NEWEAST is a network that aims to connect and expand the visibility of cultural institutions from post-socialist countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
On its digital platform NEWEAST features exhibition houses, project spaces and cultural institutions and mainly focuses on two aspects. On the one hand, the digital platform contains an interactive map of cultural locations that is linked to a newsfeed in which the members of the network can independently advertise events and grants. On the other hand, there is a blog in which NEWEAST continuously publishes interviews with artists and cultural actors on how they navigate their work in the post-socialist landscape.
The goal of the network is mutual exchange and an improvement in the global visibility of all its members. Individual demands, intentions and needs have to be consciously considered and attention has to be drawn to existing gaps, so that a solidary connection emerges. This can include the realization of collective projects such as touring exhibitions and a joint application for project funds.
The initiator of the NEWEAST network is the Kunstverein Ost – KVOST. It was founded in 2018 and is dedicated to the promotion of artists who come from Eastern Europe or whose life and work have been shaped by the experience of the former Eastern Bloc.