Svitlana Biedarieva 
Contemporary Ukrainian and Baltic Art 
Political and Social Perspectives, 1991–2021

This volume focuses on political and social expressions in contemporary art of Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. It explores the transformations that art in Ukraine and the Baltic states has undergone since their independence in 1991, discussing how the conflicts and challenges of the last three decades have impacted the reconsideration of identity and fostered resistance of culture against economic and political crises. It analyzes connections between the past and the present as seen by the artists in these countries and looks at their visions of the future.

Contemporary Ukrainian art portrays various perspectives, addressing issues from controversial historical topics to the present military conflict in the East of the country. Baltic art speaks out against the erasure of past historical traumas and analyzes the pertinence of its cultural scene to the European community. The contributions in this collection open a discussion of whether there is a single paradigm that describes the contemporary processes of art production in Ukraine and the Baltic countries.

With contributions by Ieva Astahovska, Svitlana Biedarieva, Kateryna Botanova, Olena Martynyuk, Vytautas Michelkevičius, Lina Michelkevičė, Margaret Tali, and Jessica Zychowicz.

Over de auteur

Dr. Svitlana Biedarieva studied History of Art and Semiotics in London and Tartu. She has held teaching positions at the Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Universidad Iberoamericana, Universidad de Anáhuac Norte, and Courtauld Institute of Art at London. Her previous books include At the Front Line: Ukrainian Art, 2013–2019 (Editorial 17, 2020). Biedarieva’s papers have been published by, among other outlets, Space and Culture (SAGE), Art Margins Online (MIT Press), and Revue Critique d’Art (University of Rennes 2).