The AICA Congress in Poland in 1960: “The International Character of Contemporary Art“. Ideological Discrepancies and Misunderstandings – a View from Bulgaria

Abstract

The article discusses the International Association of Art Critics congress held in 1960 in Poland and the modest Bulgarian participation through Mara Tsoncheva. The Congress theme The international character of contemporary art exposed complex relationships, various disputes and misunderstandings in connection with the concepts realism, humanism, international character and national tradition between representatives of the art scene east and west of the Iron Curtain, but also between socialist countries. The author reveals the differences in the official culture policy in Poland and Bulgaria manifested at the Congress, as well as the significance of the French-Polish art network with its indirect impact on artistic life in communist Bulgaria. The concluding thesis confirms that, although vaguely documented, the Bulgarian reactions to the 1960 AICA congress broaden the context for a deeper understanding of the contemporary Bulgarian dialogue with Western-European art.