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- Convenors:
-
Jonas Frykman
(Lund University)
László Koppány Csáji (Research Institute of Art Theory and Methodology, Hungarian Academy of Arts)
Send message to Convenors
- Discussants:
-
László Koppány Csáji
(Research Institute of Art Theory and Methodology, Hungarian Academy of Arts)
Ágnes Fülemile (Institute of Ethnology, Research Centre for the Humanities HUN-REN (Hungarian Research Network))
Jonas Frykman (Lund University)
- Format:
- Panel+Roundtable
- Stream:
- Visual Arts
- Location:
- MR027, MacRobert
- Sessions:
- Thursday 5 June, -, -, -
Time zone: Europe/London
Short Abstract
As the lifeworlds have changed radically, the etic use of folk art became anachronistic, thus much of the current phenomena became largely unstudied and unwritten. How can we consider folk art and its role in the contemporary? How does it relate to popular, vernacular, naïve art, and everyday craft?
Description
Ethnological and folkloristic studies of folk art were once regarded as a phenomenon within national or tribal frames, considered mainly as peasant, primitive, or rural art. As the lifeworlds have changed radically, the etic use of folk art became anachronistic and its appearance out of the original context has been regarded as folklorism, cultural (re)constructionism, revival movements, etc. Current phenomena attracted much less scholarly attention than their supposedly vanished antecedents. “Art of the folk” however never disappears and urges scholars to pay more attention to the current rural and urban lifeworlds and the usage of folk art in contemporary culture. Nevertheless, should we unwrite or rewrite folk art in the contemporary? Terms like Art Populaire or Popular art, Vernacular art, Tribal art, Traditional art, Peasant art, Craft Art, and Naïve art, have also come into use without a terminological clearance of how they relate to the largely unwritten folk art in the contemporary. What is the relation between folk, vernacular, and popular art? We consider art in a broader sense, including visual and performative forms. New phenomena open new venues for study. For example, digital technologies widen the possibilities of creative communication literally in everyone’s hands; social, economic, and cultural conflicts are often mirrored in an endeavour to redefine identity by using established or enduring cultural patterns; the revival movements often work as vivid and creative subcultures. We invite researchers to rethink and renew the academic discourse regarding this complex problem and add new perspectives to it.
Accepted contributions
Session 1 Thursday 5 June, 2025, -Short abstract
Dhokra is an ancient metal craft technique. Though it has thousands of years of legacy, it has changed over time. There have been modifications in technique, visual structure, and functions. This paper studies and analyzes the visual structure and functions of contemporary Dhokra Metalcraft.
Long abstract
Dhokra artifacts have a traditional hereditary lineage and are practiced in many parts of India. Popularly known as the indigenous technique of Lost wax casting, which dates back to 4000 BCE. Tribal communities of Chhattisgarh’s practice of brass metal craft got christened as Dhokra. It has survived and can flourish due to adaptation and modification. It has brought various tribal communities and their regional flavors into its repertoire but maintains its distinct ethnic features. Dhokra artifacts were made by the artisans of Ghadwa, Malar, and Jhara communities members of the Bastar and Raigarh regions of Chhattisgarh, inspired by regional folklore and as per the requirement of local communities. In due course of time crafts have changed, the drastic change that has occurred is the ways it is consumed today in the urban and digital market, the impact of technology and commercialization of cultural items made the artisans transform tribal utility artifacts into urban material culture and create products inspired by urban folklore. Thus Dhokra Art which has limited functions in the regions has now been used in various contexts and combined with variegated products such as furniture, handbags, bikes, mementos, etc.
Artisans have not changed the structures and functions not only for the sake of the urban consumer but for the regional consumers too, as their lifestyles as well have changed. The present paper will try to learn the visual and functional structure of contemporary Dhokra and discuss the artifacts from the point of the consumer not just the makers.
Short abstract
My paper explores how Romani designers in Central Europe explore folk art as a tool of empowerment, transforming it from a nationalized phenomenon into a vibrant and creative practice that dismantles the notion of folk as inherently archaic and static in favor of a transnational folk heritage.
Long abstract
In Central Europe, the concepts of folk art have historically been closely linked to aspects of national culture, a connection that remains particularly evident today in sartorial fashions, such as folk costumes worn during specific celebrations. In this context, folk art not only incorporates traditional patterns and motifs into contemporary fashion and design but also maintains a strong connection to national identity in the region, increasingly utilized by nationalist parties. This paper aims to rethink these established paradigms in contemporary culture by exploring how present-day folk culture can be viewed through a different lens. It does this by shifting the focus to projects originating from the region’s largest minority: the Roma. By examining initiatives like Romani Design, the paper analyzes how contemporary folk fashion redefines Roma identities in Central Europe by engaging with elements of Hungarian, Slovak, and Roma folk cultures. This engagement challenges stereotypes of the Roma as “outsiders” in modern society and reconceptualizes folk fashion as closely associated with national and rural cultures. The paper thus argues that Romani women designers, in particular, not only rewrite deeply rooted stereotypes in the region, utilizing them as tools of empowerment, but also transform the perception of folk culture from a static, archaic view into an active and contemporary practice that showcases Roma culture as vibrant and creative, while dismantling notions of folk culture as inherently national, aligning instead with a distinctly transnational heritage.
Long abstract
Fashion has always been an important tool for individual and cultural expression. Sugarbird's “More is More” collection not only follows contemporary trends but also conveys messages of acceptance and visibility, issues with which Romani have long struggled in Hungary. With the launch of this new collection, the brand has demonstrated that fashion can be a crucial medium for social and cultural dialogue. The popular Hungarian fashion brand Sugarbird was founded by Hedvig Jagasics Csonka in 2007. Her team places great emphasis on incorporating folk motifs into their contemporary designs. To ensure the authenticity of their collections, the brand collaborates with a folklorist, and engages with individuals dedicated to preserving tradition. Given that the brand is particularly popular within the Roma, in 2025, Sugarbird worked with the well-known Romani influencer, Lotti Hajdrik and the Oláh Romani community to design a Gypsy collection. The collection debuted at a day-long performance event, where the audience could sample Roma cuisine, enjoy Roma music and dance, and a runway show featuring Romani models and community leaders. The resulting collection, named “More is More,” is a unique combination of folk fashion and stylized Romani motifs, which aptly reflects the vibrancy and colorfulness of traditional Romani dress. With the launch of this new collection, the brand has demonstrated that fashion can be a crucial medium for social and cultural dialogue.
Short abstract
The study examines Macedonian folklore's institutionalization, focusing on Lazarus Day archaic singing. These traditions, linked to agricultural practices. The research highlights folklore elements' survival, institutional challenges.
Long abstract
The questions of "folk art" have developed uniquely in a region that was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1912 and where manual harvesting was common until the 1970s. This region contains many relics, particularly due to the dense fragmentation of high mountains. One characteristic phenomenon is archaic singing, integral to customs related to agricultural efficiency.
These songs and activities remained outside mainstream Christianity's official liturgical actions for centuries, becoming part of folk beliefs connected to agricultural efficiency. The Macedonian territory typically preserved archaic elements, particularly in singing. These elements, often labeled as pagan, persisted through time. Their extinction began with the spread of global culture.
Through the Lazarus Day songs and customs case study, we highlight the content and institutional questions.
In Macedonian folklore research, the term "folk art" is rarely used. Compared to the Hungarian system, Macedonian research reflects more original forms, although its institutionalization is less developed. Over the last 10 years, our project has focused on undetected folklore elements in the Macedonian custom corpus.
This study elucidates the presence of agricultural cult reminiscences in contemporary society, the influence of folk beliefs on agricultural efficiency, and the changes in folk customs. It also examines Macedonian folklore databases, institutionalization, registration, storage, and research delays. Additionally, it opens opportunities for understanding contemporary perceptions and functional changes of archaic customs, researching mythological parallels, and the poorly documented proto-Slavic culture.
This research enhances understanding of Macedonian traditions and opens new perspectives for studying Central and Eastern European folklore.
Short abstract
Ethnographic insights into the contemporary uses of folk ornament in Latvia reveal a diverse scene of phenomena ranging from folkloresque manifestations to vernacular creativity. The presentation will explore the relations between folk, vernacular, and popular representations of ornament.
Long abstract
Ethnographic insights into the contemporary uses of folk ornament in Latvia reveal a diverse scene with creatively recycled elements from traditional culture, inspired by the romanticised past aligned with globally sourced ideas, functioning and flourishing in the conditions of a neoliberal consumerist economy. Apart from traditional practices such as textile production, woodwork, and pottery, folk ornament is used in design, domestic decor, fashion, tattoos, architecture, theme parks, and contemporary spirituality related practices. The diverse manifestations of folk ornament in contemporary culture range from folkloresque representations (Foster & Tolbert 2016) to vernacular creativity. In the presentation those will be explored through two examples of ornament use. First, the presentation will introduce folk ornament as part of the staged folk dance choreographies with a focus on its performances as nationwide identity manifestation at the Latvian Song and Dance festivals. Second, it will discuss themed ornament parks as a distinctive example of a vernacular creative engagement with ornament. Both of these practices are rooted in the specific interpretation of Latvian folk ornament – the ornament and mythology nexus – which refers to the combination of the geometric ornaments of Latvian folk art with mythological entities. In line with the questions proposed by the convenors of the panel, the presentation will discuss the relation between folk, vernacular, and popular representations of ornament in contemporary Latvian culture.
Foster, Michael Dylan, Tolbert, Jeffrey A. (eds.) 2016. The Folkloresque Reframing Folklore in a Popular Culture World. Utah State University Press.
Short abstract
At a time of rapid economic growth and urbanisation, Swiss ‘folk music’ (Volksmusik) was presented on national television in the 1960s-1990s as a pastoral ideal world. The paper shows how the mass medium created a vernacular idyll and discusses if and how folk musicians rewrite this legacy today.
Long abstract
This contribution focuses on Swiss "Volksmusik" (folk or popular music) and specific developments in the mass media in the 20th century. These developments still shape the perception and representation of folk music in Switzerland today. The television programmes of the Swiss Radio and Television (SRF) from the 1960s to the 1990s not only document the way in which regional musical cultures were popularised nationally, but also how folk music and the vernacular - despite contemporary renewal - were linked to an imagined and idealised pre-industrial and 'primitive' agrarian society. At a time of rapid economic growth, urbanisation and modernisation, Swiss folk music and folklore was presented as a pastoral idyll and became a nostalgic space of problem-free living. This "ideal world" way of staging folk music was not always approved of by the audience but was also criticized.
In my paper, I would like to outline the ways in which the audiovisual medium of television has created a "folk music" idyll and to discuss ways in which Volksmusik today unwrites this legacy.
Short abstract
Beauty portraits with folk art props as a means of references to ethnicity have recently seen a resurgence from self-made photos, to professional and AI imagery. The paper examines the genre from artistic antecedents to the latest AI images, and then proceeds to some Hungarian and Romanian examples.
Long abstract
The power of visuality in our post-literate global technical age is stronger than ever. Contrary to the general demand of PC-ness, masculine and feminine beauty ideals still dominate the mainstream visual environment. A specific branch of this imagery, serving personal or communal identity expressions or marketing purposes, seems to have recently seen a resurgence, using ethnic and folk art props as a means of nostalgic references to ethnicity in various forms of visual art, from social media photos to advertising, from fashion to entertainment industry and the latest dream imagery of artificial intelligence. The pursuit of polished perfection, imaginative hybridity and exaggerated pomp rather than realism and authenticity is evident. The paper briefly examines the meaning, iconography and style of bucolic folk beauty portraits from their long-run artistic antecedents to the latest AI images, and then proceeds to an analysis of some recent Hungarian and Romanian examples.
Short abstract
This presentation follows the study of the practice of clay figuration in Portugal. Through a detailed ethnographic study we reveal a view of contemporary Portuguese crafts simultaneously political and aesthetic.
Long abstract
This presentation follows the study of the practice of clay figuration in Portugal. The ethnographic work was carried out in coordination with Public Institute of Cultural Heritage (Património Cultural - Instituto Público) and aimed to inform the cultural policies of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the arts and crafts. The main outlines of the research converge to understand the current state of the crafts in Portugal, through the detailed study of the practice of clay figuration. We started by investigating the long-term effects of the institutionalisation of crafts, largely delimited by the ethnographic representations of the 19th century and its exploitation by the Estado Novo dictatorship in the 1930s and 1940s, noticing how this is still visible in the social and political dynamics currently taking place in the two areas studied - Barcelos and Estremoz. Next, we examined the traditional knowledge of this practice, noticing how the artisans address and negotiate the intricacy of the different scales, temporalities and narratives present in the work, by balancing the preservation of the traditional themes transmitted by their ancestors, with the introduction of new forms and ideas during the figure making process. We also observed how their work caught the attention of contemporary artists and designers, inspiring creative relationships as well as their own clay figuration practice. The work apprehends the defining aspects of the practice and reveals a view of contemporary Portuguese crafts simultaneously political and aesthetic.
Short abstract
The camp art of Bronisław Czech (1908-1944), a Polish sportsman who was deported to KL Auschwitz and died there, forms a poignant, if paradoxical from an aesthetic and iconographic point of view, collection. The key to understanding it is to recognise the context in which they were created.
Long abstract
The artistic oeuvre of Bronisław Czech (1908-1944), an outstanding Polish ski racer, has so far not been the subject of separate, in-depth studies. The public attention has usually focused on his sporting successes, interrupted by the outbreak of war in 1939 and his imprisonment since 1940 in the Nazi concentration camp KL Auschwitz. Mentions of his paintings on glass, created in the interwar period, appear in publications devoted to the history of painting on glass in the Tatra region in the 20th century. However, his works were treated as an additional occupation performed by the Czech at that time and were considered only an example of the revival of this branch of highland folk art in Podhale. Meanwhile, looking at Czech's work in the context of his biography, and especially his later fate during the war, sheds new light on the role of artistic creativity in his life. The paintings with folk scenes and Tatra landscapes, objects decorated with highland patterns and letters illustrated with watercolours, made in the Auschwitz concentration camp, are a moving trace of the work of prisoner who created to survive. Behind the folkloristic stylisation and cheerful iconography hides the nightmarish every day life of victim of Nazism. Some of the Czech's works, smuggled out of the camp, were also a form of visual communication with the world ‘behind the barbed wire’, which he missed so much and which he never saw again. 20th century painting on glass reveals yet another, non-obvious, poignantly serious face...