Once upon a time… Reflections on the Links Between Art, Folklore and National Mythologies in the Early 20th Century Balkans

There is nothing obvious about the relationship between folklore and art, especially when national identity considerations corrupt and manipulate the artefacts’ possible meanings. At first sight, everything separates them: craftsman versus artist, series productions versus unique piece of art, anonymity versus singularity… And when national fairytales and mythologies become the main object of an artist’s inspiration and creation, where does the collective imaginary begin and where does it end? What is the part of a possible national expression? Is it so national after all? For whom? What about the artist’s quests? Brancusi’s Maiastra will be our starting point for a reflection on a rather flexible perception and reception of pieces of art inspired by folk tales et national mythologies.

Adriana Sotropa is Associate Professor in Art History at Université Bordeaux Montaigne. She works on artistic connections between France and Romania at the end of the 19^th century (La tentation du symbolisme dans l’art roumain. Promoteurs, formes, discours, PUR, 2017) and on European Symbolism. Her research also focus on the arts in the Balkans in the 20^th century and on the discourses and the role of translations in art history.

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Scientific Organization: Sara Vitacca