Skopje, 13 November 2025 (MIA) — To present "a distinctly Eastern European perspective shaped by the experience of socialism, collective utopias, transition, conflict and war, and the collapse of ideological systems in the 1990s," an exhibit showcasing a selection of works from Moderna galerija’s Arteast 2000+ and national collections from Ljubljana in dialogue with the Solidarity Collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Skopje will open Friday at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Titled "The East Remains Possible," the art show calls attention to what remains of the idea of Eastern Europe today, and whether we can still speak of "Eastern European art," organizers said.

"After the initial enthusiasm about the victory of liberalism over communism following the end of the Cold War in 1989, it became apparent that the ideal of liberal democracy, which the East had so enthusiastically embraced, has dissipated. In recent years, we have witnessed growing tensions in the region: the rise of new autocratic regimes, ongoing refugee crises, persistent nationalist tendencies in the Balkans, war in Ukraine, the unresolved 'Palestinian question,' and genocide in Gaza," organizers said.

"In this context, the question arises: Did the future look better yesterday than it does today? How can we draw on historical experiences, artistic strategies and alternative forms of knowledge rooted in Eastern European contexts? The artworks in the exhibition may provide some answers, serving as tools for understanding the present — without, seemingly, a clear future — and for finding a path toward different, more inclusive possibilities and a world of justice and solidarity."

Through Nov. 29, on display will be works by Marina Abramović, Maja Bajević, Joseph Beuys, Geta Brătescu, Violeta Chapovska, Chto Delat, Venko Cvetkov, Braco Dimitrijević, Vlasta Delimar, Orsolya Drozdik, Stano Filko, Alla Georgieva, Tomislav Gotovac, Ion Grigorescu, Group of Constructivists from Trieste (Avgust Černigoj, Eduard Stepančič, Giorgio Carmelich), Hristina Ivanoska, Gjorgje Jovanovikj, Alexander Kosolapov, Ivan Kožarić, Katarzyna Kozyra, Andreja Kulunčić, Vladimir Kuprijanov, Laibach, Kazimir Malevich, Goranka Matić, Alex Mlynárčik, Petre Nikoloski, Ahmet Ogut, OHO, OPA, Irena Paskali, Dushan Perchinkov, Géza Pernecky, Marko Pogacnik, Dmitry Prigov, Niho Pushija, Josef Robakowski, Driton Selmani, Nedko Solakov, Mladen Stilinović, Nebojša Šerić-Šoba, Raša Todosijević, Igor Toshevski, Endre Tót, Goran Trbuljak and Simon Uzunovski.

The exhibition consists of two interrelated segments: "Show Me Your Wounds (Regeneration)" and "New Reality as an Artefact of Transformation," organizers said.

The artworks in the "Show Me Your Wounds (Regeneration)" section show how artists have resisted and subverted ideological regimes through exploring the body, language and iconography.

"New Reality as an Artefact of Transformation" examines, according to organizers, documentation, memory and utopian speculation as methods of artistic engagement with both historical and possible futures.

"In a time increasingly marked by the erosion of democratic forms, ecological catastrophe and historical amnesia, the works presented here offer practices of remembering, resisting and imagining — gestures that may help us think the world otherwise," organizers said.

The Arteast 2000+ collection is the first museum collection focused on East European postwar avant-garde artistic practices within a broader international context. Since its inception in 2000, it has provided in-depth insight into the artistic production of the region, bringing to light the social and political challenges faced by artists in former socialist countries.

The Solidarity Collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art Skopje originated as a global response to a disaster — the earthquake that devastated the city in 1963. Responding to a call for artistic solidarity, artists from around the globe contributed their works, cocreating a collection based on international exchange, responsibility and dialogue.

The exhibition was curated by Bojana Piškur, Martina Vovk (MG+MSUM, Ljubljana) and Ivana Vaseva, Blagoja Varоshanec, Iva Dimovski and Vladimir Janchevski (MoCA-Skopje).

It was organized with financial support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as a project of national significance for 2025. mr/