tranzit.hu/

Over the past one and a half year, the topic of care has become a central theme not only in social theory, but also in art discourse. Global health, political and economic crises have also brought about a crisis of (public) care. The pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis have made (even) more manifest the declining role of the state. As the functions of the “caring state” are disintegrating, the individualistic notion of self-care becomes more valuable, and crisis management ultimately becomes an individual responsibility. In response, cultural institutions are looking for alternatives to multiple crises in sustainable new models of the commons and community, collective involvement, and solidarity, although, theoretical discourse often risks the schematic internalization of such concepts. Who Cares? focusing on Hungary, Central and Eastern Europe, delivers the above issues through bottom-up examples that put the ideal of collectivity into practice. Case studies, interviews, and essays link fragments, seemingly distant areas, while discussing the local possibilities, dilemmas, methods, and critiques of cultural and activist, self-organizing communities in collective care.