Ostalgia as a special artistic development in contemporary art

Abstract

The collapse of the Soviet Union is one of the most important socio-political events of the second half of the 20th century. After the collapse of the Soviet empire, a completely new phenomenon appeared in European society — the Ostalgia. Initially, the scope of the concept of “Ostalgia” was limited only to recent citizens of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), and its content included only the feelings and experiences of the Ossis: after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rapid reunification with the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) could not find their place in the new social realities. However, today the phenomenon of Ostalgia is widespread both on the territory of the entire European Union (EU) and beyond. It is increasingly being used to citizens of the Soviet Union, now emigrants from the former Soviet republics. The phenomenon of Ostalgia is studied by philosophers, sociologists, psychologists and art historians. On the international art scene, the rest of the motifs are presented through the use of Soviet symbols, details of military uniforms, and even through design elements of famous Soviet brands, including food or consumer goods. In other words, literally everything that reminds people of the “good old days” is used. The author of the article defines the rest as an emotional connection with the Soviet past, reflecting a certain sample of a person’s personal memory. The article is based on the author’s personal experience in creating other artistic works and analyzing various artistic techniques of contemporary art.