Intellectual Kitsch as a Contemporary Pandemic: A Case Study of Milan Kundera’s Philosophy and More

On Tuesday, the 9th of November 2021, Dr. Olga Babenko, a lecturer in the English Language Department, presented a seminar on the topic “Intellectual Kitsch as a Contemporary Pandemic: A Case Study of Milan Kundera’s Philosophy and More.”

The first part of the presentation was dedicated to the lecture about the origin and use of “kitsch” in artistic and intellectual settings. The term “kitsch” was initially employed by Munich artists and art dealers in the 1860s and referred to as “cheap artistic stuff.”   

The lecture was followed by the group task for the attendees who worked in teams attempting to distinguish great artworks from kitsch, exchanged opinions, and argued about the value of the paintings by Salvador Dali, Edward Munch, and Pablo Picasso. At the end of the seminar, Dr. Olga Babenko was awarded the certificate of appreciation for her contribution to the CUE family.