Abstract
Art in countries of the former Eastern Bloc was created under specific economic and ideological conditions, and these shaped it more than awareness about the pioneering achievements of Western art. The oeuvre of Czech sculptor Olbram Zoubek (1926–2017) provides several case studies to demonstrate that art in socialist Czechoslovakia was far broader than an official-unofficial dichotomy, creating a richly structured, dynamic cultural space. Political repression, together with the independent artist’s activities and specific talents, led Zoubek to the world of entrepreneurialism even as the communist state structure consolidated power. He retained his artistic autonomy and did not compromise himself by pandering to the regime; at the same time, as a sculptor he did not abandon the realm of public art. Olbram Zoubek’s story is not just about the impact cultural politics has had on him, but about the comprehensive transformation of the relationship between art and society during his lifetime.
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