“The Garbage Dump”, “God's Piglet” and Other Documents of Hungarian Underground Art, 1960s-1990s

Abstract

This paper takes a look at the social context of the arts in Hungary between the 1956 revolution for independence and the end of Soviet dominance in 1989. The author’s purpose is to examine the alternative art scene that developed in defiance of repressive cultural policies through the lens of underground art periodicals, to trace the intricate interrelationship between politics, the culture of oppression the arts, and to show how short-lived, ephemeral publications played a crucial role in fostering a community of non-conformist neo-avantgarde artists. Selected periodicals covering a variety of subjects, including theory and criticism, experimental art, rock music and visual poetry, are analyzed.