Identities of Irony and Crisis: of the New and Peculiar Processes of Re-balkanization of the Balkan
Identities of Irony and Crisis: of the New and Peculiar Processes of Re-balkanization of the Balkan

Author(s): Katerina Kolozova
Subject(s): Developing nations, Studies in violence and power, Sociology of Politics
Published by: Centar za ženske studije & Centar za studije roda i politike, Fakultet političkih nauka, Beograd
Summary/Abstract: IN THE FORM OF AN ASTUTE INTELLECTUAL AND/OR POLITICO-AESTHETIC CRITIQUE OF BITTER AND SPITEFUL HUMOR MOCKING THE EUROPEAN CIVILIZATORY PRETENTIOUSNESS, THE ALTERNATIVE ARTISTIC AND INTELLECTUAL SCENES (SPACES OF UN-SELF-CENSORED CRITIQUE) OF THE BALKANS MAKE A PROVOCATIVE TURN TOWARD THE PROMOTION AND AFFIRMATION OF “THEIR BALKAN (SUB)CULTURE/S.” THIS TURN IS A SORT OF A TURN-“BACK” OCCURRING IN SPACES THAT IN THE LATE 80S WERE (AND, IN FACT, STILL ARE) NORMALLY OCCUPIED BY THE VANGUARDS OF THE MOST RECENT IDEAS OF THE “DECADENT WEST”: ALTERNATIVE RADIO-STATIONS, MAGAZINES, GALLERIES. IT IS HOWEVER NOT THE ORIGIN OR THE ESSENCE OF “BEING BALKAN” THAT THE NEW-AND-SUBVERSIVE-BALKAN IDENTITY STRIVES TO REPRESENT, BUT RATHER – AS A RESULT OF THE SUBJECT’S DECENTREDNESS - IT IS ONE OF THE MANY IDENTITIES (OR FORMS OF SUBJECTION) OF A PERSON (SOMETIMES IN OBVIOUS CONTRADICTION WITH THE REST OF THEM; OR IN AN INSPIRING AMBIVALENCE). THE NEW BALKAN IDENTITY IS PROVISORY: IT IS AN IDENTITY WHICH DOES NOT AIM TO INSTALL AND STABILIZE ITSELF AS FIXED AND UNCHANGING. ON THE CONTRARY, IT IS AN IDENTITY OF PASSAGE (OF CRISIS: BRINGING FORTH BOTH CRITICALITY AND TRANSFORMATION), A GESTURE OF CARNIVALESQUE IRONY (MOST OFTEN, THROUGH THE WORK OF TALENTED AND ORIGINAL ARTISTS) – PURE PERFORMANCE (OF AN IDENTITY) AS A FORM OF CRITIQUE (AND ALSO SELF-CRITIQUE). IN ITS VERY INITIATION, PRECISELY BY VIRTUE OF BEING AN ACT AND SITUATEDNESS OF CRITIQUE (OR: OF UNFIXED AND CHANGING AUTONOMY), THIS IDENTITY HAS BEEN CONCEIVED AS UNSTABLE, IRRESPONSIBLE TOWARDS HISTORY AND DEPRIVED OF GREAT NARRATIVES. ONE COULD CONCLUDE THAT IT IS PRECISELY THESE “POSTMODERN” CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW-AND-SUBVERSIVE BALKAN IDENTITY – AMONG WHICH ARE ITS PERFORMATIVITY (AND ALSO “PERFORMANCE”), INSTABILITY, AMBIVALENCE, ETC. – THAT HAVE PRODUCED THE “MECHANISMS AND THE DYNAMICS” OF THE CONTINUOUS CRITIQUE OF THE OVERLY STABLE NATIONAL SUBJECTS IN THE YEARS OF WAR AND PEACE IN POST-YUGOSLAVIA.

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