Dan Perjovschi on Art, Activism, and Romania's Rosia Montana Mining Protests
In an interview with Olga Stefan, Romanian artist Dan Perjovschi expresses his disapproval of the cyanide gold mining initiative in Rosia Montana. A law that facilitated this project was enacted on August 27, 2013, prompting protests that began on September 1. Thousands are calling for the law's repeal and the resignation of ministers associated with the Canadian firm Gabriel Resources. Perjovschi shares 'copyleft' artwork on Facebook, which demonstrators utilize for banners and t-shirts, with rights granted to Alburnus Maior. He observes that the protests bring together various groups opposing corruption and proposes alternatives such as a mining park supported by the EU. He also notes that a red-green logo created by Cluj artists has become the protests' prominent visual symbol.
Key facts
- Dan Perjovschi is a Romanian artist politically engaged against the Rosia Montana cyanide gold mining project.
- A law passed on August 27, 2013, in a closed-door parliamentary session advanced the project, sparking protests from September 1.
- Protests demand the law's repeal and firing of ministers who accepted payments from Gabriel Resources, a Canadian corporation.
- Perjovschi creates drawings shared on Facebook, declared 'copyleft' for activist use, with rights assigned to Alburnus Maior association.
- The artist participated in student Occupy movements in Cluj and Bucharest in March 2013.
- Alternatives to mining include declaring the area a mining park with EU support, referencing Fan Fest music festival and an architecture summer school.
- Perjovschi uses Facebook as a space where his drawings gain new life beyond institutional walls.
- The protests feature a red-green logo created by artists from Cluj and the Rosia Montana association, not dominated by Perjovschi's graphics.
Entities
Artists
- Dan Perjovschi
- Olga Stefan
Institutions
- Gabriel Resources
- Rosia Montana Gold Corporation
- Alburnus Maior
- Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
- Tate Modern
- Georges Pompidou Center
- The New York Times
- European Union
- ARTMargins Online
- Romanian parliament
Locations
- Romania
- Rosia Montana
- Cluj
- Bucharest
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- Apuseni mountains
- Gesi Park
- Piata Universitatii
- Canada
Sources
- ARTMargins —
- ARTMargins —