Claudiu Ciobanu - UTOPIAN BODY, Artep Gallery, Iasi

Come to the Artep Gallery in Iași for the UTOPIAN BODY exhibition, open until October 26, 2024, for a unique interpretation of identity through the perspective of artist Claudiu Ciobanu.

"Claudiu Ciobanu analyzes and reflects on both the methods of representation and types of discourse, constructing his own utopia by choosing to paint only heads—symbols of the mind. These heads are devoid of age, gender, race, or distinctive features, serving as a universal canvas for the viewer's interpretation. They are neutral, suggesting that the mind is the generator of all connections, perceptions, and identities. (...) In UTOPIAN BODY, Claudiu Ciobanu invites us to look beyond our material dimension, to delve into the mind's eye and discover the true essence of our humanity—fragile and strong, vulnerable and capable," explains the exhibition’s curator, Cristiana Ursache.

 

Claudiu Ciobanu is part of the younger generation of artists from Iași and a graduate of the Faculty of Visual Arts and Design at the George Enescu National University of Arts in Iași. He pursued painting studies through the Erasmus program at the Universidad de Salamanca, Spain, where he explored experimental painting and drawing techniques. His studies in Spain culminated in an exhibition project of drawings that was later selected in 2009 for the Young Romanian Art 10 exhibition, "Slightly Bored," curated by Mircea Nicolae at the Nouă Gallery, Romanian Cultural Institute in Venice. He has participated in various national and international projects, exhibiting in Israel, Washington, Berlin, and Vienna. In 2022, he presented SOLARIS, an art installation curated by Cristian Nae at Artep Gallery, and in 2023, Memento Vivere, an art exhibition curated by Cristiana Ursache at the Romanian Cultural Institute in Vienna. Born in 1984, Claudiu Ciobanu lives and works in Iași.

 

Cristiana Ursache is a curator at the Artep Gallery in Iași. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree from the "George Enescu" University of Arts Iași in Art History and Theory and Theories and Practices in Visual Arts. She is currently conducting research at the doctoral school of the same university, focusing on curatorial practices in Romania between 2000 and 2023. She has also attended courses at universities in Spain and Switzerland, such as the Escuela de Arte de Sevilla through the Erasmus+ scholarship program and the Zurich University of the Arts, where she deepened her knowledge of The Emancipated Audience – Experiential Curatorial Knowledge Production. She has curated exhibitions both in Romania and abroad, featuring artists such as Ștefan Câlția, Sorin Ilfoveanu, Claudiu Ciobanu, and Miruna Radovici. In the summer of 2022, she served as a cultural mediator at the Romanian Pavilion during the 59th Venice Biennale.

 

The exhibition is the result of Claudiu Ciobanu’s research on the theme of body politics, conducted within the framework of the Artistic Residence 110 project, developed by the Artep Gallery Association and co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN). The project is dedicated to developing creative residencies for artists and curators from Iași and Berlin. The artistic residency program running throughout 2024 is based on the specific partnership between the Iași-based Artep Gallery Association and the Berlin-based Haus der Kulturen der Welt (House of World Cultures).

 

Organizer: Artep Gallery Association
Main Partner: Haus der Kulturen der Welt
Partners: George Enescu National University of Arts in Iași, Multidisciplinary Research Institute in Art, PROPAGARTA, Empower Artists, Modernism, PIN Magazine, Destination Iași
Cultural project co-financed by: National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN)
The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the project's results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the funding recipient.

SELF AND SHADOW: UNMASKING CONTEMPORARY IDENTITY, MERON GALLERY, CLUJ-NAPOCA

 

 

The exhibition is open for visiting from July 11th to August 16th at Meron Gallery, Horea, no. 5.

Claudiu Ciobanu, a renowned artist whose works are a remarkable testament to his unique vision and deep awareness of contemporary issues, explores the human condition and pressing current themes such as technological advancement. The exhibition “Self and Shadow: Unmasking Contemporary Identity” offers a profound exploration of this theme, inviting visitors on an introspective journey where the boundaries between human and technological blur, and the quest for self-understanding becomes a central narrative.

As visitors step into the exhibition space, they are immediately enveloped in a world where identities are camouflaged, and reality is layered with deep meanings. The journey begins with Claudiu’s evocative paintings, where characters are often hidden behind natural elements such as plants, reflective surfaces like mirrors, or translucent materials. This deliberate obfuscation invites viewers to embark on their own journey of self-exploration, challenging them to question their perceptions and relationships with the world around them.

The central theme of Claudiu Ciobanu’s works is that of camouflaged identities. The characters are presented in a state of concealment, partially masked by vegetation or reflective surfaces. This motif of hidden identities serves as a metaphor for the complex and often obscure nature of self-identity in the modern world.

Claudiu Ciobanu (b. 1984; lives and works in Iași, Romania) is a figurative painter whose recent works are a remarkable testament to his unique vision and deep awareness of contemporary issues. Claudiu Ciobanu uses personal photography and allegorical imagery to explore the human condition and contemporary issues such as climate change, technology, and posthumanism. In his works, he often hides the identity of his characters, inviting viewers to reflect on their own relationship with the world around them. His characters, whether camouflaged by plants, mirrors, or hidden behind transparent surfaces, seem to seek a deeper understanding of themselves and the world.

The 110 Artistic Residency is a program developed by the Artep Gallery Association in partnership with the Berlin institution Haus der Kulturen der Welt (House of World Cultures) and co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN).

Visual artist Claudiu Ciobanu will deepen the theme of body politics in a specific residency in Berlin in April 2024.