A theoretical excursus on the concept of political art in communism and its aftermath

Abstract: This paper confronts the conceptual meanings of "political art" in communist regimes and liberal democracies. The label "political art" is in general used to designate a wide variety of art productions, practices and art activities. What is political in art? The answer is all the more disputed that politics itself is a conflictive term. After the Second World War, opposition or support given to the expansion of the capitalist/corporatist culture were expressed via a multitude of ways of "making art politically". In a liberal democracy, art is seen and used as a tool to confront the antagonisms of reality. On the contrary, in totalitarian regimes, "making art politically" means that art is seen and used both as a weapon to distort reality in order to legitimate power and as a way of expressing otherness ("underground", "dissident art" from totalitarian regimes)

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Veröffentlichungsversion ; begutachtet (peer reviewed) ; In: Studia Politica: Romanian Political Science Review ; 11 (2011) 4 ; 647-660

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Künste, Bildende Kunst allgemein

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Mannheim
• (when): 2011
• Creator: Asavei, Marina Alina

Further information

• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-446532
• Rights: Open Access; Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:29 AM CEST