This volume offers a comprehensive perspective on the relationship between the art scene and

agencies of the state in countries of the region, throughout four consecutive yet highly diverse

historical periods: from the period of state integration after World War I, through the

communist era post 1945 and the time of political transformation after 1989, to the present-

day globalization (including counter-reactions to westernization and cultural

homogenization).

With twenty-four theoretically and/or empirically-oriented articles by authors from sixteen

countries (East Central Europe and beyond, including the United States and Australia), the

book discusses interconnections between state policies and artistic institutions, trends and the

art market from diverse research perspectives. The contributors explore subjects such as the

impact of war on the formation of national identities, the role of artists in image-building for

the new national states emerging after 1918, the impact of political systems on artists'

attitudes, the discourses of art history, museum studies, monument conservation and

exhibition practices.

The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, cultural politics, cultural

history, and East Central European studies and history.