Ethnic pornography in the Balkans: national identity between sex and violence

Examining four cases from the cultural production tied to the former Yugoslavia and its cultural legacies, this article introduces the notion of ethnopornography, a practice of laying bare the trappings of violence and sexuality in a post-imperial context. Moving across historical periods, the article analyzes the uses and abuses of the human body in The Bridge on the Drina by the Nobel laureate Ivo Andri & cacute;, the popular oral epic "Marko Kraljevi & cacute; and D & zcaron;emo Br & dstrok;anin," Croatian war songs, and "Balkan Erotic Epic," a performance art piece by Marina Abramovi & cacute;. Working through the theories of Sigmund Freud and Michel Foucault, it sheds new light on the political unconscious of the South Slavic region. The article presents the sadomasochist dynamic inherent in cultures and societies that have been marginalized owing to centuries of foreign imperial domination. & Agrave; travers l'& eacute;tude de quatre productions culturelles li & eacute;es & agrave; l'ex-Yougoslavie et & agrave; ses h & eacute;ritages culturels, cet article introduit la notion d'ethnopornographie, une pratique consistant & agrave; d & eacute;voiler les pi & egrave;ges de la violence et de la sexualit & eacute; dans un contexte post-imp & eacute;rial. L'article parcourt diverses p & eacute;riodes historiques afin d'analyser les usages et les abus du corps humain dans Le pont sur la Drina du laur & eacute;at du prix Nobel Ivo Andri & cacute;, l'& eacute;pop & eacute;e orale populaire << Marko Kraljevi & cacute; et D & zcaron;emo Br & dstrok;anin >>, les chants de guerre croates et la performance artistique << Balkan Erotic Epic >> de Marina Abramovi & cacute;. Les th & eacute;ories de Sigmund Freud et de Michel Foucault sont mises & agrave; contribution pour apporter un nouvel & eacute;clairage sur l'inconscient politique de la r & eacute;gion slave du Sud. L'article pr & eacute;sente la dynamique sadomasochiste inh & eacute;rente aux cultures et aux soci & eacute;t & eacute;s qui ont & eacute;t & eacute; marginalis & eacute;es en raison de si & egrave;cles de domination imp & eacute;riale & eacute;trang & egrave;re.