104. Video Art and Moving Image in the former socialist world, c. 1968-present

Histories of video art and moving image remain relatively undocumented in the former socialist world in Europe (the Warsaw pact countries plus the former Yugoslavia). Such histories that exist are conducted on a purely post-1991 national basis, or through monographic studies related to exhibition or academic research. Whilst in recent years institutions such as Tate have begun to re-orientate their collections and have acquired some key works of art, understanding histories of the production, consumption and discussion of video art in Europe’s former socialist world remains partial and disjointed.

In this panel, we invite papers on video art and moving image within these geographical and specific political and aesthetic contexts. We welcome papers across the timeframe, from the earliest works of video art to contemporary moving image and artist’s films.

Papers may consider video art aesthetics, and ecologies of state support and use of video art; relationships to national television channels, the role and contexts of video art and moving image in response to social and political imperatives, critical writing on video, video as documentation of performance, festivals, distribution networks, cultures of display (galleries/ video art organisations), the intersections of moving images and contemporary urgencies such as gender, the decolonial and queerness.

Themes: Aesthetics; video art; socialism / post-socialism.

Lead Convenor: Jon Blackwood, Gray’s School of Art, RGU, Aberdeen, UK.

Co-convenors: Laura Leuzzi, Gray’s School of Art, RGU, Aberdeen, UK.

To submit a Paper to this Session, please follow the guidance on our website and complete the AAH 2027 Call for Papers Proposal Submission Form.