This volume presents the first comprehensive academic study of the history & development of performance art in the former communist countries of Central Eastern & South Eastern Europe since the 1960s Covering 21 countries & more than 250 artists this text demonstrates the manner in which performance art in the region developed concurrently with the genre in the West highlighting the unique contributions of Eastern European artists The discussions are based on primary source material-interviews with the artists themselves It offers a comparative study of the genre of performance art in countries & cities across the region examining the manner in which artists addressed issues such as the body gender politics & identity & institutional critique --