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JOANNAMYTKOWSKA
T
RashaSalti,
hepointofdepartureforthispublicationcameviatheresearch-cum-exhibitionprojectbyKristineKhouriand
PastDisquiet:NarrativesandGhostsfromtheInternationalArtExhibitionforPalestine,
1978
,whichaimedatrecreatingtheshape,history,andcomplexmeaningssurroundingthe
InternationalArt
ExhibitionforPalestine
.Thatexhibition,whichwasmountedinBeirutin1978,wasplannedasapolitical
gestureofsupportforafreePalestine,andintendedtolaunchafuturemuseumforafuturestate.Thiscase
allowsustoexamineourownPolishexperiencesofcreatingamuseumfromanotherperspective.The
establishmentofnewcanonsandalternativenarratives—momentsthatarenecessaryeveniftheyare
controversial—aswellasmethodsforarticulatingthem,isanobvioustouchstonefortheprocessofcreatingthe
MuseumofModernArtinWarsaw,whichremainsaworkinprogress.
WeweresurprisedatwhatachallengeitprovedtobetobuildthemuseuminWarsaw,regarded
bymanylocalstakeholdersasacontroversialattempttosolidifythemoderncanon,withitscosmopolitan
heritage,emancipatoryaspects,andcriticalpotential.Howtobuildanewcanoninthefaceofdominant
internationaltraditionsontheonehand,and(whichnowseemsthemuchmoredifficultissue)withinacircle
ofunstable,poorlyarticulated,orrepudiatedlocaltraditions?Andthisalwaysinthemidstofabattlebetween
conflictinginterests,politicaltensionstransposingcurrentaffairsintosymbolicfieldsandstrivingtoappropriate
historicalnarratives.
PastDisquiet
alsofallsinlinewithaseriesofstudiesofculturalandeconomicexchangebetween
PolandandEasternEuropewithcountriesintheSovietsphereofinfluenceduringtheColdWar.This
isasignificantaspectoftheresearchcommitmentofourmuseum,thatawaitsfurtherdevelopment.Thisgap
hasbeenpartlyfilledbyŁukaszStanek’sresearchintheproject
PostmodernismIsAlmostAllRight
,which
documentstheexchangeofarchitecturalandurban-planningideasandformsinthelateand1970sandearly
1980s.Animportantelementofthesestudieswasshowinghowideastravelinbothdirections:fromEastern
EuropetotheMiddleEastandviceversa;andthat,apartfromtheideologicalorpropagandisticaspects,
exchangeandfeedbackoftenoccurunintentionally,asismanifestinStanek’sstudyintheformalshape
ofcertainpostmodernistbuildingsinPoland.
IntakingupresearchontheforgottenheritageofColdWarculturalexchange,wehopednotonly
torestorerejectednarratives,anecessaryeffortforbuildingaholisticpictureofhistory;weexpectedaswell
toreviveatleastfragmentsorstrainsofalternativenarrativesabouttheshapeofinternationalexchangeand
interpersonalsolidarity.Thecurrentneedforadifferentpoliticalimagination,onethatisnotsohelplessinthe
faceofcontemporaryproblems—themigrationcrisisinparticular—makestheseissuesespeciallytimely.
AsDominikaBlachnicka-Ciacekwritesinhertextinthisvolume,areminderofhowdifferentlythecollective
imaginationoncefunctioned,whencomparedtocurrentimagesoflifein,andsolidaritywith,thesocieties
oftheMiddleEast,canbeinvigoratingandopenupacrackinthewallofcontemporaryxenophobia.
ButtheresearchbyPolishauthorsleavesnoillusionastothenatureoftheexchangeandcharacter
oftheinvolvementofartistsfromPolandinthe
InternationalArtExhibitionforPalestine
.Itwasparticipation
bereftofanytruecommitment,carriedoutundertheculturalpolicyofthestatewithinastrictlydefined
ideologicalframework,andtheworksoftheartistswereoftenchosenwithouttheirknowledge.Confrontation
withthisknowledge,preciseinformationabouttheoperationofideologyandthemarginleftforgrassroots
engagement,andthedevelopmentofdepictionsofoursharedheritageoftheColdWar,appeartobenecessary
andimportantprocessesontheroadtobuildinganewpoliticalimaginationwithoutdestructiveillusions.
JoannaMytkowskaisthedirectoroftheMuseumofModernArtinWarsaw.
