The Bucharest seminar aims to focus on the notion of 1989 perceived as a revolution. The revolutionary status of 1989, which is usually denied by art historical narratives in favor of the notion of transition towards democracy (but often addressed by artists from the region), is nevertheless discussed in different aspects, mainly in
the context of the Bucharest events (leading to an execution of the presidential Ceausescu couple), the Prague Velvet Revolution, Singing Revolution in Baltic countries and the Orange Revolution in Kiev. The Bucharest meeting is build upon the contrast with the previous one in Sarajevo, offering the well- established narrative of 1989 as a revolution due to the abruptness of Bucharest events. It also offers a possibility to continue the discussion on the conflictual understandings of 1989 as war and/or revolution, regarding the strictly military tool of the revolutionary events – i.e. the trial and execution of the Ceaușescu couple. The second seminar will be structured around the notion of 1989 as a revolution both in the established sense and its potential new understandings. Thus the second seminar will be led by one of the project team members – Caterina Preda, who conducts a comparative research on East-Central European art and Latin America. The potentially revolutionary status of 1989 will be discussed first and foremost in the context of East-Central Europe, but also juxtaposed with the post- revolutionary experience of artists from Latin America in order to measure the relevancy of the post-communist context as well as Marxist background for discussing new possible definition of 1989 understood as revolutionary in terms of the clash of the abolished system with aggressive capitalism. Bucharest is chosen due to its historical significance and as location of MNAC (Museum of Contemporary Art), situated in the former People’s House in its section that had been designed for presidential couple. The venue will offer an interesting starting point for a discussion on the relationship between art and the site of its exhibition that was initiated by Ruxandra Balaci during the inaugural exhibition „Romanian artists (and not only) love Ceaucescu’s Palace?!” in 2004, but never fully developed. During the one-week seminar the group is going to visit Timișoara (important both for Romanian 1989 revolution and contemporary art) and Târgoviște (site of the trial and execution of Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu, that is going to enable the discussion on the visual tradition of Romanian revolution during Dragos Burlacu studio visit).