Contemporar is preparing for the following exhibitions that will be open to the public from February 19 to March 14, 2025 – “La Bine and La Rău / Through Thick and Thin” (organized by MATCA artspace) and “Run Artist Run” (organized by Lateral ArtSpace).
The opening of the two exhibitions will take place on Wednesday, February 19 at 6:00 pm, and on Thursday, February 20, the public is invited to a public debate in relation to the two exhibitions on the theme of artist-run spaces, coordinated by the artists.
Dan Perjovschi, Cristina Curcan, Lucian Indrei, Alexandra Mocan will take part in the debate, moderated by Mihai Iepure-Górski.
Admission to all Contemporar events is free. Initiated by the Cluj Cultural Center and the Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj, Contemporar is located in the premises of the Academic College of UBB Cluj/Auditorium Maximum, 5 Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, ground floor, Cluj-Napoca.
La Bine și La Rău / Through Thick and Thin
Organiser: MATCA artspace
Artists: Alina Andrei, Ana Avram, Sasha Bandi, Dan Beudean, Alexandru Mihai Budeș & Lisa Marie Schmitt, Vlad Brăteanu, Flaviu Cacoveanu, Oana Fărcaș, Camilia Filipov, Alexandra Mocan, MuLu, Alexandru Muraru, Cătălina Nistor, Mihai Teodorescu, Matei Toșa, Ziar
„La Bine și La Rău / Through Thick and Thin” is an exhibition that explores relationships, solidarity and resistance in artistic communities, reflecting both on our own role as an artist-run space and on the commitment of artists to maintain their work in difficult contexts.
Through this intervention in the Contemporar space, we seek to say something about the marginal way in which art is supported in Romania, a place where, in the absence of alternative structures such as artist-run spaces, or other independent collectives, there are not many institutions dedicated to contemporary art, and especially institutions that collaborate with young artists.
Through this exhibition and our work in general, we seek to reclaim the place and importance of artists who have something to say when it is still their time. A local contemporary arts center should look outward as well as inward, locating and encouraging the development of the arts by keeping a close eye on significant activities that lay the foundations for the development of the sector.
MATCA artspace is an independent artist-run space in Cluj-Napoca, reconfigured from a former leather workshop. Initiated in 2017 by Alexandra Mocan, Alexandru Muraru and Matei Toșa, the space was formulated to address the need for accessible platforms for local artists.
Run Artist Run
Organiser: Lateral ArtSpace
Artists: Dragoș Bădiță, Cristina Curcan (musz), Lucian Indrei.
The Run Artist Run exhibition aims to give visibility to the invisible work behind an artist-run initiative, the social involvement it entails and the human connections it nurtures. It is an opportunity to honor the myriad forms of an artist-run initiative and to identify the efforts behind it by showcasing archival elements specific to these cultural entities as well as by presenting works by artists Dragoș Bădiță, Cristina Curcan (musz), Lucian Indrei.
Lateral ArtSpace is an independent contemporary art platform initiated in April 2012, in Cluj-Napoca, as an experimental platform for young and emerging artists, with a focus on dialog between local and international artists.
Debate “On artist-run spaces: a subjective analysis of some recent initiatives”
Artist-run spaces and the people who run them face challenges such as financial instability, short lifespan and dependence on funding or personal investment coupled with a significant dose of self-exploitation and burnout.
Many of these initiatives appear to be unsustainable and operate in deeply precarious conditions, yet their impact on the local scene is undeniable, influencing both the institutional and commercial spheres.
Cristina Curcan, Lucian Indrei, Alexandra Mocan, Alexandra Mocan, Dan Perjovschi will discuss the topic on Thursday, February 20 at 6pm at Contemporar. The moderator will be Mihai Iepure-Górski.
Contemporar is a pilot space for research, dialog, knowledge and exhibition, dedicated to the contemporary art scene in Cluj, Romania and is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 15:00 – 19:00 at the UBB Academic College/Auditorium Maximum, 5 Mihail Kogălniceanu Street.
This part of the program is realized with the curatorial contribution of the Young Actions and Abstractions Association, and the space and the program are curated with the support of Mihai Pop, member of the Board of Directors of the Clujean Cultural Center and founder of Plan B Gallery.
Bilateral initiative implemented by the Project Management Unit of the Ministry of Culture, as RO-CULTURA Program Operator, in partnership with Arts and Culture Norway, as Program Partner, and funded with the support of EEA and Norwegian Grants 2014 -2021 through the National Bilateral Fund,
managed by the National Contact Point of the Ministry of Investment and European Projects.
The project’s objectives
- the development and presentation of a contemporary art program comprising 3 exhibitions and 3 public talks, between November 2024 and February 2025.
- stimulating bilateral collaboration and co-production, by involving one Romanian and one Norwegian artist in a one-week artistic residency.
- strengthening international cooperation through the participation of two cultural professionals from Romania and one from Norway in an exchange visit to Norway.
The total amount of funding is 621.946,21 lei, equivalent to 124.979,14 euro. Total amount of non reimbursable support from EEA and Norwegian Grants is 100%
The project runs from October 28, 2024 to February 28, 2025.
About EEA and Norway Grants
The EEA and Norway Grants are Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway’s contribution to a green, competitive and inclusive Europe. There are two overarching objectives: to reduce economic and social disparities in Europe and to strengthen bilateral relations between the donor countries and 15 EU countries in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltic States. The three donor countries cooperate closely with the EU through the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement. Between 1994 and 2014, donors provided €3.3 billion through consecutive grant schemes. For the period 2014-2021, EEA and Norwegian grants amount to €2.8 billion.
About the RO-CULTURA Program
RO-CULTURA Program is implemented by the Ministry of Culture through the Management Unit
Project Management Unit and its general objective is to strengthen economic and social development through cultural cooperation, cultural entrepreneurship and cultural heritage management. The program budget is approximately 34 million euro. More details are available on www.ro-cultura.ro.
