This Is Not My World: Art and Public Space in Socialist Zagreb

In the decades leading up to the dissolution of socialist Yugoslavia, a group of young artists in Zagreb used public spaces as a platform for radical individual expression. This Is Not My World explores the friction between public and private that underlay their innovative practices, highlighting artworks such as Vlasta Delimars act of tying herself to a tree and Željko Jermans production of a giant banner. The book focuses on the affective aspects of the groups activities, using artist interviews and documentation to bring the reader closer to the felt experience of their public interventions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 06 February 2024
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

In the vibrant city of Zagreb, a group of young artists emerged in the decades preceding the dissolution of socialist Yugoslavia. These artists sought to break down the boundaries between public and private, using the city's public spaces as a platform for their radical individual expression. This Is Not My World delves into a detailed account of the Group of Six Authors and their circle during the prolific and experimental period from 1975 to 1985. The book highlights the friction between public and private that underpinned their innovative practices, as these artists sought to circumvent the rigid bureaucracy of official art institutions.

To engage the unwitting public, the Group of Six Authors and their peers embarked on a series of provocative performances, exhibited artworks, and engaged with passersby on the streets. Their artworks, such as Vlasta Delimars act of tying herself to a tree in a busy pedestrian area, Željko Jermans production of a giant banner declaring "Intimate Inscription" in the city's central square, and Vlado Marteks creation of an artwork on a seaside beach using womens underwear, serve as sites of tension between the intimacy of artistic expression and the political structure of the public sphere under state socialism.

In contrast to many histories of modern and contemporary art in formerly socialist countries, This Is Not My World focuses its attention on the affective aspects of the groups activities. Through artist interviews and extensive documentation, the book brings the reader closer to the felt experience of their public interventions. By situating the groups work within the broader context of social and political change, This Is Not My World offers a fresh perspective on the artistic landscape of the region.

Weight: 850g
Dimension: 254 x 178 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781517914226