Over the Wall/After the Fall: Post-Communist Cultures through an East-West Gaze

"... a hot subject in today’s scholarship... and a groundbreaking project of vital significance to the field of cultural studies at both ‘western’ and ‘eastern’ geographical locations." —Elwira GrossmanOver the Wall/After the Fall maps a new discourse on the evolution of cultural life in Eastern Europe following the end of communism. Departing from traditional binary views of East/West, the contributors to this volume consider the countries and the peoples of the region on their own terms. Drawing on insights from cultural studies, gender theory, and postcolonial studies, this lively collection addresses gender issues and sexual politics, consumerism, high and popular culture, architecture, media, art, and theater. Among the themes of the essays are the Western pop success of Bulgarian folk choirs, the Czechs’ reception of Frank Gehry’s unconventional building in the center of Prague, bohemians in Lviv, and cryptographic art installations from Bratislava.