With the only officially sanctioned style of art for the USSR and satellites since the 1930s being that, like in the pictured mural from Dresden’s Kulturpalast Der Weg der Roten Fahne, of Soviet Realism—depicting idealised views of the state—all other movements of forms of expression were pushed underground. The unofficial showing which would become known as the titular event of non-conformist (see also), 
avant garde artists held on this day in 1974 in Moscow’s Bitsa Park was dispersed by a large police force that destroyed the paintings with earth-moving equipment and water cannons. The artists were arrested and visitors at the exhibit, including journalists and foreign diplomats, were attacked and fled. Extensive media coverage in the West of the incident embarrassed the government, who later relented and allowed, under controlled conditions, subsequent shows, regarded as an important turning point in freedom of expression. All the artworks were destroyed but a typical composition would have been like this abstract contribution from Lydia Masterkova, who left the Soviet Union for France after this event.
synchronoptica
one year ago: assorted links worth revisiting (with synchronoptica)
eight years ago: the Singularity and Point Omegรก, reimagining Star Wars, the sugar lobby, GOP caring about women’s health plus more on augmented reality
ten years ago: the CIA’s stay-behinds
eleven years ago: too big to fail plus brilliant posters for Star Trek: TOS episodes
twelve years ago: attacks on US diplomatic missions plus more on international banking reporting obligations
