As Stalin grew ever more paranoid and unpredictable in the final months of his life, the ailing dictator demanded that Walter Ulbricht’s Communist government in the German Democratic Republic consolidate its control over the country by intensifying the process of Sovietization. In the summer of 1952, land confiscations, tax hikes, and a public pay freeze […]
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States in August 1945 not only signalled the end of World War II, but also announced the start of the nuclear age which would be a defining aspect of the Cold War. The widespread revulsion in Japan at America’s actions would sit uncomfortably with the country’s reliance on the West for protection against the rise of communism … Continue reading Japanese Painters Protesting the Cold War
The Romanian Revolution from 16 to 27 December 1989 swept Nicolae Ceaușescu from power and brought an end to 42 years of communist rule. While 25 years have now passed since that tumultuous fortnight a number of Romanian artists continue to explore their country’s struggles in the aftermath of revolution. Once such artist is Ştefan Constantinescu. Born in Bucharest in 1968, Constantinescu experienced first hand the daily grind … Continue reading Featured Artist: Stefan Constantinescu
On 1 October 1949 Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. Over the next half a century the country witnessed the trauma of the Great Leap Forward and social upheaval of the Cultural Revolution, and gradually progressed to become a superpower. Although now a technologically-advantaged nation with a booming economy, the visual culture of Mao’s China continues to loom large … Continue reading Youth Mao Zedong Statue
In the early hours of 1 October 1965 a group of Indonesian army officers calling themselves the 30 September Movement assassinated six army generals. Unrest quickly spread across Jakarta as several thousand members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces attempted to stage a coup d’état against President Sukarno. Due to poor planning by the rebels and the superior military strategy of Major General Suharto, the … Continue reading Indonesia’s Banned Communist Art
Flickr recently became a gateway into the art world of Soviet Russia thanks to photographer Igor Palmin, who uploaded his vast back catalogue onto the site. During the 1950s Palmin worked as a film cameraman and his training in cinematography is conspicuous in these absorbing photographs. Mostly taken in black-and-white, the strong sense of narrative and romance is heightened further with nostalgia for a lost … Continue reading Igor Palmin: Photographing the Unofficial Soviet Art World
After years of French colonial rule, Laos was finally granted autonomy on 19 July 1949 before achieving independence in 1953. Yet its celebrations would be short-lived. Barely a fortnight afterwards a bitter civil war broke out which would divide the country for over two decades. As the conflict rapidly became a high-stakes Cold War proxy war, the revolutionary communist group, Pathet Lao, and the Royal … Continue reading Golden Statue for Laos’ Secret War
Several years before the Watergate scandal brought Richard Nixon’s presidency to an undignified end, a grateful Hungarian émigré artist memorialised the politician in an altogether more favourable light. Nixon at Andau was painted in 1970 by Ferenc Daday, who had emigrated to the United States along with many of his compatriots after the failed Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The painting recalls Nixon’s visit that year … Continue reading What & Where: Nixon Gets the Stalin Treatment
At London’s Somerset House Viktor Popkov: Genius of the Russian Soul is currently highlighting the work of one of the USSR’s most acclaimed artists. As one may expect of an exhibition that forms part of the UK-Russia Year of Culture, the curators are keen to present these classics of Socialist Realism as much more than propaganda. Viktor Popkov was born in 1932 and the start … Continue reading Exhibition of the Month: Viktor Popkov: Genius of the Russian Soul
The dominance of anti-communist ideology in 1950s’ America caused the disenfranchisement of artists who maintained a commitment to the social function of art. Driven to seek display opportunities outside the United States, these artists were drawn to the USSR, where state support for socially-engaged art provided an appealing alternative. The re-emergence of official channels for Soviet-American cultural exchange inspired artists such as Rockwell Kent, Anton … Continue reading Social(ist) Realism: Soviet Friendship and American Artists in the USSR
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