Introduction: Imagery of blackness and colonial fantasies in Central and Eastern European modernism

The introduction addresses the broader context of the research topic, presents the state of the art and outlines the objectives and sources of the special issue. Its articles examine literary, artistic and scientific representations of race and the Other, analysing the way Central and Eastern European societies have adopted, adapted or subverted colonial ideas. As a whole, the volume offers interdisciplinary insights into how imagery of blackness and colonial fantasies shaped identities in Central and Eastern Europe, revealing the complexities of modernity, colonialism and racial constructs.