär, Ketli Tiitsar, Maria Valdma, 1996-2005, members of the group still live and work in Tallinn)

Kaljo Kai (b. 1959 in Tallinn, lives and works in Tallinn)

Lapin Leonhard (b. 1947 in Räpina, lives and works in Tallinn)

Ly Lestberg (b. 1965 in Tallinn, lives and works in Tallinn)

Mutsu Marju (1941-1980, lived and worked in Tallinn)

Põder Anu (b. 1947 in Kanepi, lives and works in Tallinn)

Raidpere Mark (b. 1975 in Tallinn, lives and works in Tallinn)

Runge Sirje (b. 1950, lives and works in Tallinn)

Tihemets Evi (b. 1932, lives and works in Tallinn)

Tralla Mare (b. 1967 in Tallinn, lives and works in Tallinn and London, UK)

Valie Export Society founded in 1999 by Mari Laanemets, Killu Sukmit, Kadi Estland (Members of the group live and work in Europe).

Germany

Brendel Micha (b. 1959 in Weida / Thüringen, lives and works in Berlin)

Hampel Angela (b. 1956 in Räckelwitz, lives and works in Dresden)

Kissing Erich (b. 1943 in Leipzig, lives and works in Leipzig)

Mattheuer Wolfgang (1927-2004. Born in Reichenbach / Vogtland, lived and worked in Leipzig)

Paris Helga (b. 1938 in Gollnow, Poland, lives and works in Berlin)

Peuker Wolfgang (1945-2001. Born in Aussig, Czech Republic, lived and worked in Leipzig)

Sakulowski Horst (b. 1943 in Saalfeld, lives and works in Weida / Thüringen)

Schlegel Christine (b. 1950 in Crossen, lives and works in Dresden) Schleime Cornelia (b. 1953 in Ost-Berlin, lives and works in Berlin) Skade Fritz (1898-1971. Born in Döhlen bei Dresden)

Stötzer Gabriele (b. 1953 in Emleben, lives and works in Erfurt and Utrecht, Niederlande) Gabriel Else (b. 1962 in Halberstadt, lives and works in Berlin) together with

Ulf Wrede (b. 1968 in Potsdam) Woisnitza Karla (b. 1952 in Rüdersdorf, lives and works in Berlin) Womacka Walter (b. 1925 in Obergeorgenthal, Czech Republic, lives and works in Berlin)

Ziegler Doris (b. 1949 in Weimar, lives and works in Leipzig)

Georgia

Abjandadze Irina (b. 1967 in Tbilisi, lives and works in Tbilisi)

Chkadua Eteri (b. 1965, lives and works in New York, USA, Kingston, Jamaica and Tbilisi, Georgia)

Chogoshvili Levan (b. 1953 in Tbilisi, lives and works in Tbilisi)

Hungary

Benczúr Emese (b. 1969 in Budapest, lives and works in Budapest)

Berhidi Mária (b. 1953 in Budapest, lives and works in Budapest)

Dér András (b. 1954 in Budapest, lives and works in Budapest)

Drozdik Orsolya (b. 1946 in Abda, lives and works in Budapest and New York, USA)

Eperjesi Ágnes (b. 1964 in Budapest, lives and works in Budapest)

Gábor Imre (b. 1960 in Dunaújváros, lives and works in Budapest)

Galántai György (b. 1941 in Bikacs, lives and works in Budapest)

Gyenis Tibor (b. 1970 in Pécs, lives and works in Budapest)

Hajas Tibor (1946-1980. Born in Budapest, lived and worked in Budapest)

Hartai László (b. 1954 in Budapest, lives and works in Budapest)

Keserü Ilona (b. 1933 in Pécs, lives and works in Budapest)

Margit Anna (1913-1991. Born in Budapest, lived and worked in Budapest and Paris, France)

Maurer Dóra (b. 1937 in Budapest, lives and works in Budapest and Vienna, Austria)

Nagy Kriszta (b. 1972 in Szolnok, lives and works in Budapest)

Németh Hajnal (b. 1972 in Szony, lives and works in Berlin, Germany)

Oláh Mara (b. 1945 in Monor, lives and works in Budapest)

Pauer Gyula (b. 1941 in Budapest, lives and works in Budapest)

Sinkó Károly (1910-1967. Born in Budapest, lived and worked in Budapest)

Szabó Ágnes (b. 1969 in Győr, lives and works in Budapest)

Szenes Zsuzsa (1931-2001. Born in Budapest, lived and worked in Budapest)

Szépfalvi Ágnes (b. 1965 in Budapest, lives and works in Budapest)

Szilas Győző (1921-1998. Born in Újpest, lived and worked in Budapest)

UJJ Zsuzsi (b. 1959 in Veszprém, lives and works in Budapest)

Kosovo

Beqiri Sokol (b. 1964 in Peje, lives and works in Peje)

Harxhi Koci Merita (b. 1969 in Peje, lives and works in Prishtina)

Maliqi Dren (b. 1981 in Prishtina, lives and works in Prishtina)

Mulliqi Muslim (1934-1998. Born in Gjakova, lived and worked in Prishtina)

Qehaja Nurhan (b. 1981 in Prishtina, lives and works in Prishtina)

Shkololli Erzen (b. 1976 in Peje, lives and works in Prishtina and Berlin, Germany)

Latvia

Balčus Arnis (b. 1978 in Riga, lives and works in Riga and London, UK)

Dzividzinska Zenta (b. 1944, lives and works in Riga)

Grīnbergs Andris (b. 1946, lives and works in Riga)

Heinrihsone Helēna (b. 1948 in Riga, lives and works in Riga)

Iltnere Ieva (b. 1957 in Riga, lives and works in Riga)

Kornetski Mihail (1926-2005, lived and worked in Riga)

Logina Zenta (1908-1983, lived and worked in Riga)

Māliņa Sarmīte (b. 1960, lives and works in Riga)

Pauļuka Felicita (b. 1925, lives and works in Riga)

Skulme Džemma (b. 1925, lives and works in Riga)

LN Women’s League// LN sieviešu līga (or „Latvian National Women’s League Project” was founded in 1997. Curator of the Project: Inga Šteimane; Members Ingrīda Zābere, Ilze Breidaka, Kristīne Keire, Izolda Cēsniece, Silja Pogule

Zariņa Aija (b. 1954, lives and works in Riga)

Zariņš Indulis (1929-1997, lived and worked in Riga)

Lithuania

Bubelytė Violeta (b. 1956 in Vilnius, lives and works in Vilnius)

Gelguda Ugnius (b. 1977 in Vilnius, lives and works in Vilnius)

Krasauskas Stasys (1929-1977. Born in Kaunas, lived and worked in Vilnius)

Michelkevičiūtė Snieguolė (b. 1953 in Kaunas, lives and works in Kaunas)

Mozūraitė-Klemkienė Jadvyga (b. 1923 in Kaunas, lives and works in Kaunas)

Petrova Galina (b. 1927 in Astrakhan, Russia, lives and works in Vilnius)

Rakauskaitė Eglė (b. 1967 in Vilnius, lives and works in Vilnius)

Rožanskaitė Marija Teresė (1933-2007. Born in Linkuva, lived and worked in Vilnius)

Sauka Šarūnas (b. 1958 in Vilnius, lives and works in Dusetos)

Skudutis Mindaugas (b. 1948 in Antagavė, lives and works in Vilnius)

Šaltenis Arvydas (b. 1944 in Klevėnai, lives and works in Vilnius)

Šonta Virginijus (1952-1992. Born in Panevėžys, lived and worked in Kaunas and Vilnius)

Urbonas Gediminas (b. 1966 in Vilnius, lives and works in Vilnius, Trondheim, Norway and Boston, USA) and Urbonas Nomeda (b. 1968 in Kaunas, lives and works in Vilnius, Trondheim, Norway and Boston, USA)

Veiverytė Sofija (1926-2009. Born in Naujatrobiai, lived and worked in Vilnius)

Macedonia

Čapovska Violeta (b. 1967 in Skopje, lives and works in Melbourne, Australia)

Dimitrova Iskra (b. 1965, Skopje, lives and works in Skopje)

Svetieva Aneta (b.1944 in Bitola, lives and works in Skopje)

Temkova Ana (b. 1943 in Kavadarci, lives and works in Skopje)

Vangeli Žaneta (b. 1963 Bitola, lives and works in Skopje)

Moldova

Baranovici Ana (1906-2001. Born in Tighina, lived and worked in Chisinau) Rusu-Ciobanu Valentina (b. 1920 in Chisinau, lives and works in Chisinau)

Sadovskaia Varvara (b. 1922 in Suhaya Greblya, Ukraine, lives and works in Chisinau and St. Petersburg, Russia)

Montenegro

Brković Ozana (b. 1975 in Podgorica, lives and works in Podgorica)

Pavićević Milija (b. 1950 in Cetinje, lives and works in Cetinje)

Tomašević Jelena (b. 1974 in Podgorica, lives and works in Podgorica)

Poland

Abakanowicz Magdalena (b. 1930 in Falenty, lives and works in Warsaw)

Bereś Jerzy (b. 1930 in Nowy Sacz, lives and works in Krakow)

Falender Barbara (b. 1947 in Wroclaw, lives and works in Warsaw)

Fangor Wojciech (b. 1922 in Warsaw, lives and works in Warsaw)

Górna Katarzyna (b. 1968 in Warsaw, lives and works in Warsaw)

Gustowska Izabella (b. 1948 in Poznan, lives and works in Poznan)

Jabłońska Elżbieta (b. 1970 in Olsztyn, lives and works in Bydgoszcz)

Kobro Katarzyna (1898-1951. Born in Moscow, lived and worked in Lodz)

Kobzdej Aleksander (1920-1972. Born in Olesko, Ukraine, lived and worked in Warsaw)

Korolkiewicz Łukasz (b. 1948 in Warsaw, lives and works in Warsaw)

Kozyra Katarzyna (b. 1963 in Warsaw, lives in Warsaw and Berlin, Germany)

Kulik Zofia (b. 1947 in Wroclaw, lives and works in Lomianki)

Kuryluk Ewa (b. 1946 in Krakow, lives and works in Paris, France)

Libera Zbigniew (b. 1959 in Pabianice, lives and works in Prague, Czech Republic and Warsaw)

Mamzeta Monika (b. 1972 in Warsaw, lives and works in Warsaw)

Modzelewski Jarosław (b. 1955 in Warsaw, lives and works in Warsaw)

Natalia LL (Lach-Lachowicz Natalia) (b. 1937 in Zywiec, lives and works in Wroclaw)

Niesiołowski Tymon (1882-1965. Born in Lwow, Ukraine, lived and worked in Vilnius and Thorn)

Partum Ewa (b. 1945 in Grodzisk Mazowiecki, lives and works in Berlin, Germany)

Pągowska Teresa (1926-2007. Born in Warsaw, lived and worked in Warsaw)

Pinińska-Bereś Maria (1931-1999. Born in Poznan, lived and worked in Krakow)

Rosenstein Erna (1913-2004. Born in Lwow, Ukraine, lived and worked in Krakow and Warsaw)

C.U.K.T (Robert Mikołaj Jurkowski, Maciej Sienkiewicz, Rafał Ewertowski, Jacek Niegoda, Piotr Wyrzykowski, Artur Kozdrowski) established in 1995, acts in Gdansk

Sobczyk Marek (b. 1955 in Warsaw, lives and works in Warsaw)

Szapocznikow Alina (1926-1973. Born in Kalisz, lived and worked in Paris, France)

Wójcik Julita (b. 1971 in Gdansk, lives and works in Gdansk)

Żebrowska Alicja (b. 1956 in Zakopane, lives and works in Krakow)

Romania

Baba Corneliu (1906-1997. Born in Craiova, lived and worked in Bucharest)

Brătescu Geta (b. 1926 in Ploieşti, lives and works in Bucharest)

Croitoru Alexandra (b. 1975 in Bucharest, lives and works in Bucharest)

Grigorescu Ion (b. 1945 in Bucharest, lives and works in Bucharest)

Neagu Paul (1938-2004. Born in Bucharest, lived and worked in London, UK)

Perjovschi Lia (b. 1961 in Sibiu, lives and works in Bucharest)

Preda Sânc Marilena (b. 1955 in Bucharest, lives and works in Bucharest)

Russia

Antoshina Tatyana (b. 1959 in Krasnoyarsk, lives and works in Moscow)

Chernysheva Olga (b. 1962 in Moscow, lives and works in Moscow)

Elagina Elena (b. 1949 in Moscow, lives and works in Moscow)

Gerlovina Rimma (b. 1951 in Moscow, lives and works in New York, USA)

Gerlovin Valery (b. 1945 in Moscow, lives and works in New York, USA)

Gorlova Lyudmila (b. 1968 in Moscow, lives and works in Moscow)

Konstantinova Maria (b. 1953 in Moscow, lives and works in Moscow)

Kovylina Elena (b. 1971 in Moscow, lives and works in Moscow)

Kulik Oleg (b. 1961 in Kiev, Ukraine, lives and works in Moscow)

Mamyshev-Monroe Vladislav (b. 1969 in Leningrad, lives and works in Moscow)

Salakhova Aidan (b. 1964 in Moscow, lives and works in Moscow)

The Factory of Found Clothes (FNO) (Natalia Persina-Yakimanskaya, b.1968 in Leningrad) and Tsaplya (Olga Egorova, b. 1968 in Khabarovsk), founded in 1996 by Gluklya. They live and work in St. Petersburg.

Sokhranskaya Simona (b. 1939, lives and works in Moscow)

Serbia

Abramović Marina (b. 1946 in Belgrade, lives and works in Amsterdam, Netherlands and New York, USA)

Ladik Katalin (b. 1942 in Novi Sad, lives and works in Budapest, Hungary)

Matić Goranka (b. 1949 in Maribor, Slovenia, lives and works in Belgrade)

Ostojić Tanja (b. 1972 in Užice, lives and works in Berlin, Germany)

Paripović Neša (b. 1942 in Belgrade, lives and works in Belgrade)

Petrović Zora (1894-1962. Born in Dobrica, lived and worked in Belgrade)

Prvulović Nadežda (b. 1930 in Dubrovnik, Croatia, lives and works in Richmond and New York, USA)

Radić Jelena (b. 1978 in Pančevo, lives and works in Belgrade)

Todosijević Raša (b. 1945 in Belgrade, lives and works in Belgrade)

Tomić Milica (b. 1960 in Belgrade, lives and works in Belgrade)

Slovakia

Anetta Mona Chisa (b. 1975 in Nadlak, Romania, lives and works in Bratislava and Prague, Czech Republic) and LuciaTkáčová (b.1977 in Bánska Štiavnica, lives and works in Bratislava)

Bartuszová Mária (1936-1996. Born in Prague, lived and worked in Prague)

Bočkayová Klára (b. 1948 in Martin, lives and works in Bratislava and Stupava)

Daučíková Anna (b. 1950 in Bratislava, lives and works in Bratislava)

Filová Eva (b. 1968 in Bratislava, lives and works in Bratislava)

Lehocká Denisa (b. 1971 in Trenčín, lives and works in Bratislava)

Németh Ilona (b. 1963 in Dunajská Streda, lives and works in Dunajská Streda)

Tkáčová Lucia (b. 1977 in Banská Štiavnica, lives and works in Bratislava)

Želibská Jana (b. 1941 in Olomouc, Czech Republic, lives and works in Bratislava)

Slovenia

Gržinić Marina (b. 1958 in Rijeka, Croatia, lives and works in Ljubljana and Vienna, Austria) and Aina Šmid (b. 1957 in Ljubljana, lives and works in Ljubljana)

Krašovec Metka (b. 1941 in Ljubljana, lives and works in Ljubljana)

Logar Lojze (b. 1944 in Mežica, lives and works in Ljubljana)

Marušič Živko (b. 1945 in Colorno, Italy, lives and works in Koper)

OHO Group (David Nez, Milenko Matanovič, Drago Dellabernardina), 1966-1971, acted in Ljubljana

Pogačar Tadej (b. 1960 in Ljubljana, lives and works in Ljubljana)

Sambolec Duba (b. 1949 in Ljubljana, lives and works in Trondheim, Norway)

Stupica Gabrijel (1913-1990. Born in Dražgoše, lived and worked in Ljubljana)

Stančič Zora (b. 1956 in Štrbe, Bosnia and Hercegovina, lives and works in Ljubljana

Šuštaršič Marko (1927-1976. Born in Cerknica, lived and worked in Ljubljana)

Varl Petra (b. 1965 in Ljubljana, lives and works in Ljubljana and Maribor)

Žvegelj Janja (b. 1967 in Ljubljana)

Ukraine

Khomenko Olesya (b. 1980 in Kiev, lives and works in Kiev)

Makhukov Oleksandr ( 1911-1996. Born in Lugansk, lived and worked in Lugansk)

Mikhailov Boris (b. 1938 in Kharkov, lives and works in Berlin, Germany and Kharkov)

Yudin Oleksandr (b. 1934 in Moscow, Russia, lives and works in Kiev)

Vainstein Moysey (1940-1981. Born in Donetsk region, lived and worked in Kiev)

Zaretzky Viktor (1925-1990. Born in Sumy region, lived and worked in Kiev)

Gender Check. Femininity and Masculinity in Eastern European Art
Kurator: Bojana Pejic

Künstler: Anri Sala, Anita Arakelyan, Anna Koushar, Ismet Mujezinovic, Sejla Kameric, Alla Georgieva, Sanja Ivekovic, Tomislav Gotovac, Bela Kolarova, Veronika Bromova, Mare Tralla, Cornelia Schleime, Fritz Skade, Emese Benczur, Orshi Drozdik, Tibor Hajas, Erzen Shkololli, Aija Zarina, Zenta Dzividzinska, Egle Rakauskaite, Sofija Veiveryte, Zaneta Vangeli, Valentina Rusu-Ciobanu, Jelena Tomasevic, Wojciech Fangor, Katarzyna Kobro, Katarzyna Kozyra, Alexandra Croitoru, Ion Grigorescu, Lia Perjovschi, Anna Alchuck, Oleg Kulik, Vladislav Mamyshev-Monroe, Marina Abramovic, Tanja Ostojic, Anetta Mona Chisa/Lucia Tkacova, Jana Zelibska, Tadej Pogacar & P.A.R.A.S.I.T.E., Duba Sambolec, Arsen Savadov & Oleksandr Kharchenko, Boris Mikhailov, Julita Wojcik, CUKT  ...