“’Empty Space’ is a long-standing project of mine in which I explore the reconstruction of absence and presence. The works are part of a series that investigates the mystery of the PLACE awaiting its explorers, and they have been specifically selected from different periods and working techniques. The project explores the paradox whereby the disappearance of the physical body becomes a form of presence. It is not about an empty space, but about a space ‘inhabited’ by memory.” – Bogdan Pelmuș

“The solo show ‘Empty Space’ synthesizes a decade of visual research and conceptual reflection in the practice of visual artist Bogdan Pelmuș, shaping an artistic approach oriented toward an affective and deeply subjective mapping of the space. In his visual universe, “LOC” (Romanian for “PLACE,” a term also used in the titles of works from the series created on reclaimed plate) suspends its function as a geographical landmark or topographical coordinate and becomes a mnemonic structure, an inner territory where memory, absence, and perceptual experience settle in layers. Thus, space is no longer understood as a measurable physical extension, but as a sensitive archive of human traces, as the latent surface of a presence that persists beyond immediate materiality. In today’s world, dominated by the proliferation of virtual environments and the gradual replacement of direct experience with digital, virtual, and artificial simulations, the cassette installations created by Bogdan Pelmuș function as visual anchors that reintroduce physicality and memory into the fragile order of reality. At the same time, they remind us to a large extent of “Neagu’s Boxes,” both in terms of mode of expression and, above all, with regard to the principle of composition-decomposition. The formal minimalism of these structures, however, conceals a subtle emotional density: the seemingly austere surfaces become receptacles of a tension between the visible and the invisible, between presence and disappearance. The exhibition selection is complemented by a sound installation conceived specifically for this project, an auditory layer that expands the sensory experience of the space and amplifies the immersive dimension of Pelmuș’s approach.” – Ana Daniela Sultana

Bogdan Pelmuș (b. 1974, Tulcea) is a visual artist based in Bucharest, a graduate of UNArte Bucharest with a major in painting, and a member of the Romanian Artists’ Union (UAP).  In 2008, he received the “Constantin Brâncuși” scholarship awarded by the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France, and in 2001 he received the UAP Young Artists scholarship. He is a founding member of the artistic groups Sursa Group, Manifestare Hibrid, NIT Gallery / Atelier 35, and Loading Open LAB artist-run space. His exhibition activity includes, in addition to numerous solo and group exhibitions, participation in biennials such as the Bucharest Biennale / BB3 (2008), EBienale (2013, 2015), and Art Encounters (2017).

Ana Daniela Sultana is a curator, writer, and CREART advisor, a graduate of the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. She publishes articles in ARTA magazine, Orizonturi Culturale Italo-Române, and on agentiadecarte.ro. She collaborates with institutions such as RCI Istanbul, RCI Vienna, RCI Venice, the Austrian Cultural Forum in Bucharest, the Timișoara Art Museum, Kunsthalle Feldbach, Aluniș Art Center, and numerous contemporary art galleries.