Dr Alexandra Chiriac Profile picture
Art & design historian. Former Lauder Fellow @MetMuseum. PhD @univofstandrews | 20thC East-Central Europe, peripheral modernisms, identity, performance.

Nov 30, 2022, 9 tweets

Interested in bold new approaches to #modernism? Want to write a review of my book on #Jewish #avantgarde #design and #performance in #EasternEurope for an academic journal? Let me know in comments or DM and I can arrange a review copy. Keep reading for some juicy titbits! (1/9)

The Introduction asks what we can do with ‘peripheral’ modernisms and how Jewish culture and international networks shaped the avant-garde in Romania and further afield (2/9)

Ch 1 introduces an artistic rivalry that unfolds from Berlin to Riga via Bucharest, pitting the #Bauhaus against the Schule Reimann in the race to create Bucharest’s first school of modern design (3/9)

Ch 2 examines the school’s pedagogic practices and its various workshops, from metalwork to textiles and graphic design (4/9)

Ch 3 shows how behind every ‘great’ man is the woman who does all the work: meet Mela Brun-Maxy, entrepreneur and decorator, and manager of Bucharest’s first design showroom (5/9)

The Intermission considers how design, modernism, and performance connect on the stage and in the shop window from Bucharest to Paris and Berlin (6/9)

Ch 4 reveals the Romanian productions of the world-famous #Yiddish theatre group the Vilna Troupe (in full technicolour) and uncovers a surprise American connection (7/9)

Ch 5 delves into 1930s Jewish performances that combine artistic experimentation and political activism (8/9)

In short, you are curious how art history, performance studies, and design history can come together, with an dash of avant-garde mystery and intrigue, you might enjoy my book. It is also available open access: doi.org/10.1515/978311… (9/9)

Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.

A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.

Keep scrolling