Through appropriation and subversion of official imagery or by creating an alternative aesthetic universe, the artists of "Undercurrents I: Stories, Symbols, and Sounds" open new perspectives and unconventional, alternative readings of reality through their art-making practices.
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.
Co-curated with Isotta Poggi, associate curator of photographs at the Getty Research Institute.
