ABSTRACT
Košice modernism is a general term referring to art production and cultural life in the city of Košice (Kassa, Kaschau) in the 1920s, 1 an extraordinary period that provided the necessary conditions for the emergence of modern and avant-garde art in Slovakia and led Košice to become one of the central European centers of modern art. One of the biggest influences on this development was the fall of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, which led to Košice becoming a temporary home to mostly leftist artists who were forced to leave Hungary. The migration of artists introduced new artistic developments and generated a lively symbiosis of artistic ideas, resulting in an openminded, multinational, urban cultural environment. Thus, the conditions in 1920s for the emergence of modern art in Košice were extremely favorable; the city’s rich artistic heritage offered an excellent background for the development of new movements and artistic styles. The local tradition mixed well with the contributions of the newly arriving artists. Tolerance, freedom, and individual thinking brought about not only feverish artistic discussions, but also discourses on many social issues and subjects that were formerly taboo, e.g. sexual relations, conception, prostitution, etc.
