Embracing Modernism: British–Yugoslav Art Exchanges in the 1950s and Early 1960s

This article examines art exchanges between Yugoslavia and Britain in the 1950s and early 1960s through three case studies: Henry Moore's exhibition in Yugoslavia in 1955, Exhibition of Modern Yugoslav Art Painting in 1956 and Contemporary Yugoslav Paintings and Sculpture in 1961. It highlights how art exhibitions played a significant role in the Cold War cultural diplomacy. Focusing primarily on the Yugoslav perspective, it explores how the country sought to use artistic exchanges to build its image and showcase its socialist modernity. These efforts were in line with shifts in both foreign and domestic policy following the Yugoslav–Soviet Split in 1948. This article argues that Yugoslavia used these artistic exchanges to present itself as a modern, open and progressive socialist state independent from both the East and the West. Nevertheless, such initiatives did not always achieve their intended goals, revealing a gap between the perceptions and expectations of critics, general audiences and the cultural policymakers.