Romanian Performance Art Emerges from Underground After 1989 Revolution
Following the fall of communism in 1989, performance art in Romania transitioned from underground venues to public spaces. Ion Grigorescu's pieces, such as The Kitchen (1976) and In Prison (1978), offered critiques of socialist realism. His installation, The Country Does not Belong to the Militia, was displayed in Timisoara's public square in 1991. Constantin Flondor's performance, The Blind Man's Sunday, during A State without a Title in 1991, addressed the context of post-communist elections. Amalia Perjovschi's works, including The Test of Sleep (1988) and Annulment (1989), led to her street performance, The State without a Title (1991). Teodor Graur's The Sports Center (1987) mocked communist masculinity. In 1993, the "Zone" Performance Festival was launched in Timisoara, highlighting various artists, as the 1990s saw a shift from street performances to gallery exhibitions.
Key facts
- Romanian performance art emerged publicly after the 1989 revolution
- Ion Grigorescu created politically charged works from the 1970s through 1991
- The "Zone" Performance Festival began in Timisoara in 1993
- Alexandru Antik's 1986 performance was interrupted by police
- Amalia Perjovschi transitioned from apartment to street performances
- Teodor Graur formed the "Euro-Artist" group with Olimpiu Bandalac in 1994-95
- Dan Perjovschi developed drawing-based performances throughout the early 1990s
- Performance art served as social commentary during Romania's transition from communism
Entities
Artists
- Ileana Pintilie
- Ion Grigorescu
- Constantin Flondor
- Amalia Perjovschi
- Dan Perjovschi
- Lia Perjovschi
- Alexandru Antik
- Teodor Graur
- Olimpiu Bandalac
- Gusztav Uto
- Reka Konya
Institutions
- ARTMargins Online
- Timisoara Art Museum
- Sibiu Youth Festival
- "Zone" Performance Festival
Locations
- Romania
- Timisoara
- Bucharest
- Oradea
- Sibiu
- Bessarabia