Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s–1980s

Artists in the Eastern bloc found new ways of making art during the Cold War period, responding to different living conditions and confronting varying degrees of control exerted by state authorities. Travelling to Vancouver Art Gallery from the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, where it was on display from November 2023 until March of this year, ‘Multiple Realities’ features boundary-breaking work by nearly 100 artists from six central and Eastern European countries, ranging from experimental films such as Take Five (1972) by Polish director Zbigniew Rybczyński to performances by German artist Gabriele Stötzer. Other highlights include collage works by the multimedia artist Vera Fischer, such as Pasji Život (A Dog’s Life) (1970), and Geta Brâtescu’s textile work Vestigii (Vestiges) (1978) (13 December–21 April 2025).

Find out more on the Vancouver Art Gallery’s website.
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Slika [Picture] (1970), Vera Fischer. Photo: © Branka Hlevnjak; courtesy Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb

Oddech (Breath) (1968), Jan Dobkowski. Photo: Jerzy Malinowski GM Studio; courtesy the artist

Nora (1983), Gabriele Stötzer. Courtesy LOOCK, Berlin. © VG BildKunst, Bonn 2023