Romanian Art Scene Navigates Institutional Neglect and Grassroots Innovation
In 2011, the Romanian art scene flourished amid various obstacles. Following its potential eviction from the National Theater Building in 2004, the National Center for Dance Bucharest (CNDB) sparked protests, highlighted by a March 24 reenactment of the Caragealiana monument. The Bucharest Biennale, hosted by Pavilion Unicredit, showcases only a single Romanian artist in its exhibition titled 'From Contemplating to Constructing Situations.' Although the National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC) presents exhibitions such as 'Chile. Beyond Landscape,' it struggles with local involvement. Independent venues like the Center for Visual Introspection (CIV) foster dialogue, while La Bomba Studios emphasize community engagement. In Cluj, the former Paintbrush Factory houses galleries like Plan B and SABOT, as artists voice concerns over the absence of a defined state cultural policy that prioritizes institutions over independent entities.
Key facts
- The National Center for Dance Bucharest faced expulsion from the National Theater Building in 2011, leading to artist protests.
- Artists organized a Facebook protest on March 24, restaging the Caragealiana monument and squatting CNDB's former space.
- Pavilion Unicredit in Bucharest, sponsored by Unicredit Bank, runs the Bucharest Biennale but has few local participants.
- The National Museum of Contemporary Art is housed in Ceausescu's People's House and exhibits shows like 'Chile. Beyond Landscape'.
- In Cluj, galleries Plan B and SABOT operate in a former Paintbrush Factory with support from foreign cultural institutes.
- Romanian commercial galleries collaborate with public funding agencies like the Romanian Cultural Institute to attend international fairs.
- The domestic art collector base in Romania numbers about 100 individuals and prefers nationalist themes over avant-garde art.
- The Periferic festival in Iasi, started by Matei Bejenaru in 1997, became a biennale until 2008 under the Vector association.
Entities
Artists
- Olga Stefan
- Matei Bejenaru
- Cathleen Schuster
- Marcel Dickhage
- Łukasz Jastrubczak
- Christoph Buchel
- Gianni Motti
- Nicolae Grigorescu
- Constantin Brancusi
- Tristan Tzara
- Victor Brauner
- Marcel Ianco
Institutions
- ARTMargins Online
- Romanian Cultural Institute
- National Center for Dance Bucharest (CNDB)
- Ministry of Culture
- National Theater
- Pavilion Unicredit
- Unicredit Bank
- Bucharest Biennale
- Center for Visual Introspection (CIV)
- National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC)
- People's House
- Romanian parliament
- La Bomba Studios
- Plan B
- SABOT
- Laika
- Goethe Institute
- Plan B Foundation
- Polish Institute
- Colors Art
- Vector
- Periferic
- Foreign Ministry
- Art Tours, Etc.
Locations
- Bucharest
- Romania
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- Rahova
- Cluj
- Bochum
- Germany
- Poland
- Iasi
- Moldova