COURAGE

connecting collections

Given the severe constraints that the political authorities imposed on the activity of architects in the communist period, for Gheorghe Leahu watercolours became a form of escape. According to his testimony, Leahu was attracted by “architectural watercolour” painting because this activity allowed him to choose both the topics and his approach to them, thus offering him a creative freedom which was not possible in his professional activity. Being passionate about the architectural heritage of Bucharest, he chose to paint mainly picturesque landscapes in the old centre of the Romanian capital, and in other cities in Romania as well. He believed that painting “architectural watercolours” was also a way of leaving behind a testimony to the urban heritage which was in danger during those years. Because of Ceauşescu’s megalomaniac ambitions of reshaping the Romanian capital according to his vision of what a socialist city should look like, entire areas of the city were demolished during the 1980s.
Several of Leahu’s watercolours depict the Văcăreşti Monastery, one of the most important historic monuments in Bucharest, demolished in 1986. One of these watercolours, painted in 1976, is entitled “The Văcăreşti Monastery before the Storm.” The painting presents a panoramic view of the monastery complex built at the beginning of the eighteenth century. The title given by the painter to this watercolour contains an unintentional allusion to the monument’s tragic destiny. As head of the Bucharest Project Institute, a state company in charge of architectural projects in the Romanian capital, Leahu was appointed in 1984 to coordinate a team of architects in designing the new Bucharest court of law, which Ceauşescu wanted to build on the site of the Văcăreşti Monastery. Together with his team, he supplied the authority with twelve different plans for the future building which preserved most of the monastery complex. Their efforts were unsuccessful because in 1986 the authorities decided to demolish the entire monument. Thus, the watercolour became a source of information about one of the most valuable historical monuments destroyed by the urban policies of Ceauşescu’s regime. It was reproduced in some of the architect’s albums and books. One of these books, published in 1997, was dedicated to the demolition of the monument: Distrugerea Mănăstirii Văcăreşti (The Destruction of the Văcăreşti Monastery).

 

Performing in the space of Filliou’s reconstructed Poipoidrom, Jean-Jacques Lebel (one of the first European happeningers), informs the audience of the installations history to music performed by a live Roma band. (Many foreign curators and art collectors were present in the audience, as they were enjoying a short visit to Budapest). Lebel pointed to the freedom of art and the ineffectiveness of museums (the installation was kept in storage in a museum between 1976 and 1998 without being displayed on a single occasion). Lebel drew attention to the ability of the Galántai-Klaniczay partnership “to make things happen,” and he also expressed his deep appreciation of the underground era of Artpool.

As an engaged feminist Lydia Sklevicky held public presentations in the Yugoslav centres of the new feminist movement, Belgrade, Zagreb and Ljubljana, in which she advocated for the greater presence of the "women’s question" in public and scholarly circles, constantly emphasizing that this question  had not been resolved within the Marxist and socialist political order in Yugoslavia.

One of the lectures Sklevicky held was on the topic of "Emancipated Integration or Integrated Emancipation" in the ŠKUC Gallery (Old Square 21) in Ljubljana on Saturday, May 17, 1986. The lecture was organized by the first Slovenian feminist club, Lilit,  and the poster for it stated that the lecture was intended strictly for women. The poster is kept in the Sklevicky Feminist Collection.

Jiří Lederer's personal memos are from the meetings, consultations and sessions, especially from the Union of Czech Journalists from 18 April 1969 to 22 August1969. The book ends with notes from the events of the 1st anniversary of the occupation of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact troops.

These notes capture the thoughts and encounters with various people during these dramatic days, as well as the feelings of Jiří Lederer, a prominent journalist, dissident and eventually an exile.

In the notebook remarks on Husak, Svoboda and Cernik, as well as known Czech writer Seifert, can be found in addition to short notes on the "silent demonstration" on Wenceslas Square on August 21. These notes serve as a unique example of journalist scriptures from the dramatic August events of 1968.