Paper short abstract:

Rejecting simplistic oppositions of 'socialism' versus 'post-socialism', this paper will provide an insight into the making, unmaking and re-making of artistic reputations in the Czech artworld,examining dynamics of artistic in/visibility and people-thing dynamics from 1948 to 2018.

Paper long abstract:

This paper critically explores how specific notions of creativity have been defined and promoted in the Czech art world in different political contexts, from the Stalinist 1950s, through the euphoric few years during and after 1989 Velvet Revolution, to the current state of pragmatism, corruption and populism. Focusing on a number of case-studies, it will critically investigate the interplay of politics and the creation of artistic hierarchies within and beyond the Czech art world. Rejecting simplistic oppositions of 'socialist' versus 'post-socialist society', it will provide an insight into the making, unmaking and re-making of artistic reputations, examine the multi-dimensional dynamics of artistic in/visibility, and provide a processual perspective on people and things in movement.