It emblematizes both the power of many of the works in the show and their context-dependent, performance-based elusiveness. Where was Miklós Erdélyi, who mentored and inspired two generations of experimental artists working across multiple media in Budapest, and Oskar Hansen, who did the same in Warsaw? “Multiple Realities” does convincingly demonstrate that, pace the stereotypes of a gray and monolithic cultural wasteland, Eastern Europe under state-socialism did produce multiple, heterogeneous realities. I deeply hope that this exhibition, rather than closing the book on its subject, will open doors for more explorations. “Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s–1980s” was organized by the Walker Art Center (November 11, 2023–March 10, 2024) and travels to Vancouver Art Gallery (December 14, 2024−April 21, 2025).

Source: Wall Street Journal July 29, 2024 07:02 UTC