"Día de Campo" (Field Day) is a solo exhibition by visual artist Iosu Aramburu at Pasto Gallery in Buenos Aires. Iosu's work includes paintings that explore modernism in the Andean region, named after the area over the Andes Mountains and comprising a large part of South America, usually marginalized in the history of Latin American art. The avant-garde and the South American countryside dialogue in this proposal can be visited in the heart of the autonomous city of Buenos Aires.

Recently, at ArtEast Gallery Iasi, took place the opening of a new exhibition signed by artist Felix Aftene. The project presents 50 of his works, made in the serigraphy technique. The curatorial statement is signed by Dana Lungu, and presents aspects related to the artistic practice and concepts of the artist.

"In the present exhibition, Felix Aftene's challenge is in relation to serigraphy. He takes a 4000-year-old technique, which he appropriates, tests its limits, adapts it, domesticates it, polishes it like a lens through which he looks back at his own work. Selecting from the old cycles of reference works - the central character from Dali's Mustache, the idols and mythological characters from Falling in Time, the nudes and chimeras from Genesis, etc., Felix Aftene translates them into a new technical dimension, with new plastic vibrations. He thus rediscovers his own artistic path, the stages of creation and urges us to visit it in a different light. The exhibition is a real self-portrait of the author in serigraphy, because Felix Aftene never forgets his deep belief in the immortality of the figurative art and painting.

Beyond the self-referential stake, the exhibition is a tour in the aestheticization of a technique which, we must not forget, at its origins is a technique of multiplication. Of course, the present artist is neither the first nor the only one who undertakes the effort to ennoble the serigraphy technique, but the personal way in which he does it, the technical difficulties he overcomes, the complexity he reaches and the transition from the "graphic" effect to which is commonly assumed by the serigraphy to the effect of <<pictoriality>>, that Felix Aftene manages to achieve, gives it a special status, a privileged place in the history of this technique", stated the curator.

And the artist added: " (...) It is the first complete personal exhibition in this technique and I am convinced that it represents, from the point of view of exposure, only the beginning for me. And that's because serigraphy can't be limited to a millennial past, but will surely enrich its present and future forever, as long as passion, quality and the desire to create stories with the help of art are gathered in them".

FELIX AFTENE works in Iasi, but is known for a sustained artistic activity on the romanian and also the international art scene, in various artistic mediums, such as painting, sculpture, mural painting and new media. In 1996, he graduated Mural Painting from "George Enescu" Academy of Arts in Iasi. Since 2013, he is the president of the Iași Branch of the Union of Visual Artists in Romania.

In 2016, he obtained his PhD in Visual Arts at the "George Enescu" National University of Arts, with a thesis dedicated to contemporary visual arts. He had more than 40 personal exhibitions in museums and international art galleries in Austria, USA, Great Britain, Greece, Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Canada, Denmark, Hungary, Israel, and has various artistic distinctions.

"Del cielo a casa" (From Heaven to Home) is an exhibition at the Museum of Latin American Art (Malba) that proposes a crossover between design and industrial objects that appeal to the nostalgia of young Argentines. The exhibition presents an overview of Argentina's material culture, from the early 20th century to the present, in dialogue with the political, social, and emotional imaginary.

Ciprian Ciuclea (b. 1976 in Timisoara) is a visual artist based in Bucharest, interested in interdisciplinary projects that focus on the conceptual features of reception. The themes he explores are closely related to the social aspects of communication, interpretation of messages, astrophysics and theoretical physics, contemplation and supervision, placed in relation to the scientific aspects of human existence.

He is president of Experimental Project Association for Contemporary Art and founding member of Romanian Society for Ophthalmogenetics - SROGEN. Between 2000-2017 he was the director of IEEB (International Experimental Engraving Biennial in Bucharest). He has a PhD in visual arts at the National University of Arts in Bucharest with a theme on the optical interpretation of mediated reality through technology.

The artist explores the relationship between art, science and technology, seeking the application of advanced forms of thinking from scientific knowledge in the artistic field.

His new project, INTERVALS OF AN INFINITE LINE, presented at Aparte Gallery (UNAGE Iași), is "a poetic reflection on the space of knowledge that mathematics produces starting from the physical universe. The diagrams, notations, graphs, symbolic actions made by the artist are mappings of the abstract mental space generated by the intersection between the mathematical structures realized in the artist's mind and the surrounding reality. Reflecting on the theory of sets, Ciprian Ciuclea tries to find correspondences between groups of elements with common properties and objects in the surrounding reality. The abstract semiotic layer is placed over the image of an infinite reality. The artist's actions documented by the camera are metaphors of the limits of rational knowledge and, according to his words, "the consistency of the mathematical universe is hidden in every fraction of infinity, in multitudes, abstractions, repetitive logical structures, in the poetry of existence", pointed out visual artist and UNAGE professor Matei Bejenaru.

On this occasion, also took place the launch of Ciprian Ciuclea's book, THE PARTICULAR LANDSCAPE, at the Faculty of Visual Arts and Design Iași. 

A project by "George Enescu" National University of Arts Iași, the Doctoral School of Visual Arts, the Multidisciplinary Research Institute in Art from UNAGE Iași, the Contemporary Photography Center Iași.

"La Metamorfosis del Rubi" (The Metamorphosis of Rubi) is a powerful installation by Daniel Basso, designed to create a dialogue with the works in the collection of the Federico Klemm Foundation. Located in the heart of the city of Buenos Aires, this exhibition space gathers one of the most important collections in Latin America, with exclusive works by Andy Warhol, and Joseph Beuys, among others. The foundation was created in honor of Federico Klemm, the emblematic pop artist, also known as the Argentine Warhol.

"La Metamorfosis del Rubi"

Participating Artist: 

The Ukrainian artist of Romanian origin Ciprian Tokar completed his undergraduate studies in specialization Mural Art and Painting at the Faculty of Visual Arts and Design of the "George Enescu" National University of Arts in Iași. Currently, he is a PhD student in the same faculty, investigating the theme "The artistic image between document and monument: representations of recent history in contemporary art". The artist has been part of several group exhibitions and was selected in Borderline Art Space's Graduation Highlights 2018. The current project, part of his doctoral project, is an interpretation of the global crisis generated by the conflict in Ukraine. Thus, he publicly presents his first personal exhibition, in the form of a pictorial installation, called "The Black Box of the Crisis in Ukraine", and his paintings are based on photographs from the mass-media. The exhibition is ongoing at Borderline Art Space Iași, between March 2-26.

"This pictorial installation is like a black box of an airplane that preserves the evidence of the tragedy", Ciprian Tokar explained at the opening, for radioiasi.ro: "the crisis in Ukraine, in its complexity, hides information that was probably transmitted of the official speeches, but not entirely, and somehow I try to bring some alternative information about these events that happened in Ukraine, about the revolution, about the war. I took some images from the internet, from the mass media, from social networks that I processed, I manipulated them pictorially, so as to turn them into a painted image. I actually tried to adapt some photographic images in the pictorial medium".

Curator Cristian Nae offers more details about the concept behind this artistic approach: "One year after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Ciprian Tokar is developing an artistic research (...) focusing on the relationship between the divergent interpretations of historical facts and the politics of collective memory that accompany the circulation of images both in the mass media and in social media. It thus opposes the authoritarian position assumed by modern historical painting, revealing the carefully orchestrated interplay between the subjectivity of the performer and the ideological constraints of artistic discourse.

His research process can be framed as experimental journalism defined by theoretician Alfredo Cramerotti as a way of critically examining the aesthetic means of journalism used to support the claim of objectivity of the report or the veracity of the documents. Artistic research of this kind can thus contribute to undermining the phenomenon of "fake news" by demanding increased attention regarding the multiple perspectives from which a historical fact can be read and mediated.

One of the fundamental convictions of this investigation is that, under the conditions of the democratization of access to image recording and communication technologies, painting has become an expanded artistic medium, in an indissoluble relationship with the other media that produce and transmit images, such as photography and the moving image – in other words, a "networked" painting or "painting 2.0", according to David Joselit.

Ciprian Tokar breaks down into fragments photographic images of the Euromaidan revolution circulated on various media channels and transposes them into new pictorial compositions (...). In some of these, the photographic image is manipulated like a historical allegory. In others, he combines multiple temporalities and uses the subjective filter of personal memory to examine the construction of collective memory, exposing the uncertainty that continues to loom over the future of an yet unfinished historical process. The resulting pictorial installation thus proposes a laboratory for collective reflection on the processes of forgetting and remembering, of involuntary camouflage and forced re-signification (...) of this crisis", stated Cristian Nae in the curatorial speech.

The exhibition is organized by AltIași Cultural Association and is part of the "Post-human escapes" project, co-financed by AFCN.

The exhibition "Tesoro" (Treasure) brings together four contemporary Argentine artists in dialogue with the collection of the Museum Fortabat Collection, located in the emblematic neighborhood of Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires. With works by the pop artist Delia Cancela, the creative duo Chiachio & Giannone, and the artist and performer Sofía Torres Kosiba, cycle #9 of "Exploring the Collection," a program initiated in 2018, was presented.

"Tesoro"

"Tecnopoéticas ambientales" (Environmental Technopoetics), "Trazos Biomateriales" (Biomaterials and Raw ) and "Materia Prima" (Material Traces) are three group exhibitions by Argentine artists that mix art, science, and technology to make visitors reflect on how to take care of the planet. These proposals are part of the "Shared Planet" project, a campaign that focuses on the behaviors and ways in which the planet is inhabited, carried out at the Recoleta Cultural Center.

On the one hand, "Tecnopoéticas ambientales" exhibits six projects by different artists, winners of the public calls of the MediaLab program of the Centro Cultural de España en Buenos Aires (Cceba). This program seeks to support the generation of works by artists based in Argentina, stimulate research and be a space for production, reflection, and training in art, in intersection with science and technology.

The exhibition takes place in three halls. The works explore different media, supports, and techniques. We can find sound installation, electronic textiles, electro-luminescent intervention, video games, immersive environments, holography, and blown glass objects, designed and produced by 3D printing techniques.

Thus, all the works exhibited participate in some of the technopoetic strategies deployed within the field of contemporary art. I refer, for example, to the hierarchization of the research processes on the idea of the finished piece, the questioning of the strictly objectual dimension of the traditional work, and the confluences of tangible and non-apprehensible materialities.

In these exhibitions, Centro Cultural Recoleta also seeks gender equity among the selected artists. The creations presented here thus contribute to the AGENDA 2030 approved by all member states at the 2015 UN General Assembly.

"Tecnopoéticas ambientales"/ "Trazos Biomateriales"/ "Materia Prima" 

Recently, artist Frank Serge Lehmann presented a solo show in Brașov, an exhibition called “Between Two Worlds. The Privilege of Free Representation”, curated by Alexandra Ilnițchi-Ardelean. That was a premiere in Brașov and in Romania, pointed out the curator.

“Art is a necessity. Creating art stands for some artists right at the bottom of Maslow’s pyramid. Others have found their vocation in other professions; in such cases, art rises at the top of their needs as a distinct form of self-fulfillment. Frank Serge Lehmann belongs to the latter category.

The idea behind a work of art is an essential component of conceptual art, alongside contemporary issues and the philosophy of art. This creative approach is sustained by thorough research, documentation and the continuous exchange of ideas between individuals. Aesthetics and craftsmanship are not essential parts of the final work, although Lehmann's works of art form a coherent ensemble. Concepts such as the ephemerality of art, the condition of the artist, the status of art for the individual and then within the community, censorship, autonomy – these are all challenged, but there’s no universal answer and the artist refrains from providing it”, says the curator.

“Lehmann's creative process integrates the act of collecting: quotes, ready-made objects, automatic machines or metal pieces of furniture. These may spark revelations that lead to works of art. He gives them new narrative layers. Machines dating from the 1950s and 1960s are brought into the present-day through interventions inspired by the world of electronics, digital culture and globalized communications, making Lehmann a man of his time.

The exhibition of the artist Frank Serge Lehmann is a welcome premiere in Brașov and in Romania. His artworks are highly suggestive in terms of the dialogue they instigate regarding the status of artists and of the arts. The concepts he works with give us a lot to ponder upon and they represent an anchor in the civilized and developed society we are building, that is a society in which artistic creation is an integral part”. (Alexandra Ilnițchi-Ardelean)

The exhibited artworks, explained by the curator:

ARS INFINITA - 2016, Installation

The artist is keen on working with historically charged objects, giving his works an additional dimension, which is intrinsic to the materials he uses.

ONE-DOLLAR ART - 2017, Floor installation

The one-dollar works are contained in six identical delivery boxes from the 1920s and 1930s. Owing to the blackened dark wood and the sturdy iron fittings, the boxes have an almost eerie quality about them. What were they used for? What was transported in these boxes? Maybe ancient treasures, or forbidden contraband hidden by smugglers?

ART & ETERNITY - 2017, Floor installation, 3 pinball machines

Is art for all eternity? Is this wishful thinking or is it a reality?

ARTIST & ENLIGHTENMENT - 2017, Installation

Do artists provide enlightenment by virtue of their ability to see? Or are they lighting technicians, knowing precisely where to put the spotlight?

VOICE OF ART - 2017, Installation

The title of the installation is also an ironic reference to a contemporary phenomenon, related to the desire to communicate and the desire to be the center of attention: the numerous casting shows around the globe, such as The Voice of Germany, in which vocal talents sometimes end up being ridiculed and ruthlessly humiliated in the name of mass entertainment. Do both desires serve as a lure, presenting an illusory freedom, only to punish whoever takes the bait?

ART & FREEDOM - 2017, Installation

The installation can symbolize Lehmann’s desire to express himself as an artist, free from social, political, monetary and economic constraints. Are all artists in the same position? Thoughts cannot be locked up. Artworks are visualized thoughts. Art doesn’t set you free; art IS free.

JOY OF ART - 2017, Installation

Is the artist taking a creative break? Or is he lacking inspiration? Has he given up or is he about to return?

Albert Kaan’s latest art project was recently presented at Atelier 35, Bucharest. “A liminal space” is known as both a place and a state, a condition of transitioning, a gap in which one's shape or identity is indefinite, the curatorial team informs us. “You may think of it as a crossing point, a state of existence between certainties, between forms and realities; the sensation of in-betweenness. Do we define such a state and the elements within it by what was, what is to be, or by the mere condition of (a) changeover?

The exhibition gathers a series of works that illustrate his journey, that talk about transience in that kind of liminal space, where the forms embodied may appear or leave a trace of their presence, but in the end, none remain”, points out curator Monica Danilă in her statement.

MNAC Bucharest - 8.12.2022-16.04.2023

The exhibition “Dorina Horătău. Landscape Reconstructions”, curated by Călin Dan, part of MNAC Winter Opening 2022, can still be visited in the Marble Hall on the ground floor of the museum until April 16, 2023. We stand before a great project that inevitably leads us to think about ephemerality, the flow of time and the way matter is consumed.

“What happens to the leaves after they dry up and fall off trees? We don't ask that question anymore, because we're confident we know the answer. Dorina Hotărău has discovered a new one. And another circuit of leaves in nature. Thus, inside the museum, a surprisingly deep indoor forest has been created.

Dorina Horătău diligently collected dry leaves from the MNAC grove. She covered the floor of the Marble Hall with them. She “recomposed” the trees outside in the form of metal columns. She amplified the effect on the viewer with the rhythmic sounds of an axe that seems to break both wood and silence. The visitor is left only to discover this organic site, along with the artful circuit of matter”, the curatorial team informs.

“The form and forestry content of a perimeter of the grove in front of MNAC are brought in an abstracted form into the interior space of the building, in the Marble Hall. Each built trunk/container from the inside contains leaves collected from under the “corresponding” tree in the natural environment outside. This site-specific proposal relies on a sensorial experience based on the strong contradiction between the delimited space and its content, with the intention of creating an active, objective reality in which artistic intervention creates a place of introspection, questioning and reflection”, pointed out the artist.

- - - 

The curatorial team - Călin Dan, Sandra Demetrescu, Alexandru Oberländer-Târnoveanu;

Production - Ionuț Emilian Petcu, Teodor Horătău, Gheorghe Olteanu, Răzvan Mihalachi, Mihai Toma, Ionuț Marin;

Special thanks to Călin Diaconu, Raisa & Nona Beicu, Adrian Ciocanea, Daniel Costianu, Cristian Niculescu, Daniel Constantinescu, Mihaela Ghiță, Victor Velculescu, Daliana Păcuraru, Cătălin Dârzu, Dan Buzan;

Photopraphy - Serioja Bocsok / MNAC Bucharest;

MNAC pages - https://www.mnac.ro/event/1080/DORINA%20HOR%C4%82T%C4%82U.%20RECONSTRUC%C8%9AIE%20DE%20PEISAJ