Undercurrents I: Stories, Symbols, and Sounds

Does art have the power to directly impact society? This exhibition focuses on artwork that doesn’t follow the beaten track of art production and political messaging. Through appropriation and subversion of official imagery or by creating an alternative aesthetic universe, the artworks in this exhibition opened new perspectives and unconventional, alternative readings of reality. 

Historians and art historians have often suggested a clear division between “official” and “dissident” or “countercultural” artists under authoritarian regimes. Quite often, these distinctions turn out to be not so clear-cut. Artists can be critical of a regime but supportive of its official ideology, or they can be involved in state propaganda and in cultural opposition at the same time. While this exhibition focuses on independent art scenes, we acknowledge the gray zones and complexities of creating art under political restrictions.  

The exhibition will present East German and Polish underground publications, portfolios, and artist books from the collections of the Wende Museum and the Getty Research Institute, as well as Hungarian and Czechoslovak countercultural photographs from the Archive of Modern Conflict. The Corita Art Center contributes works from U.S. artist, educator, and social justice advocate Corita Kent. 

Co-curated with Isotta Poggi, associate curator of photographs at the Getty Research Institute.