Filtering by Tag: exhibition

A new publication featuring Alex Mirutziu's 2023 commission has been released

Added on by Alex Mirutziu.

The exhibition Lost in the Moment that Follows, held at Kunsthalle Prague from June 9 to September 10, 2023, presents a remarkable selection from the Ovidiu Șandor Collection, offering insight into the evolution of Romanian contemporary art. As part of the Ways of Collecting series, the exhibition highlights the role of private collectors in shaping cultural narratives and preserving artistic heritage.

Curated by Tevž Logar, the exhibition follows a chronological structure, encompassing avant-garde, neo-avant-garde, and post-1989 artistic movements, fostering a dialogue between past and present. The collection’s ability to challenge fixed historical narratives and support new artistic production positions it as an essential force within the broader artistic system.

Insight:

For Christelle Havranek, Artistic Director of Kunsthalle Prague, collecting is an integral part of the art world, operating alongside artistic creation and curation. She situates Lost in the Moment that Follows within the larger context of Eastern European art, emphasizing how it challenges dominant Western narratives.

Renowned curator and former director of the Centre Pompidou’s National Museum of Modern Art, Bernard Blistène, reflects on the deep intellectual and emotional connection between collectors and their collections. Drawing on Walter Benjamin’s insights, he sees the Ovidiu Șandor Collection as an active dialogue between history, geography, and artistic expression, bridging past and present.

Art historian and critic Daria Ghiu approaches the collection as a form of cultural archaeology, unveiling hidden layers of Romanian art history. She highlights its fluid, evolving nature, positioning it as both a private and public entity—one that invites engagement and fosters a shared gaze among artists, artworks, and viewers.

Together, these perspectives reveal how Lost in the Moment that Follows is more than an exhibition; it is a dynamic exploration of collecting as an intellectual pursuit, a means of preserving cultural memory, and a catalyst for ongoing artistic dialogue.

Alex Mirutziu in Concrete Love, a showcase of the Cicirean and Rus collections at Mobius Gallery & The Institute

Added on by Alex Mirutziu.

This year, on Valentine's Day, LOVE becomes CONCRETE in Piața Amzei through a first-time presentation of two private collections, Cicirean and Rus.

Featuring 25 artists from 6 countries, with works spanning from 1948 to 2024, the exhibition engages with ideas of love, warmth, attentiveness, and compassion, intertwining to shape an existence suspended between one another, rooted in the deeply personal act of collecting.

Encompassing over 15 years of collecting and surpassing any physical or temporal barriers, CONCRETE LOVE examines two of the most well-known collections in Romania through a profoundly intimate act of selection as a collector. It explores the different manifestations of love that, over the years, have become intertwined within the two collections.

The act of collecting, originating from a personal space, translates through CONCRETE LOVE, as an invitation to explore this intimate space. It creates an environment of vulnerability, encouraging dialogue and celebrating love in its multifaceted complexity.

Avi Cicirean’s lifelong love for art was nurtured from an early age, shaped by his artistic surroundings, including his grandfather's paintings and sculptures. Over the past 14 years, Avi's approach has evolved into a profound exploration of art as a means of personal expression and identity. His collection is an ongoing journey fueled by passion, featuring works from some of the most well-known Romanian artists.

Alexandru Rus collects modern and contemporary art, naturally with a focus on Romania but also covering the broader Central and Eastern Europe region. Surrealism and Neo-Avangarde are the core pillars of the collection, exploring themes related to the subconscious, magic, erotism. The collection’s focus spans across all production media and has been built over more than 10 years. 

Concrete Love: Cicirean and Rus Collections

February 14 - March 1, 2025

Venue: Mobius Gallery & The Institute at #13 Piața Amzei, Bucharest

Selected artists from the Cicirean collection: Horia Damian, Szilard Gaspar, Ion Grigorescu, Alex Mirutziu, Giuliano Nardin, Radu Pandele, Roman Tolici, Ecaterina Vrana

Selected artists from the Rus collection: Imre Baász, Dragoș Bădiţă, Zoltán Béla, Carmen Calvo, Matei Lăzărescu, László Méhes, Maï, Yehuda Neiman, Nicolae Ovejan, Radu Pandele, Corina Păcurar, Jules Perahim, Gheorghe Rasovszky, Eugen Roșca, Roberto Álvarez Ríos, Ioana Stanca, Sabina Suru, Roman Tolici, Magda (Vitalyos) Ziman

Echoes of Romania: Art, Struggle, and Triumph from the Ovidiu Şandor Collection in Kraków

Added on by Alex Mirutziu.

One Eye Laughing, the Other Crying. Art From Romania. Ovidiu Șandor Collection

March 08 - July 20, 2025

International Cultural Centre in Kraków

Artists:

Andreea Anghel, George Apostu, Han Arp, Ion Bârlădeanu, Ioana Batranu, Marius Bercea, Horia Bernea, Ştefan Bertalan, Constantin Brâncuşi, Brassaї, Geta Brâtescu, Theodor Brauner, Victor Brauner, Andre Cădere, Mircea Cantor, Eva Cerbu, Andrei Chintilă, Lena Constante-Brauner, Roman Cotoşman, Chiril Cucu, Horia Damian, Max Ernst, Harun Farocki, David Farcaș, Constantin Flondor, Adrian Ghenie, Marin Gherasim, Luca Gherasim, Bogdan Gîrbovan, Yvan Goll, Vasile Gorduz, Ion Grigorescu, Jacques Hérold, Marcel Iancu, Isidore Isou, Wasilly Kandinsky, Ana Lupaş, Victor Man, Tincuţa Marin, Max Hermann Maxy, Hortensia Mi Kafchin, Joan Miró, Alex Mirutziu, Florin Mitroi, Gili Mocanu, Herta Müller, Ciprian Mureşan, Paul Neagu, Ioana Nemeş, Mircea Nicolae, Andrei Pandele, Paul Păun, Jules Perahim, Dan Perjovschi, Pusha Petrov, Silvia Radu, Lea Raşovszky, Eugen Rosca, Şerban Savu, Arthur Segal, Hedda Sterne, SubREAL Group, Mircea Suciu, Yves Tanguy, Ovidiu Toader, Sergiu Toma, Doru Tulcan, Tristan Tzara, Andrei Ujică, Andra Ursuţa

[EN] The International Cultural Centre in Kraków invites you to an extraordinary exhibition showcasing works from the collection of Ovidiu Şandor – one of the most important private art collections in Central Europe.

This exhibition is part of the Poland-Romania Cultural Season 2024-2025, offering a broad and multi-dimensional panorama of Romanian art over the last century.

The display, spanning from the avant-garde classics of the early 20th century to contemporary creators, is more than just a review of artistic achievements. It is, above all, a story of human lives revealed through art. Together, they form a collective portrait of Romanians during the turbulent 20th century.

The exhibition highlights the country’s history and its artists, both those who had the opportunity to experiment, create, and gain international recognition, and those whose artistic paths were cut short by the oppression of political systems.

Some maintained their creative freedom only within the confines of their studios, while others chose emigration, achieving success at the cost of the hardships of life abroad.

The exhibition intertwines themes of the carefree avant-garde, the distinctively Romanian sense of absurdity and grotesque, with subjects of violence and oppression that often became daily experiences. From surrealism as an escape from reality to „râsu-plânsul” – the characteristic laughter through tears – the exhibition illustrates how art helped to grapple with the struggles of everyday life and to find meaning even in the most tragic events.

The exhibition will also highlight contemporary Romanian artists who, while earning international acclaim, continue to confront the shadow of the 20th century, which, contrary to predictions, did not turn out to be short.

To deepen the narrative about Romania’s history and culture, a comprehensive publication will accompany the exhibition. The book, published in a bilingual Polish-English edition, includes essays by renowned intellectuals and scholars such as Adrian Babeți, Kazimierz Jurczak, Jakub Kornhauser, Diana Marincu, Frances Morris, Horia-Roman Patapievici, Tom Sandquist, and Vladimir Tismăneanu.

This publication will provide insights into the exhibited works within a broad historical and cultural context.

The exhibition "One Eye Laughing, the Other Crying. Art From Romania. Ovidiu Şandor Collection" is a unique opportunity to experience Romanian art in its most authentic, multi-faceted expression.

***

[RO] Expoziția „Un ochi râde, altul plânge. Arta românească în colecția lui Ovidiu Șandor” este deschisă la Centrul Internațional pentru Cultură din Cracovia în 7 martie, mai mult de patru luni.

Sunt prezentate lucrări de artă modernă românească – de la clasicii avangardei la cei mai importanți artiști contemporani – pentru prima dată în Polonia. Incursiunea va permite publicului să urmărească în lucrări fragmente de destine artistice care formează un portret colectiv special, o narațiune nu atât despre artă, cât despre oameni prinși în cursul întortocheat al istoriei României.

Absurd și grotesc, opresiune și lipsă de griji

Expoziția împletește motivul lipsei de griji a avangardei, simțul specific românesc al absurdului și al grotescului, cu temele violenței și opresiunii, devenite adesea o experiență cotidiană. Prezintă totodată artiști români contemporani care, deși au obținut recunoașterea internațională, se confruntă în continuare cu umbra secolul XX.

În lucrările expoziției se face auzit un ton aparte. Este râsul românesc printre lacrimi, râsu’-plânsu’, care face posibilă împăcarea cu destinul și detașarea de necazuri. Care face posibilă rememorarea tragediilor fără a cădea în patetism și fără a impresiona prin suferință,se arată în prezentare. Această abordare a vieții poate lua forma comicului absurd, dadaist, a umorului negru sau a ceea ce românii numesc „a face haz de necaz” – adică fărâma de zâmbet încurajator, care se impune chiar și într-o situație nefericită. În anii ’30, George Bacovia numea România „țară tristă, plină de umor”. Privind din perspectiva unui secol, vorbele lui s-au adeverit.

În scopul aprofundării narațiunii istoriei și culturii României a fost pregătită o publicație care însoțește expoziția. Tipărită în versiune polono-engleză, ea cuprinde eseuri ale unor intelectuali și cercetători remarcabili, plasând lucrările prezentate pe un fundal istoric și cultural larg. Printre autorii textelor se numără Adriana Babeți, Vladimir Tismăneanu, Tom Sandquist, Diana Marincu și polonezii Łukasz Galusek, Kazimierz Jurczak, Jakub Kornhauser.

Expoziția reprezintă un moment de referință al Sezonului Cultural România – Polonia 2024-2025.

Alex Mirutziu joins the project Eco-cultural Tides to be opened at META Spațiu

Added on by Alex Mirutziu.

[EN] We invite you on Friday, 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟑𝟏𝐬𝐭, between 𝟏𝟖:𝟎𝟎 - 𝟐𝟏:𝟎𝟎, to the opening of the exhibition 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐬𝐥𝐨 𝐅𝐣𝐨𝐫𝐝 - 𝐄𝐜𝐨-𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 at 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐭̦𝐢𝐮.

Curated by 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐚𝐜-𝐕𝐥𝐚̆𝐝𝐮𝐭̦𝐢, the exhibition is the outcome of an international project that brings together artists and curators from Romania and Norway to explore the relationships between ecology, cultural heritage, and contemporary artistic practices.

The five participating artists – 𝐊𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭 (NO), 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐬̦ (RO), 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐳𝐢𝐮 (RO), 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐎𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚 (RO), 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚 (𝐏𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐮) (NO/CU) – present works created through interdisciplinary methods, reflecting on the complex relationship between nature and culture while addressing ecological themes and the preservation of natural and intangible heritage.

𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐬𝐥𝐨 𝐅𝐣𝐨𝐫𝐝 investigates ecological impact, the preservation of collective memory, and how water can serve as a metaphor for the interconnectedness of people, the environment, and culture. It was developed over multiple stages, including field research conducted in the Danube Gorge region and an artistic residency in Oslo. The activities fostered transdisciplinary collaboration among artists, curators, and specialists from diverse fields, proposing a model of interaction between art, science, and heritage.

By connecting the Danube Gorge with the Oslo Fjord, the exhibition creates a dialogue between local and international perspectives on the relationship between the environment and culture, reflecting the complexity of natural landscapes and the transformations they undergo.

The value of the non-reimbursable funding is 584857.39 RON / 117566.36 EUR, and the implementation period for this bilateral initiative is 01.11.2024 - 28.02.2025.

This bilateral initiative is financed with the support of 𝐄𝐄𝐀 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟒 – 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 through the National Fund for Bilateral Relations within the 𝐑𝐎-𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞. Promotor: META Spațiu Partner: SENT Bergaust Norvegia

***

[RO] 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐬𝐥𝐨 𝐅𝐣𝐨𝐫𝐝 - 𝐄𝐜𝐨-𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 | 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 Vă invităm vineri, 𝟑𝟏 𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞, între orele 𝟏𝟖:𝟎𝟎 - 𝟐𝟏:𝟎𝟎, la deschiderea expoziției 𝐄𝐜𝐨-𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 (𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐬𝐥𝐨 𝐅𝐣𝐨𝐫𝐝) la 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐭̦𝐢𝐮.

Curatoriată de 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐚𝐜-𝐕𝐥𝐚̆𝐝𝐮𝐭̦𝐢, expoziția reprezintă rezultatul unui proiect internațional care aduce împreună artiști și curatori din România și Norvegia pentru a explora relațiile dintre ecologie, patrimoniu cultural și practici artistice contemporane.

Cei cinci artiști – 𝐊𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭 (NO), 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐬̦ (RO), 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐳𝐢𝐮 (RO), 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐎𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚 (RO), 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚 (𝐏𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐮) (NO/CU) – prezintă lucrări realizate prin metode interdisciplinare, ce propun o reflecție asupra relației complexe dintre natură și cultură, abordând totodată teme ecologice și de conservare a patrimoniului natural și imaterial.

𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐬𝐥𝐨 𝐅𝐣𝐨𝐫𝐝 investighează impactul ecologic, păstrarea memoriei colective și modul în care apa poate funcționa ca o metaforă pentru interconectarea dintre oameni, mediu și cultură. Proiectul a fost dezvoltat în mai multe etape, incluzând cercetări de teren desfășurate în Clisura Dunării și o rezidență artistică în Oslo. Activitățile au implicat colaborarea transdisciplinară între artiști, curatori și specialiști din domenii diverse, propunând un model de interacțiune între artă, știință și patrimoniu.

Prin conectarea Clisurii Dunării cu Fiordul Oslo, expoziția pune în dialog perspective locale și internaționale asupra relației dintre mediu și cultură, reflectând complexitatea peisajelor naturale și a transformărilor pe care acestea le traversează.

SUBMERGED NARRATIVES OF THE DANUBE AND OSLO FJORD - ECO-CULTURAL TIDES

January 31 - February 28, 2025

META Spațiu, Timisoara

Curator

Mirela Stoeac-Vlăduți

Artists

Kristin Bergaust, Cosmin Haiaș, Alex Mirutziu, Marina Oprea, Alexis Parra (Puchu)

Alex Mirutziu in LES FLEURS DU MAL group exhibition

Added on by Alex Mirutziu.

Les Fleurs du mal, as the title of the exhibition, evokes not only the symbolism of Charles Baudelaire, but also the subtle toxic influences that insidiously creep into the life of every creator, as the author said, intensifying the burden and drama of the artistic journey. Charles Baudelaire's reflections on the clash between an ideal world and the theater of falsehood that dominates social interactions remain valid today.

14 artists explore in varied media – painting, sculpture, photography, installation and new media – big themes such as alienation, disalienation and identity issues.

The themes of identity are intertwined with the exploration of death, seen not only as a physical finality, but also as a symbolic death, a kind of repetition for death, a rehearsal with an audience, in which there is an attempt to embrace a possible end point of life through an existence in accord with one's own soul. Whether it be a self-alienation, existential, social or cultural, these artists navigate against the unseen winds of an eternally dissatisfied world.

The accelerated pace of evolutionary trends generates a society with ever more demanding imperatives; thus, the contemporary artist is forced to navigate a socio-professional landscape supersaturated with expectations and constraints.

Social alienation, in this context, is manifested by the rupture between the artist and the society that imposes roles and identities that alienate him from himself. Under this pressure, he finds himself facing a dilemma: how can he remain free and authentic in an atmosphere where conformism is still a precondition for validation?

The artists experience a cultural tension that causes them to fluctuate between being true to themselves and meeting cultural demands to become a product for the art market.

Even if it is an alienation of different causes, on different levels, it is a subtle one, similar to the one that Jean-Paul Sartre describes in ”Being and Nothingness” , where man is ”condemned to freedom” and at the same time to the burden of creating his own meaning in the world.

In this context, one can also notice a kind of emotional dysmorphia, in which the artist perceives his creative identity through a distorted lens, feeling that he is never valuable or authentic enough to live up to social expectations.

The artists showcased here are forced to define their place in a system that often pushes them to painful compromises. Their art is not only a response to this pressure, but also a refusal to think in hierarchical terms.

Similarly to those who are locked up in logic of expectation in a state of Beckettian suspension, others choose to regain their personal power and artistic integrity by opposing the process of alienation, regardless of its level of manifestation.

It takes a lot of courage to escape the trap of mediocrity and invent your own identity, the latter assuming to walk on risky paths – but only from the point of view of society. The quest for a more authentic identity is constantly accompanied by subtle forms of self-alienation, where the distinctions between the true Self and the context-imposed mask are becoming more difficult to distinguish.

”The Flowers of Evil” represent not only the corruption of the soul, but also the possible rebirth through suffering, the expression of a dialogue between the forces that constrain and those that liberate, art becoming the channel through which these artists choose to keep in front of the mirror of the world.

Flowers are born in the chaos of urban experiences including social and cultural alienation, and artists are building gardens with new forms of freedom that transcends the limits imposed by the outside and capable to liberate other people willing to think.

Les Fleurs du mal x-rays both the vulnerability and the power of the artist in a context in which friendships, alliances and social pressures can determine his trajectory. Thus, each work featured in this exhibition becomes a personal manifesto – a declaration of freedom in front of a system that can no longer induce alienation.

A certain kind of understanding is born, and all concepts of how we should be, live, or what we should do are dissolved. This transcendence of alienation, be it social, cultural or existential, becomes the core of the new identity claimed by these artists. They move right into the interior of existence, the only strangers remaining those who seek outside of themselves the validation of their artistic or personal identity. Alienation is now a catalyst for redefining the self, culture, and society in this landscape, not just a destructive force but a starting point for redefining the self, culture and society.

LES FLEURS DU MAL

Constanța Art Museum

October 11 - November 30, 2024

Curator:

Nora Cupcencu

Artists:

Olimpiu Bandalac, Irina Cîmpeanu, Nora Cupcencu, Matei Emanuel, Dumitru Gorzo, Petru Lucaci, Alex Mirutziu, Gili Mocanu, Denis Nanciu, Răzvan Neagoe, Magdalena Pelmuș, Bogdan Pelmuș, Beniamin Popescu, Alexandru Ranga

muzeuldeartaconstanta.ro