Czechoslovak socialist realism 1948 - 1958 @ Rudolfinum

[anna balint]

Czechoslovak socialist realism 1948 - 1958
@ Galerie Rudolfinum

Painting, Sculpture, Objects, Documents
7. 11. 2002 – 9. 2. 2003


Exhibition organiser: Galerie Rudolfinum
Exhibition concept: Tereza Peti?ková
Accompanying programmes concept: Josef Vomá?ka

Socialist Realism is typically associated with the Soviet visionary culture of the 
early years of the -first- communist state. The form of Soviet art was dictated by a 
political programme, which simultaneously was promising to build up a humane society 
through violence. Typical for the Soviet art, centrally directed as it was, became 
the simplified monumental form, imbued with the enthusiasm of and belief in building 
up a better, socialist future.

Czechoslovak culture began to follow programmatically the Soviet art of the Stalinist 
era after the communist coup d'état in February 1948. The art production in the 
spirit of Socialist Realism was guaranteed and controlled by new centrally directed 
artists? organisation. The irrational, hard-edged, schematic structure of the 
leadership of the artists? unions confined the natural development of Czechoslovak 
culture.

The exhibition 'Czechoslovak Socialist Realism 1948-1958' presents in painting, 
sculpture, objects and documents the entire controversial decade of Czech visual art. 
Not only the art works and numerous, often bizarre, objects (like the examples of 
official presents to statesmen or applied art of the period) but also the vast 
accompanying programme of the exhibition dedicated to architecture, fashion, 
literature, or criticism and role of the media of the period, evoke from the distance 
of today?s perspective the decade when Socialist Realism dominated the arts and 
culture.

A typical feature of Socialist Realism in Central Europe is its hybrid character, 
which makes it difficult to grasp. This 'new style' which was designed to unify 
culture, was causing embarrassment occasionally even at the time of its origin. 
Václav ?erný was one of the few clear-sighted critics of the period.
In his Memories published after the World War II, he writes: 'I would bow down, I 
would kneel in reverence in front of the one who would tell to me - before the last 
of the days of my life approaches - who would explain me exactly what this socialist 
realism is.'

Accompanying programmes

Prodej plakát? a pohlednic z let 1948 - 1958

Ve spolupráci s Muzeem d?lnického hnutí o.p.s. , agenturou Pro Vás a Moravskou 
galerií v Brn? bude nabízena v prodejn? Galerie Rudolfinum kolekce tisk? politických 
a filmových plakát? a pohlednic z let 1948-1958.

Expert seminars and debates

Socialist Realism in Painting and Design (26. 11. 2002, 10:00 – 17:00)
Socialist Architecture (10. 12. 2002, 10:00 – 17:00)
Public debate of the Respekt Weekly (5. 2. 2003, 19:30)
Socialist-realistic legends (12. 11. 2002, 17:00)
Media 1953-1958 (5. 2. 2003, 15:00)

Accompanying exhibitions

The World of Stars and Illusions (6. 1. – 9. 2. 2003)
Socialistic Architecture in Ostrava Region (10. 1. – 12. 2. 2003)

Wandering and excursion

The Hall of the Soviet Army at Vítkov and the National Memorial (11. 11. 2002, 15:30; 
11. 11.
2002, 14:00)
Red West (2. 12. 2002, 7:30)
Hotel Internacional in Praha ? Dejvice (16. 12. 2002, 15:00)
Special viewing of the poster collection (6. 1. 2003, 15:00)
Special viewing of the poster collection (20. 1. 2003, 15:00)
Special viewing of the collection of the state and political decorations, orders and 
plaques (27. 1. 2003, 15:00)
Socialist Ostrava (11. 1. 2003, 6:00)
Military History Museum (3. 2. 2003, 9:00)

Music

Consent and Dissent in Soviet Music (10. 1. 2003, 19:30; 9. 1. 2003, 19:30)
Consent and Dissent in Soviet Music II. (14. 1. 2003, 19:30)
Consent and Dissent in Soviet Music III. (31. 1. 2003, 19:30; 30. 1. 2003, 19:30)
Nostalgia for the Utopian Future (17. 11. 2002, 18:00)

- LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Animated lecture (29. 1. 2003, 18:00)

Film Festival of the Works of Socialist Cinematography

In collaboration with the National Film Archives 1. 11. 2002 – 6. 2. 2003
ACTION B (1951) (12. 11. 2002, 17:30)
IT WAS IN MAY (1950) (13. 11. 2002, 17:30)
WAY TO HAPPINESS (1951) (26. 11. 2002, 17:30)
EVERYTHING IS OVER TONIGHT (1954) (5. 12. 2002, 17:30)
DS - 70 IS NOT TAKING OFF (1949) (10. 12. 2002, 17:30)
TWO FIRES (1949) (19. 12. 2002, 17:30)
THE WEDDING HAS NOT BEEN YET... (1954) (31. 12. 2002, 17:30)
WE WANT TO LIVE (1949) (9. 1. 2003, 17:30)
WE LOVE (1951) (14. 1. 2003, 17:30)
KARHAN?S SQUAD (1950) (23. 1. 2003, 17:30)
NURENBERG EXPRESS (1953) (4. 2. 2003, 17:30)
DAWN ABOVE US (1952) (6. 2. 2003, 17:30)

The conclusion of the exhibition with singing and dance

Foyer of Rudolfinum and all halls of Galerie Rudolfinum 9. 2. 2003
Antonie Svobodová dancing among the paintings (9. 2. 2003, 14:00)
Feng-Juen-Song singing among the paintings (9. 2. 2003, 16:00)
Chorus singing at the very end (9. 2. 2003, 18:00)

http://www.galerierudolfinum.cz/en/