Klara Kemp-Welch is a scholar of modern and contemporary art with a specialism in Eastern European art and international relations. 聽She was educated at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies and University College London. Having focused on cultural dissidence of the 1960s and 1970s for the first part of her career, she moved on to work on transnational and transregional methodologies in pan-European Modernism and networking Eastern Europe and Latin America. Most recently, she has turned her attention to contemporary art, focusing on documentary and video-based practices and questions of labour migration, minority experiences, human rights and border politics. She is currently completing a monograph entitled Free Movement? Migration and Mobility in Eastern Europe through the Lens of Contemporary Art.
She is the author of two monographs. offered the first networked survey of the experimental zeitgeist in Eastern European art, examined through personal encounters and collaborative exchanges, using archival material gathered in twelve countries to counter Cold War narratives of Eastern-bloc isolation. The Art Journal reviewer described it as a 鈥榗ompaniable guide through the complex transnational art worlds of Eastern Europe鈥 which 鈥榖rilliantly investigates local primary materials within an international artworld setting鈥. A reviewer of her earlier monograph, wrote that 鈥楰emp-Welch鈥檚 contributions as a scholar who persistently engages the complex intersections of art and politics in the former East鈥 will鈥 spark productive debates while setting a high bar for anyone who wants to weave together theoretical insights, sociopolitical contexts, transnational geographies, and wide-ranging erudition in and beyond the visual arts鈥.
She is co-editor of A Reader in East-Central-European Modernism, 1918-1956 (Courtauld Books Online, 2019) comprising 27 essays, the first survey of secondary literature on East-Central European art, and of a special issue of which pioneered cross-regional research in these two previously under-researched fields. Her work has contributed to establishing 91影视 Institute as a centre for the study of East-European art, Latin American art, and Cold War art, integrating East and West-European perspectives, redressing Cold War-era historical biases in the discipline and foregrounding transnational approaches. She promotes methodological innovation and curricular diversity, emphasising art history鈥檚 entanglements with global affairs and social justice, reinvigorating the Institute鈥檚 long-standing engagement with the social history of art.
Klara welcomes applications from prospective research students interested in working on modern and contemporary art from Eastern Europe.
Current PhD Supervision
Hannah Healey, Artists for Democracy 1974-1977: International Solidarity in Britain (2022–)
Smaranda Ciubotaru,听Threads of Subversion in Romanian Textile Art of the Ceau葯escu Era 1965-1989 (2023–)
Rada Georgieva, ‘Parallel Cultures’: Mail Art Magazines and Samizdat Editions from Eastern Europe and Latin America 1970-95 (2023–)
Anna Buriak, Art in Conflict: Contemporary Ukrainian Artists’ Responses to the Russo-Ukrainian War (co-supervision with Maria Mileeva 2026–)
Past PhD Supervision
Alice David, Cultures of Resistance: Graphic Art and the Avant-Garde in 1970s鈥 Latin America (2024)
Ana-Gabriela Rodriguez, Puerto Rican Graphic Arts and the Cold War: Bridging Workshops and Crossing Borders, 1950- 1970, (2024)
Katia Denysova, Fragmented Identities: Between Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism in Ukraine’s Early 20th Century Art, (2024)
Anya Smirnova, Net Art East: Postsocialist Artists and New Media 1989- 1999, (2024)
Wiktor Komorowski, The Reversed Power of the Image: Exhibitions of Graphic Art in Eastern Europe during the Cold War (2023)
Chelsea Pierce, The Gorgona Paradigm: Private Art Practice in Socialist Yugoslavia (2022)
Sofia Gurevich,听The Form and Content of the early Soviet Book: A study through the country鈥檚 publishing industry institutions of the 1920s and 1930s聽(2020)
Svitlana Biedarieva,听Challenging the Urban Legacies of the Olympics: Mexico City聽1968-1994聽and Moscow聽1980-1991 (2019)
Claudia Zini,听Bosnia and Herzegovina: Contemporary Art from a Post-Conflict Society聽(2019)
Malgorzata Misniakiewicz,听(Art) Solidarity 鈥 An International Project: Polish Mail Art Exchanges with Eastern Europe听(2018)
Julia Maria Secklehner,听鈥淐zechs鈥 vs. 鈥淎ustrians鈥 National Identity in Caricature聽1918-193听(2018)
Marko Ilic,听For a 鈥楽elf-Managing鈥 Art: The 鈥楴ew Art鈥 Seen through Yugoslavia鈥檚 Student Cultural Centres聽(2016)
Research interests
Klara Kemp-Welch鈥檚 current research is on representations of migration, mobility and war in contemporary documentary and participatory art. She also writes on international relations and experimental art of the 1960s-80s. In both cases her focus is repositioning Central and Eastern European art and life within the global field.
Publications
Authored Books
(Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London, England: MIT Press, 2019), 480pp.
(New York and London: I.B. Tauris / Bloomsbury, 2014 hardcover; 2017 paperback), 325pp.
Edited Book
Beata Hock, Klara Kemp-Welch and Jonathan Owen, A Reader in East-Central-European Modernism 1918-1956 (London: Courtauld Books Online, 2019), 436pp.
Edited Special Issue
Cristina Freire and Klara Kemp-Welch (eds), ARTMargins 2 (June-October 2012), 220pp.
Peer-reviewed articles and chapters in academic journals and edited volumes
Art History, Vol 45, Issue 5, special issue Vivian Li (ed.) Red Networks: Post-War Art Exchange (Nov. 2022), 1126-1147.
Thinking Art 2. Materialisms, labours, forms, Peter Osborne (ed.), CRMEP, 2020.
Third Text vol. 34 (July 2020).
Art History & Criticism 3, 2007, 136-144 [Reprinted as 鈥楨ndre Tot鈥檚 Joys and Zeros鈥, Arta 20-21 (2016)].
Object: Graduate Research and Reviews in the History of Art and Visual Culture 8 (2005/2006), 45-65.
Non-refereed articles and chapters in academic journals and edited volumes
‘Suzanne Perlman and the Language of Expressionism’ in Suzanne Perlman (Milan: Skira, 2026).
‘Alexander Archipenko’s Objects of Desire and the Politics of the Void’ in Archipenko. Les ann茅es am茅ricaines (Paris: Galerie Le Minotaure, 2025).
‘Black Rain: Kate艡ina Vincourov谩鈥檚 Reparative Interventions’ in Julia Bailey (ed), Kate艡ina Vincourov谩: Skin Care, exh. cat. forthcoming (Prague: Galerie Rudolfinum, 2025).
‘Into the Vortex: Edita Schubert鈥檚 Anxious Visions of the early 1980s’ in David Crowley (ed.), Edita Schubert (Zernez: Muzeum Susch; Berlin and Stuttgart: Hatje Cantz, 2025).
in Agata Jakubowska and Minoka Zsikla (eds), Ilona Keseru: Flow, (Susch: Muzeum Susch, 2024), 61-72.
in David Feher (ed),听G谩bor Attalai,听exh. cat. (Veszprem: House of Arts Veszprem, 2024), 116-128.
at the 1971 Paris Biennial, in Elitza Dulguerova (ed.), La Biennale internataionale des jeunes artistes. Paris (1959-1985), Paris: editions de l鈥橧NHA / Dijon, Les Presses du reel), 2023.
鈥楶ainting Blindly: Gili Mocanu and the Circus of Appearance鈥 in Dan Popescu (ed.), GM. (Bucharest: H鈥檃rt: Editura Velant, 2021).
in Jakub Gawkowski (ed.) Die Sonne nie swieci tak jak slonce, exh. cat. (Szczecin: Trafostacja Sztuki, 2021).
in Raphael Gross mit Lars Bang Larsen, Dorlis Blume, Alexia Pooth et al. (eds), documenta. Politik und Kunst, exh. cat. (Berlin: Deutsches Historisches Museum, 2021), pp. 208-216.
e-flux 鈾 98 (March 2019).
, in Juliet Bingham (ed.), Dora Maurer, exh. cat. (London: Tate, 2019), 10-15.
in Roxana Marcoci, Ana Janevski and Ksenya Nouril (eds), Art and Theory of Post-1989 Central and Eastern Europe: A Critical Anthology (New York: MoMA, 2018), 19-21.
in Edit Sasvari (ed.), Art in Hungary 1956-1980. Doublespeak and Beyond (London: Thames and Hudson, 2018), 273-291.
in Galeria Foksal 1966-2016 (Warsaw: Galeria Foskal, 2016), 68-80.
MoMA Post, 2015.
in Alina Serban (ed.), Ion Grigorescu. The Man with a Single Camera (Berlin and New York: Sternberg Press, 2013), 158-184. (Translated into Romanian and reprinted in Arta 14-15, 2016, 52-58).
in Jordan McKenzie, exh. cat. (London: Arts Council of England; York: Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2014).
in Bozena Czubak (ed.), NET. The Art of Dialogue / NET. Sztuka Dialogu (Warsaw: Fundacja Profil, 2013), 46-56.
in Lukasz Ronduda and Georg Schollhammer (eds), KwieKulik (Vienna: JPR Ringier, March 2013), 515-517.
in Katarzyna Murawska-Muthesius (ed.) An Impossible Journey: The Art and Theatre of Tadeusz Kantor (London: Black Dog Publishers, 2011), 140-147.
in Gabriela Switek (ed.), Avant-garde in the Bloc (Warsaw: Fundacja Galerii Foksal; Vienna, JPR Ringier, 2010), 294-317.
in Margaret Iversen, (ed.), Chance. Documents of Contemporary Art Series (London: Whitechapel Gallery; Cambridge Mass. and London: MIT Press, 2010), 147-149.
in Mel Jordon and Malcolm Miles (eds), Art Theory and Post-Socialism (Bristol UK and Portland USA: Intellect Books, 2008), 21-31.
in Stefan Constantinescu. An Infinite Blue, exh. cat. (London: GALERIE8, 2011), 43-56.
in Jerzy Bere艣: Sztuka zgina 偶ycie / Art Bends Life, exh. cat. (Krak贸w: Bunkier Sztuki, 2007), 23-31; 35-53
in Jerzy Bere艣: Sztuka zgina 偶ycie / Art Bends Life, exh. cat. (Krak贸w: Bunkier Sztuki, 2007), 35-53
Short works
Critique d鈥檃rt, 60聽|聽2023, 115-127.
鈥楪茅za Perneczky鈥檚 聽鈥淐oncepts like Commentary鈥 (1971)鈥, in Barbora Ropkova (ed.), The Kunsthalle Praha Collection. 50 Highlights (Prague: Kunsthalle Praha), 2023.
in Ilona Keseru (London: Stephen Friendman Gallery, 2022).
鈥楽tudio Visit鈥 in Igor Bloch (ed.), Beachgoers (Warsaw: Drukarnia Akapit, 2018).
ArtReview (May 2017).
鈥楰wieKulik鈥檚 Monument without a Passport (1978)鈥 in Critique and Crisis. European Cultural Discourses since 1945. XXX Council of Europe Exhibition, electronic exh. cat. (Berlin: Deutsches Historisches Museum, 2012).
鈥楽.O.S. Socialist Occupation of the Subject鈥, in Lukasz Ronduda, Alex Farquharson, and Barbara Piwowarska (eds), Star City. The Future under Communism (Warsaw: MAMMAL Foundation; Nottingham Contemporary; transit.at, 2011), 70-80.
Ludlow 38 broadsheet, New York: Goethe Institute, November 2009 (also published as 鈥楶aradoxial Dissidence鈥 in Tobi Maier (ed.), J煤lius Koller & Ji艡铆 Kovanda (New York: Ludlow 38, 2009).
Review Articles
,听ArtMargins online (June 2024).
Art Journal 35. 2. 2012, 298-301.
Artmargins online (February 2010).
Third Text, Vol. 23, Issue 6 (November 2009).
Object: Graduate Research and Reviews in the History of Art and Visual Culture, no. 10, London: University College London, 2008.
Reviews of Single Academic Books
note de lecture, Critique d鈥橝rt聽(December 2024).
note de lecture, Critique d鈥橝rt聽(November 2022).
note de lecture, Critique d鈥橝rt聽(June 2022).
note de lecture, Critique d鈥橝rt聽(June 2022).
review, Critique d鈥橝rt聽(June 2021).
review, Critique d鈥橝rt (November 2019).
鈥楾oma拧 Pospiszyl, An Associative Art History. Comparative Studies of Neo-Avant Gardes in a Bipolar World (Prague, JRP Ringier; Les Presses du Reel, 2017)鈥, review, UM臍N脥 ART (6 LXVII 2019), 600-603.
review, Art Review Asia (April 2018)
鈥楶avl铆na Morganov谩, Czech Action Art: Happenings, Actions, Events, Land Art, Body Art and Performance Art Behind the Iron Curtain (Prague: Karolinum Press, Charles University, 2014)鈥, review, UM臍N脥 ART (5 LXII, 2015), 417-420.
review, ArtMargins (April 2016).
review, Artmargins (January 2011).
Exhibition Reviews
The Burlington Magazine, CLVII (Sept 2015), 644-646.
鈥54th Venice Biennale, various venues, Venice鈥, Art Monthly #348 (July-August 2011).
鈥Hito Steyerl. In Free Fall. Chisenhale Gallery, 尝辞苍诲辞苍鈥, Art Monthly #342 (Dec. 2010- Jan. 2011).
Enclave 2 (November 2010).
鈥Touched. Liverpool Biennial. International Festival of Contemporary Art, Liverpool鈥, Art Monthly #341 (Nov. 2010).
鈥History of Art, The. Curators鈥 Series #3. Mihnea Mircan, David Roberts Art Foundation, 尝辞苍诲辞苍鈥, Art Monthly #337 (June 2010).
鈥楢ngela de la Cruz: After / Anna Maria Maiolino: Continuous. Camden Arts Centre, 尝辞苍诲辞苍鈥, Art Monthly #336 (May 2010).
鈥Journeys with No Return. A Foundation, 尝辞苍诲辞苍鈥, Art Monthly #335 (April 2010).
鈥KwieKulik. Form is a Fact of Society. Galeria Awangarda, BWA Wroclaw鈥, Art Monthly #334 (March 2010).
OBJECT 10 (2007)
