From Micro-politics to Macro-politics: Performance Art in the Late Socialist Period in Latvia
From Micro-politics to Macro-politics: Performance Art in the Late Socialist Period in Latvia

Summary/Abstract: This article explores the intricate relationship between performance art, political dynamics, and societal transformation in late Socialist Latvia during the 1970s and 1980s. To unravel this complex narrative, we employ Bojana Kunst’s perspective on micropolitics, as elucidated in her 2016 essay, The Troubles with Temporality: Micropolitics of Performance. Our study examines the transformation of performative gestures from the 1970s to the 1980s in Latvia. In the 1970s, micropolitical gestures manifested as acts of resignation and emancipation from the controlled and politicised official art sphere. Performance art evolved as a ‘quasi-illegal’ discipline within a marginalised cultural environment. Early performance artists engaged in everyday performative acts that challenged societal norms, offering glimpses of resistance to hegemonic standards. In contrast, the 1980s witnessed a shift from micropolitical gestures to increasingly macro-political actions, permeating not only artistic circles but also society as a whole. This period, known as the National Awakening, marked the gradual disintegration of the Soviet empire and ushered in a more liberal and democratic cultural environment. Performance art became a potent instrument of political critique, exemplified by the transformation of Art Days from a Soviet propaganda festival to a platform for political performances in the urban public space. Ultimately, our research underscores the complex interplay between performance art, agency, and political transformation, shedding light on the role of cultural expressions in shaping the democratisation of Latvian society under the circumstances of a totalitarian regime.

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