The symbol of the heart appears recurrently in the artistic practice of Otto Constantin both in his paintings and in his installations. It is depicted directly, as the heart of the city or as slot machine icon, but also indirectly, for example by choosing the couple as the subject in some of his works. Either way, regardless if there are couples, hearts or cities, there is always a Balkan touch to his works. Essentially, this selection is made of pieces from his long-term project Liberté, égalité, anxiété, that was on view last year in Cluj, and pieces from his latest series titled Emotional Pollution, which is somehow related to this long-term project, but can function independently. Otto Constantin works mainly conceptually thus titles are of great importance to him as they often constitute the starting point in his artistic production. This is also the case of Emotional Pollution – the series and the exhibition. Through this solo show we get the opportunity to discover the style of Otto Constantin (for those who are unfamiliar with the artist) or to see his latest works (for those who already know his artistic journey). – Ana Daniela Sultana

The heart is a symbol of life and emotions. In our attempt to warm up and create a comfortable space or even heal, we can contaminate those around us with our moods and actions. I believe we are responsible for the feelings that we show on the outside. The series Emotional Pollution is about this kind of awareness, about our responsibility towards the way we affect others through our state of being. – Otto Constantin

Otto Constantin (b. 1990) is originally from Constanța. In 2009 he graduated from Queen Mary National Highschool from Constanța and in 2012 from The National University of Art from Bucharest, Painting Department. He exhibited in group and solo shows held at Accademia di Romania a Roma, The National Museum of Contemporary Art from Bucharest, The Romanian Cultural Institute in Lisbon, Via Pontica Festival in Balcic, Street Delivery Bucharest and Street Art International Festival from Sibiu. His most recent exhibitions are a solo show held at La Cave Gallery from the Franch Institute in Cluj (2023) and a group show held at the Gallery from The Atatürk Cultural Center in Istanbul (2023).

Ana Daniela Sultana is a curator and columnist, who graduated from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. Her articles appear in ARTA magazine, Romanian-Italian Cultural Horizons and on agentiadecarte.ro. She collaborates with institutions such as creart – the Center for Creation, Art and Tradition of Bucharest, the International Cultural Centre in Krakow, the Romanian Cultural Institute in Istanbul, the Romanian Cultural Institute in Vienna, the Austrian Cultural Forum in Bucharest, the Museum of Bucharest, the Literature Museum in Bucharest, the Art Museum of Timișoara, Kunsthalle Feldbach, Aluniș Art Center and with various contemporary art galleries.