.2024
In a world stifled by the culture of self-promotion and the constant search for validation, the concept of ”self” has gathered new dimensions. Humanity as a whole has undergone a profound transformation due to its contact with recent technology, and this growing accumulation of novelty causes us to live in a state of constant transience, which pulls us to the surface in a single direction. Our relationship with the environment is shaped by this superfluous culture of ”the current event”.
EGOLOGIA, the exhibition under discussion, is an endeavor that explores the complex relationship between the individual ego and the social constructs that shape it; it is a journey of self-discovery, where the interior landscape reflects the complicated rapports we share with the natural, exterior world.
The works curated for this endeavor are statements, articulated affirmations about the commercialization of identity, as well as mirrors reflecting the impact of our choices on the ecosystems we live in, and on our interior landscape. Together, these pieces offer a perspective on the intersection between the self and society, Through various mediums and techniques, the artists confront the observer with questions about the authenticity of the self and the impact on external validation on one`s own self-esteem.
We are being confronted with the inherent tension of modern life, where social pressures and norms often clash with our desire for connection and harmony with the natural world.
EGOLOGIA is not just an exhibition; it is an invitation to introspection and transformation. It encourages us to go beyond the limits of our individual self and recognize our interconnection to all life, while examining the social and environmental consequences of our actions,
The question ”Can we start to imagine a future in which interior peace and ecological harmony coexist?” and always stand side by side with the questions raised by Baptiste Morizot and Estelle Zhong Mengual in the book ”The Aesthetics of Encounters. The Enigma of Contemporary Art.”: Who do we treasure in our ay to day life? To which living creatures do we offer our attention bestow our gratitude? And who do we forget? Who is invisible to our eyes, although, in fact, they influence our lives? To which living creatures are we indebted today, but we forgot to thank?
Artists
Ana Maria Micu
Ana Maria MICU is a Romanian visual artist from Botoșani, exclusively represented globally since 2018 by Mind Set Art Center, Taipei. Painting is her primary medium, but she sometimes switches to drawing, video, and animation. She gathers ideas and visuals from her immediate environment, a typical apartment built during the communist period that she uses to live, work and grow plants. Her unassuming scenes promote an appreciation for the mechanisms she has had to develop to set up effective systems in adverse situations. In 2024 Mind Set Art Center hosts her solo show “Woman, Scaffolding”. In Romania, a major solo exhibition is “Left Hand To Distant View” in 2022, at The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest. In 2004, Micu graduated with a Master’s degree in Visual Arts from the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca.
Ana Taină
Ana Taină (b. 1996) lives and works in Bucharest, Romania. With a fascination for polar opposites and the ridiculous proximity in which they often coexist, she undertook studies in psychology, marketing and philosophy, and is currently pursuing a master’s programme in clinical psychology at the University of Bucharest.
Her passion for aesthetics and affinity for symbolism morph into an exploratory saga, initially expressed through film photography and later as experimental nail art.
Alexandru Ranga
Alexandru Ranga is a young artist, graduate of the National University of Art in Bucharest, Sculpture section, who lives and works in the capital. He is becoming more and more noticed by participating in numerous national
and international exhibitions with his welded metal creatures, which present an analogy of various social spectrums. He uses the gravity acting on the hot metal and leaves his own weight on the shape he is trying to outline, thus giving rise to welded micro universes.
Andrei Alecsandru Pantea
Andrei Alecsandru Pantea is a visual artist interested in the intersections between graphic techniques, alternative image creation processes, analogue and digital. Extensively, the artist’s practice includes artists’ book series, ceramic pieces and sound installations. With an education in graphic arts, animation and graphic design, he obtained the title of Doctor of Visual Arts in 2019, following the doctoral school of UNAGE Iași. Creating is a necessity and a means to outline and explain what the human spirit and reality mean.
Andrei Arion
Arion Andrei (b.1996) lives and works in Bucharest. He studied Photography and Video Art at The Faculty of Art and Design Timisoara. His practice revolves around sculpture and installation. In 2021 he exhibited at the Jecza Gallery, Timisoara in the summer show Light Clarity Avocado Salad in the Morning and in 2022 he was part of the group show At the Edge of the World at The Art Encounters Foundation, Timișoara.
“I am interested in the connection between memories and experiences from my own past as well as the absurd perspective of an alter ego that is trapped in a childlike way of thinking. My sculptures are constructed as imaginary tools with precise purposes, yet made in such a way that highlights a lot of obstacles when trying to achieve said purposes.”
Andriana Oborocean
Andriana Oborocean (b. 1995, Transnistria, Republic of Moldova) is a multidisciplinary artist currently living and activating in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She creates works aimed at eliciting emotional and psychological responses by exploring topics such as identity, vulnerability, and the affective touch between humans, nature and technology. Her pieces often incorporate mystical and ethereal elements, showcased in familiar worlds but distorted through her own unique perspectives and experiences. Anthropomorphism is a consistent theme throughout her work, as she endows objects with human-like attributes and emotions, instilling a sense of life and personality in each piece.
Constantin Cojocaru
Constantin is a 3D artist who specializes in abstract portraiture, combining modern 3D modelling and rendering techniques to create unique pieces of digital art. With a focus on human expression and synthetic foliage, he creates a world where the organic and artificial blend seamlessly. He has showcased his work at events such as the Vienna Design Week and Romanian Design Week. Constantin also operates a small studio, CO+LOR, and has experience working with a diverse range of clients.
His fascination with the intersection of technology and nature was sparked during his studies at both the Polytechnic and Art University. This interest has fueled his creativity, leading to the development of a unique and distinctive artistic style.
Daniel Tudor Munteanu
Daniel Tudor Munteanu is an architect and curator based in Suceava, Romania. His works were exhibited at the 5ᵗʰ Urbanism\Architecture Bi-city Biennale in Shenzhen and the 18ᵗʰ Venice Architecture Biennale. His writings were published in magazines such as “San Rocco,” “Log,” “Volume,” and “OASE”. In 2022, he published his first book: “Another Breach in the Wall.” He has lectured in academic and cultural institutions, including La Biennale di Venezia, the Architecture Foundation in London, Genève’s HÉAD, the University of Melbourne, the Politecnico di Milano, the University of Kassel, Ljubljana’s MAO, Prague’s VI PER and AVU, the ÉAVT in Paris or the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava.
Daniel curated the “Aformal Academy/Pedagogical Infrastructure” chapter for the 6ᵗʰ Shenzhen Urbanism\ Architecture Bi-city Biennale and contributed to the “State of the Art of Architecture” project for the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Together with Davide Tomasso Ferrando, he initiated and curated the Unfolding Pavilion at four consecutive editions of the Venice Architecture Biennale, and curated the Timișoara Architecture Biennial Beta 2022. Their works are exhibited in the permanent collection of the MAAM Museum of the Other and the Elsewhere in Rome. Daniel is the founder and editor of the research project “OfHouses.com – a collection of old forgotten houses.”
Elena Pîrvu
Elena Pîrvu (b.1994, Bucharest) graduated from the Painting section of the “Nicolae Tonitza” High School of Fine Arts in Bucharest in 2013, the year in which she entered the Painting section at the Bucharest National University of Arts. He graduated for 5 years in the Painting Department (2013-2018), then, in 2019, he enrolled at the Faculty of Decorative Arts and Design within the same university, at the Ceramics Glass Metal Department (CSM), following the Ceramics section for another 3 years ( 2019-2021).
The artist works in different mediums, from painting (oil on canvas, paper, cardboard), mixed media, painting on objects made of different materials (wood, metal), collages and assemblages with textiles, paper and unconventional materials such as: cardboard bitumen, paint, plaster, and ceramics especially in the area of installation as an artistic way of working.
The subjects addressed by Elena Pîrvu are processing of an inner diary, especially the effects that the external environment has on the deformation or formation of ways of own perception.
Hideo Iwasaki
Biologist and artist. Director of metaPhorest (biological art/ bioaesthetics platform), and Professor of Biology/Bioaesthetics, Waseda University, Tokyo. He is interested in the complicated relationship among scientific, philosophical, cultural, historical and aesthetic views of life. In 2007 he founded metaPhorest, an interdisciplinary art/science platform, where both artists and biologists share space for science and art simultaneously.
He is also working on molecular microbiology and chronobiology, and is a co-founder of the Japanese synthetic biology society (Japanese Society for Cell Synthesis Research). He has received Excellent Award of the Japan Media Art Festival (2019), Research Award from Japanese Chronobiology Society etc.
Iulia Bucureșteanu
Iulia Bucureșteanu, born in 2001, Bucharest, Romania currently lives and works in The Hague, The Netherlands. She graduated at the Royal Academy of Arts (KABK) in The Hague in 2023 with a bachelor degree in Fine Arts. she delves into themes centred around the home and its connection to identity. her upbringing and migration from romania have significantly shaped her ambivalent relationship with home and family. her cultural heritage and womanhood serve as catalysts for her practice. therefore, she explores the domestic sphere, and scrutinizes the objects within it as signifiers of one’s identity. her process involves the documentation of everyday domestic environments, followed by a re-enactment of these scenes and objects through manipulation. she uses various techniques, such as metal casting and analog photography, to illustrate the selective nature of memory and the inevitable process of decay.
Iulia Groves
Iulia Groves is constantly seeking symbols, patterns, and order in repetitive prints, which she then transfers onto textiles using the block printing process. Although Iulia’s approach evolves from the rigors of her architectural background, she embraces the spontaneous and imperfect characteristics of block printing and considers them essential in delivering an authentic visual message. Her latest collection is rooted in the study of spontaneous flora and natural habitats with rare human interventions.
Iulian Nan
Iulian Nan (n. 1984) lives and works in Bucharest, Romania. He studied cinematography at Caragiale National University Of Theatre and Film in Bucharest. His activity entails a wide range of artistic expressions going through fashion photography, commercial campaigns and photographic projects exploring the idea of tourist-artist. His photographs are intuitive with an elegant, ironic underlayer and an articulated sense of the present. One distinctive feature of his approach is a reflection on the apparently mundane, making it visible and appealing for the viewer. Subtle hints of anarchism, erotism and transgression can be found in his images. He sees his work as a form of self observation and for him, even an apparently bad idea can sometimes lead to a good image.
Manuel Cojocaru
Manuel Cojocaru is a self-taught independent artist who experiments with video-making, photography, drawing and painting. He studied philosophy at the University of Bucharest, and got his PhD in philosophy in 2023. As an artist, his effort is to bring forth the rich world of the unconscious surreal, dreams, nightmares and shadow to merge it with the rational, philosophical mind. His projects are self-made, and follow no script, since the film’s narrative is built during the filming and editing process, according to the impulses, dreams, and ideas that occur through the day (and night).
Marta Mattioli
Marta Mattioli (b. 1998, Sansepolcro, Italy) is a visual artist and graphic designer. With dual roots in Romanian and Italian cultures, her work reflects a dynamic blend of digital and physical mediums. A member of Kinema Ikon and Atelier 35, Marta actively participates in both local and international exhibitions and projects. She explores a reality suspended between utopia and the potential dystopian future, delving into the concept of organic-digital hybridization.
Marta’s creations simplify the complex interplay between traditional and digital elements, prompting viewers to contemplate the profound implications of this fusion. Her art invites us to consider the evolving nature of our world and the possibilities that lie ahead.
“Since 2019 she has been an active member of Kinema Ikon and also part of the Atelier 35 team. In 2021 she joins the Miami Art Week and in 2022 she participates in the Budapest Art Market, confirming how fresh and necessary her artistic vision is. More important, she’s a constant apparition on the Romanian art scene, being one of the exponents of her generation. In 2021, she makes a breakthrough with her series of digital artworks, presenting us her personal perspective in a seemingly paradoxical manner situated between an almost naive intuition and a dark execution turned into sweet irony.” – Teodora Rosu (New Media Arts and the future of syncretism – Revista Arta)
Mihaela Lungu
Mihaela Lungu is a Romanian visual artist from Iasi, who specialises in conceptual art, as a means to invetigate, explore, comment and critique on a wide range of social issues. As a versatile artist, with skills and projects that cover multidisciplinary and multilateral practices, including but not limited to conceptual installations, most of her projects make use of activism, irony, and strong symbolism. Her goal is to develop pieces that aim to affect social change, working to foster participation in dialogue, raise consciousness, and reflection. She wishes to create an opportunity to bypass seemingly fixed socio- political ideas and ideals and remap cognitive and emotional patterns. Her projects offer a brief moment when hearts can be touched and minds reached, while opening a rare window of chance to change both
Mihaela Vasiliu
Chlorys is a musical & visual entity based in Bucharest. She is part of the Queer Night family of DJs and was a Shape Platform alumni in 2017. From 2016 until present, she is a founding member of Corp., a platform with a focus on representing and promoting queer identities. She has stretched her tentacles locally and internationally, having played shows in Berlin, Stockholm, London, Paris, Lyon, Nantes. She has been a Noods Radio resident for three years, in charge of Alien Flora. She is hosting alongside Corp. a monthly show called Corpcast, aired on the local Black Rhino Radio. Starting 2022 she is a resident of LYL Radio from France, with the show called Primordial Soup. Aside from being active on the local clubbing scene, she also tinkers with the visual and sound arts, having had works exhibited in various galleries such as Suprainfinit Gallery, MNAC Anexa, Ivan Gallery, Rubik Space, Atelier35, Kunsthalle Bega, Art Encounters Biennial of Contemporary Art in Timișoara, the Bucharest Botanical Garden.
Muro Muro
Muro Muro is a studio based in Bucharest, RO, founded by Ioana Chifu and Onar Stanescu. Both of them are trained architects with a passion for design that shifts the focus from aesthetic and function to storytelling. They try to interrogate the narrative that we have with everyday objects, changing the way we interact with them, making us value them more, expanding the level of attachment that we develop towards them. Stories create meaning around people’s need.
A new unexpected scenery is outlined, old references adapt, shapes and materials change, a new space of discussion arises. The new silhouettes recall a distant time and hold the relic of a long gone environment. Each piece dissolves the limit between design and art, breaking the barriers of conformity. This new background invites one to reflect on how our existence impacts our surroundings and how we as well may need to adapt in order to survive.
Sergiu Chihaia
Sergiu Chihaia (b. 1982), graduated National University of Arts, currently is titular lecturer at the Fashion department, within the same institution. Lives and works in Bucharest. Participates with his work at national and international exhibitions (Bucharest, Constanta, London and Venice). Has artworks in private collections in England, Italy and Romania. In 2014 wins UAP prize for Decorative – Textile Arts at the 5th edition of ”Arts in Bucharest”. Sculptor, designer,textile artist and stage designer. As a scenographer his goal is to recreate the history of the mankind as a stage, an exhibition space for humanities dramas, joys and victories.
Ștefan Damian
I am Ștefan Damian, a sound-designer / composer / interaction designer based in Bucharest, Romania.
My artistic exploration revolves around sonic interaction design, sound spatialization, sound synthesis / transformation algorithms and the artistic and social contexts in which they can coexist, in a highly expressive way.
Listener of hip-hop, metal, jazz, funk, fusion, electronic and electroacoustic music. Interested in advertising, bachelor in cinema and media (UNATC Bucharest), master in sonic arts (Queen’s University Belfast) and PhD in performing arts (UNATC Bucharest).
I have been working as a producer, composer, sound engineer, sound designer and interaction designer for a varied range of musical, advertising, film and new media productions, often trying to find a common ground where all these different backgrounds and interests can coexist.
When I am not playing with sounds, I teach sound design at UNATC.
Ștefan Pruteanu
A. The working class hero: As an introvert with proven social and numerical skills, Stefan flourished as a reward specialist past the last decade, gaining experience and broad knowledge in one of the most sensible, challenging and analytical branches of the HR department, dealing with compensation and benefits. Stefan holds a degree in Business Information Systems.
B. The artist: With 0 art related studies to backup his brush strokes and 0 exhibitions to this date, Stefan is a self-taught, studio-less, interdisciplinary visual artist, still striving to grasp basic painting techniques, such as perspective, shading or layering, quite incapable to draw a hand that does not resemble a branch. Stefan tried and failed for about one full year to establish himself as a full-time artist before heading back to safety to his former well-trodden corporate path. Now he will often sacrifice evenings, weekends, friendships or sleep for his artistic pursuits. He began to flirt with painting at a later stage in life, at around 27 and most of his earlier work has been burnt, considered but a mere vessel that served him throughout the frustrating learning process. As medium he tackles rugged, textured, uneven surfaces, like distressed cardboard or canvas, attacking them with pencil, oil-colors, scratches and other unconventional tools more often found in a handyman’s kit. Like many people before him, he has plunged into the same futile, already lost battle, trying to answer the unanswered through art. Is existence purposeless? Can we find solace in the absence of a purpose? If everything is future ruins, why do we keep on building? Is there a point in creating art? Does the universe care? Does nature care or do we just want for it to care? How long do we have to do the dishes? Are we waiting? For what? And where the hell is Godot?!
Thea Lazăr
Thea Lazăr lives and works in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Her artistic practice spans a wide range of mediums, including textile and embroidery, multimedia installations, video, and 3D animation. With a focus on storytelling, her work explores the intersection between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary technology, creating a dynamic dialogue that reflects both personal and universal narratives. Through the juxtaposition of nature and technology, she highlights the tension between the organic and the manufactured, prompting contemplation of their coexistence.
Nature, particularly local and endemic plants, holds a significant place in Lazăr’s artistic inspiration.
Through the incorporation of botanical elements, she constructs a symbolic language that transcends geographical boundaries, inviting viewers to contemplate the interconnectedness of all living things. In addition to her botanical motifs, she often turns her attention to cars and car parts, examining them through a nostalgic lens. By delving into this theme, she prompts viewers to reflect on the historical and cultural significance of automobiles, emphasizing their symbolic role in notions of technological progress, mobility, and personal freedom.
progres tehnologic, mobilitate și libertate de mișcare.
Tudor Ciurescu
Tudor Ciurescu (b.1996, Craiova, Romania) is a visual artist currently living in Lausanne, Switzerland after finishing his studies at Ecole Cantonale d’Art Lausanne.
Image and object making stand at the core of his practice. With interest in different narratives such as art history, future paradigms and the collective subconscious.
From the intricacies of artificial intelligence to the timeless craft of etching, Ciurescu’s oeuvre transcends traditional boundaries, offering a captivating journey through the evolving language of the younger generation. His art becomes a vibrant tapestry that weaves together threads of tradition and modernity, forming an engaging narrative that resonates with the dynamic interplay between the analog and the digital. In essence, Tudor Ciurescu emerges as a compelling voice, skillfully navigating the intersections of technology, culture, and artistic expression in the contemporary age.
Vlad Albu
Vlad Albu (b. 1992) lives and works in Bucharest. He has completed both his bachelor’s and master’s studies in the Photography and Dynamic Image department at the National University of Art Bucharest. He often combines photography, found materials, and designed structures/objects in his practice. The works are usually focused on exploring the intersection between public and private spaces, methods of understanding the future of objects and dwelling with a deliberate blend of speculative elements and imaginative narratives.
Exhibition architecture
Anda Zota
Architect and editor-in-chief of igloo media, with a keen interest in contemporary design and curatorial research. Labeled as eclectic, but often influenced by modernist concepts. Highly creative, focused on detail as well as able to see the bigger picture of a project. Defined by a very critical mind and a passion for aesthetics.
Elena (Viziteu) Ionescu
Arhitect and founding member of ViaArchitecture, with a keen interest in craft process and slow design. Her working process includes traditional craft techniques reshaped for the contemporary times. Its projects are labeled as timelessness and with a special care for the details. Her projects grow alongside the others, artists and designers she commissions and whose pieces she integrates into her architecture, succeeding to contribute substantially to the proportion and development of contemporary craft arts.
Curator
Marian Pălie
Marian Pălie (b. 1978) lives and works in Bucharest, Romania. Since his early years he has developed an interest in contemplative aesthetics, with subsequent studies supporting this inclination: philosophy, theology, cultural anthropology. He holds a BA in philosophy and theology with a thesis on “Post-anticipations of modernity”, an MA in fashion and costume strategies (2013) and a PhD (in progress) at the National University of Arts in Bucharest. Working in the interdisciplinary area, Marian Pălie connects several areas of interest such as photography, nonfigurative collage, applied and theorized meta-styling, video installations, curating, bibliophilic design. Themes such as reform, exploration of the body, contrast and cohabitation between the visible and the invisible, analysis of the supremacy of emotions, decomposition of the body in a post-human philosophy through photography are often found in his works and writings.