Utopia Matters: From Brotherhoods to Bauhaus (review)

Utopia Matters: From Brotherhoods to Bauhaus explores the evolution of utopian ideas in modern Western art, examining how artistic collectives from the early 19th century to 1933 shaped and were shaped by their intentional communities. The exhibition, curated by Vivien Greene, highlights movements like Les Primitifs, the Nazarenes, and Bauhaus, demonstrating their pursuit of aestheticized experience and artisanal traditions as a reaction to urban commercialism. It argues that these groups embodied the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, blending artistic practice with utopian ideals. While the selection focuses on canonical movements, it acknowledges gaps, such as the alignment of Futurists and Constructivists with totalitarian regimes. Modern projects like RMB City and Utopian Debris showcase the enduring relevance of utopian desire in contemporary art, contrasting virtual and physical realities.

Nicole Pohl. (2010). Utopia Matters: From Brotherhoods to Bauhaus (review). Utopian Studies, 21(2), 336–338. https://doi.org/10.1353/utp.2010.0008