19 Aug Speculative Failures
As I grow older, every day comes with a revelation on how art constantly shapes my existence. In the climate that we live in, it’s comforting to know there are still people who choose not to perpetuate the chaos, and opt for a different route – taking their knowledge and observations and turning them into something beneficial, profound, that actually has a positive impact on today’s society- the artists. Last Friday I was lucky to celebrate my birthday by catching the “Speculative Failures” show at White Cuib in Cluj-Napoca.
White Cuib is an artist-run space in Cluj which I have admired from afar for a long time, as there have been some years since I last visited the city. As always, Instagram is a great space for me to keep up with their exhibitions, but I was so curious how the space looked in real life. It lives up to its name, which is a clever play on white cube galleries and “cuib” (which translates as “nest” from Romanian)- the gallery felt intimate and cosy, I loved being in such proximity to the artworks.
Curated by Simion Cernica, featuring works by Marius Bercea, Dan Beudean, Sebastian Big, Simion Cernica, Radu Comșa, Camilia Filipov, Ciprian Mureșan, George Roșu, Șerban Savu and Ruxandra Șerban, the show highlights the need to learn from our miscalculations as a society and turn the errors into prolific actions, before it’s too late. On one hand, these past years have taught me that what I would read in the books and refuse to acknowledge for some time is actually a fact: history is cyclical, and the world is going full speed into repeating some of the most disastrous atrocities. On the other hand, we are also living in uncharted territory, as the technology boom and massive waste of our planet’s resources bring so much uncertainty about the future. What’s the way out of this complex conundrum? I wish I could tell, but it soothes me that in this flawed universe relational art exists, that there are people as acutely aware of the disastrous changes and actually manage to spark an important conversation through their art.
As you enter the exhibition space, you are greeted by Sebastian Big ‘s painting which is a proposition for artists: in order to take a break from the emotional turmoil, every artist should get away once in a while to a mud bath resort. This can also work as a reference to one of the most popular vacation spots people would choose when Romania was under the Communist regime: I remember how my father would always tell me stories how for him family vacation was a nightmare growing up, as his parents would always opt for mud baths, so he never got to swim in the sea – he was stuck with a lake and the vivid memory of people covered in the messy black sludge. For some reason, when I saw the painting, the first thing that came to mind was the story of how Salvador Dali and his wife Gala would always travel for rejuvenation treatments to the Ana Aslan institute in Romania once a year.
Let’s move to the chameleon in the room. Although Șerban Savu ‘s approach to representing the lizard in such distinctive colors, making it stand out instead of blending in with the surroundings, would incline you towards thinking this is precisely the element you are supposed to notice, this painting reminded me once again about the beauty of art and how people interpret it through their own feelings and experiences. I must confess for me the center of interest quickly shifted towards the background: there they were, so many of the speculative failures of my last year. It took us a whole year to renovate an old apartment, partly because of insufficient funds, but also because we were acutely unprepared for the challenges we would encounter. It felt like a never-ending saga, full of compromise and adjustments, but when I looked at this painting I saw the renovation with new eyes- I am aware it was an event which matured us, which we had to go through in order to gain a new perspective on life.
Dan Beudean ‘s drawing is a testament to monumental precision, but also an insight into how we remember particular aspects about the people in our life. The character is inspired by the artist’s recollection of his aunt and her habits, only in the artwork the artist depicts himself in her place.
It was insightful to be able to see another artwork by Radu Comșa. I remember in the summer of 2020 we were so panicked about the pandemic that his show at MNAC in the Marble Room, “Reductionist Debate in 4 Colours”, was the only thing that determined us to take a trip to Bucharest. I’m glad we got to experience how the colors integrated into the woolen rugs, mannequins and pullovers, it is to this day still ingrained in my memory as one of the most astounding installation views.
From the first artwork I ever discovered by George Roșu to his “Relevant Artist” badge, it seems my mind goes through the same impactful cycle every time I encounter his art: at first, I revel at the humorous statement, then I admire how he came up with such a clever observation, and after that, the real questions start kicking in. I also love the specific mediums he chooses for the different messages he delivers: it can be a drawing, a poster on the street, a key chain or in this particular situation a badge.
Simion Cernica is also the curator of the show, and if you speak Romanian, you should absolutely read the curatorial text, it’s a sharp radiography of our contemporary struggles as a society. Seeing the painting techniques he employs, the influence of the urban space, the choice of textual elements in his artwork I felt the turbulence of the present, the fast pace, the ubiquitous questions on where do we go from here.
Marius Bercea ‘s installation takes one of the artist’s paintings depicting a Cluj-Napoca neighborhood to a new dimension. Originally, when this quarter was designed, in the Communist era, the architects envisioned an oasis of nature surrounding the buildings. Twenty years later, there was sudden crowding of blocks, but the new additions had a different height, so the neighborhood became a mix between 10 and 4 storey constructions, as it also happened in other major cities in Romania. Although the green spaces were suddenly reduced, there is still a better ratio compared to other parts of Cluj. The alternating architectural choices are depicted in the background, while the build-up of multiple layers of green paint is brought to the front, perhaps symbolizing the most important aspect of a healthy urban space. The universe created is taken one step further with the brilliant addition of figurines, thus portraying a familiar scene of the neighborhood. For those of us who live or have lived in Romania, it’s fascinating to recognize typologies, like the secret police service officer. What made me relate even more to this artwork is the fact that I live in a neighborhood which is the equivalent in other city, it’s impressive how it has the same history and luckily still many trees left around. Even when I see the group of characters in the right, I can imagine the conversation they’re having, because I feel like I meet them outside on a daily basis.
I loved Camilia Filipov ‘s art for how it made me realize that the genesis of a drawing is also the beginning of an end for the physical tool used by the artist. This full circle of crayons made me once again acknowledge the fact that life is a sum of stages and every end of a phase comes with a perspective of a new start.
Ciprian Mureșan ‘s sculpture is a nailed hand, which made me think of the religious references the artist employs. I found the artist’s choice of horseshoe nails incredibly interesting, as it enhances the feeling of torture and torment.
“Dance and fail, again and again, finding the Exit” – Simion Cernica
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