This exhibition about the art scene in Romania illuminates the potential of a cultural realm at the heart of crucial impulses
for the development of the avant-garde and modernism in Europe. Romanian artists number among either the founding members
or central protagonists of almost all important artistic movements in Europe. The same goes for literature and film. The great-grandfather
of modern sculpture is a Romanian: Constantin Brâncuși. Of the Dadaists in Zurich in 1916, three were from Romania:
Tristan Tzara (Samuel Rosenstock), Arthur Segal (Aron Sigalu), and Marcel Janco (Marcel Iancu) (see Dada East. The Romanians of Cabaret Voltaire, Tom Sandqvist, 2006). Victor Brauner, Benjamin Fondane, and Gellu Naum belong to the notable representatives of surrealism.
Together with her husband, Romanian princess Anna de Noailles, a lyricist and a friend of Marcel Proust’s, financed the
surrealist films of Bunuel and Dalì. Romanian Isidore Isou was the founder of Lettrism, from which Guy Debord’s Situationist
International movement split off. Eugène Ionesco, the main founder of the Theatre of the Absurd, was a Romanian, as was Emil
Cioran, the nihilistic author of Amurgul gândurilor [The Twilight of Thinking] and A Short History of Decay. Romania’s great literary tradition was carried on by Paul Celan, Oskar Pastior, novelist Mircea Cărtărescu, and Nobel
laureate Herta Müller. Romanian Daniel Spoerri co-founded many artistic movements, among them Nouveau Réalisme. Romanian
André Cadere is an important representative of conceptual paining. Photographer and filmmaker Eli Lotar is
the impetus behind the new Romanian film movement. Romania’s current film generation, which includes Cristi Puiu, Christian
Mungiu, Corneliu Porumboiu, Marian Crișan, Radu Muntean, and Andrei Ujica, is considered one of the best in the
world.
As a city, Bucharest is a metropolis of modern architecture (see Romanian Modernism: The Architecture of Bucharest, 1920–1940, Luminiţa Machedon and Ernie Scoffham, 1999). Romania is an example of Europe’s misfortune, which began with
the Second World War and continued through the Cold War until 1989, with the “iron curtain of ideologies” slicing apart Eastern
and Western Europe. The selected artists, whose ranks could be augmented by hundreds of other Eastern European artists, all
made significant contributions to the development of western modernism; one need only think of constructivism. Even Hollywood
has Eastern European migrants such as Billy Wilder to thank for some of its best films. The East-West divide, which inscribed
itself into history through political power relations, not only damaged Eastern Europe, but also Western Europe. This divide
also limited and blocked the development of art in Western Europe. It was tantamount to an “auto-amputation of Europe,” one
that was tolerated for far too long.
This exhibition grants an episodic look back at the past, insight into Romania’s current, decentralized contemporary art scene
(in Bucharest, Cluj, Timișoara, Sibiu, or in the diaspora), and opens a window into the future. Viewed through
the prism or magnifying glass of art, Bucharest’s cultural landscape reveals a country that was in the grip of a long revolution
(see The Long Revolution, Raymond Williams, 1961), recovered its memories, and experienced moments of freedom after the shock of Nicolae
Ceaușescu’s dictatorship. In this sense, the Romanian art panorama offers a perspective into Europe’s future: the end
of the “auto-amputation”. In their work, some of which was created especially for the exhibition, artists of various generations
present complex themes for discussion: work, industry, and agriculture—material and form—art and example—intuition, creativity,
and teamwork—censorship or exile—religion, spirituality, and mysticism—body, space, and performance—politics and utopia—private
and public space in changing times. The ten award-winning entries in the Create Your Bucharest competition of ideas will be
shown as part of the exhibition.
Participating Artists Ovidiu Anton (* 1982) Ion Bârlădeanu (* 1946) Horia Bernea (* 1938–2000) Alexandra Bircken (* 1967) Ion Bitzan (1924–1997) Mihuț Boșcu Kafchin (* 1986) Geta Brătescu (* 1926) André Cadere (1934–1978) Mircea Cantor (* 1977)Marieta Chirulescu (* 1974) Ana Ciceala (* 1983) & Mircea Nicolae (* 1980) Andreea Ciobica (* 1986) Belu-Simion Fainaru (* 1959) Constantin Flondor (* 1936), Sigma 1 (founded 1969) Harun Farocki (1944–2014) & Andrei Ujică (* 1951) Adrian Ghenie (* 1977) Eileen Gray (1878–1976) & Jean Badovici (1893–1956) Ion Grigorescu (* 1945) Marcel Janco (1895–1984) Adolf Loos (1870–1933) Ion Lucian Murnu (1910–1984) Ciprian Mureşan (* 1977) Dan Mihaltianu (* 1954), SubREAL (founded 1990) Joachim Nica (* 1937) Mircea Nicolae (* 1980) Paul Neagu (* 1938–2004) Dan Perjovschi (* 1961) Eugenia Pop (1945–2012) Raluca Popa (* 1979) Ștefan Sava (* 1982) Daniel Spoerri (* 1930) Iulia Toma (* 1974) Andrei Ujică (* 1951)
Winners of the idea competition Create Your Bucharest Ovidiu Anton (* 1982) & Alexandru Bălășescu (* 1974), winners of the first prize Anca Benera (* 1977) & Arnold Estefan (* 1978) Larisa Crunțeanu (* 1984) & Xandra Popescu (* 1984) Carmen Secăreanu (* 1970) Rareș Tudor Pop (* 1980) Răzvan Delcea (* 1990) & Andrei Voica (* 1989) Maria Daria Oancea (* 1987) & George Octavian Marinescu (* 1989) Dragoș Olea (* 1979) Andra Răcășan (* 1991) & Elena Rucsandra Maior (* 1991) Gina Ster (* 1981)
Curators Peter Weibel (Executive Director, ZKM | Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe; Professor (emer.), University of Applied Arts
Vienna) and Bärbel Vischer (Curator, MAK Contemporary Art Collection)
For all T-Mobile customers: Discounted VIENNA BIENNALE Pass (€ 12) From 14 Sep: Discounted admission to the MAK (€ 7.50) Ideas for Change app: 2 VIENNA BIENNALE tickets for the price of 1 (€ 16) From 14 Sep: 2 MAK tickets for the price of 1 (€ 9.90)
€ 9,90 / reduced € 7,50 Free admission for children and teens up to 19
Free Admission on Tuesdays 6–10 p.m. Family ticket € 13 (two adults and at least one minor child)
Vienna 1900-Combined Ticket € 17,90 / reduced € 14,50 valid for MAK and Leopold Museum
Guided Tours
MAK TOURS – every Saturday at 11 a.m. a tour through the MAK in German; every Sunday at noon in English. Attendance fee € 2 per person, except children under 6
Special and Group Tours
by advance booking Gabriele Fabiankowitsch, Head of Educational Program and Guided Tours T +43 1 711 36-298 (Mon–Fri 10 a.m.–4 p.m.),
Multimedia Guide
for Vienna 1900: € 2
Or download the app for free to your own tablet (iOS and Android)!
Barrier Free Access
Lift at the entrance at Weiskirchnerstraße 3, accessible toilets for disabled visitors.
