The Aesthetics of the 90s

The third issue of Contemporary Lynx deals with the aesthetics of Eastern Europe during the 90s and so provides us with an exciting opportunity to analyse the relations of art, pop culture and the everyday life of that decade in connection to the things happening here and now.

Contemporary Lynx aims to map and highlight innovative Polish work in contemporary art and this issue is no different. You will find it full of powerful themes of exploration and identity; asking challenging questions like why are we so keen to relate to that specific period of transformation twenty five years ago (an interview with artist Marzena Nowak, the articles: Back to the 90s, Head, Body, Art, and Recent Past Revisited); why contemporary artists are so fond of the aesthetics of Eastern and Central Europe in the 90s (Marinella Paderni, the article On the Absurd, Architecture, Living Rooms, and a Soviet Symbol); and a discussion of what, exactly, is Eurasia (an interview with Slavs & Tatars).

We have rounded this nostalgic journey in time and space up by the following pieces — one on the artists experimenting with techno and disco music that used to dominate illegal rave parties (Sound Lab); an article showcasing photography by Agnieszka Rayss exposing the condition of post-communist countries; an examination of the success of Silesian design (BlockLove), and an exploration of the worldwide phenomenon of the Polish School of Poster.

The other sections, interviews and articles are devoted to given issues and artistic journeys (Katowice, Wrocław) and are complemented by stunning visuals made exclusively for us — portraits by Michał Korta, collages by Mateusz Szczypiński and (last but not least) a bold and impressive cover designed by Maurycy Gomulicki.

The third issue of the magazine has, thus, taken on the form of a curator’s space-exhibition entitled Back to the 90s. So, follow us into this fantastic and thought-provoking world that we have created especially for you in the following pages. We guarantee that it will lead you on an unforgettable journey of nostalgia and new discoveries.