Exhibition Category: Past Exhibitions

Fabien Greenberg – Me&Myself

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF MR R. (person living with HIV from Romania)

“Talking to him made me understand the inner challenges he faces in his daily life. Living with HIV in Romania is not easy because of the taboo associated with this diagnosis. However, what excited me the most is that he is trying to overcome these challenges and follow a ‘normal life’, going out for walks, going to work, going to coffee shops… still having dreams and hopes. But he still doesn’t dare reveal to his colleagues and family that he is HIV positive. Many people are afraid and don’t really know what it means to live with HIV. The series of photos taken with Mr R. is a photographic documentation of his life.” – Fabien Greenberg

Fabien Greenberg is a filmmaker and photographer. Together with producer Bård Kjøge Rønning he is part of the film company Antipode. He studied film and photography in Scotland and has an MA in art and media in London. He has directed and photographed several documentaries and short films. The artist says: “My work focuses on human experiences. I am particularly interested in how the social/political environment shapes our identity.”

Shachar Fishbain – Thoughts on a human cell

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE STORY OF THE PROJECT “WHEN CONTEMPT HELPS SOCIAL” AND ON THE ASPECTS OF THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV IN ROMANIA AND NORWAY WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROJECT

“Working on this project, I have been involved in many activities such as interviews, conversations and studies on the topic. I listened and read about life with HIV/AIDS in Romania. When I got to the actual work in the studio, I felt the need to paint a human cell, although the painting is intense and full of details, I still couldn’t get all the details of the human cell. The story of each human is a world unto itself, the painting depicts one of many people living with HIV who had to deal with all aspects, body, family, love, friendship and performance within society. It is the impression and the way I felt to express and create.” – Shachar Fishbain

Originally born, raised and educated in the visual arts in Israel, then painting and working in New York City, the artist now lives in Norway.

The artist confesses: “I developed my style and techniques during the process and experimentation. Much of my experience in New York is based in the studios where I worked with other artists and event designers. This period of my life, plus traveling around the world, has greatly influenced my creativity and creations. My style can be defined as a unique combination of figurative expression with elements of graffiti and manga art. The key elements for my art are “psychological” portraits that require research and experimentation. I use a lot of humour, taboo and sexuality to project reality. I draw inspiration, for example, from Weimar art between the two great wars and find almost any kind of contemporary art very fascinating.”

This signal exhibition is part of the project “When ContempArt helps social!” organized by Semper Musica Association. On this occasion, 15 Romanian and Norwegian artists will exhibit at the Creart Gallery 15 art works related to the difficulties and challenges of living with HIV in Norway and Romania.

Project funded through SEE 2014 – 2021 Grants within the RO-CULTURA Program.

Eva Lotta – Timeline

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF THREE ROMANIANS LIVING WITH HIV IN ROMANIA: R, D AND I

“I was inspired by all the Romanians I spoke to. They talked about stigma and prejudice. They told me about their fear of telling others that they were living with HIV and how they were treated by hospital staff. They talked about isolation. This is an issue that is reflected in their families, in their search for love and relationships. It also has consequences for their chances of getting a job and a home. I feel that people with HIV live alongside society and that the problems they face impact on many areas such as love, friendship, family and performance. My artwork is an ‘umbrella’ for all of them and shows how society mistreats these people, these bodies and these hearts.” – Eva Lota

Eva Lotta has significant experience in film, media and teaching, having studied media and film for teachers at Bislet College in Oslo. In 1989-1999 she became documentary production manager at Fenris film, and in 2008 she started acting in local films. In 2012 she became an instructor of drama and improvisation at St. Croix School of the Arts. In 2015 she started working with refugees. Her projects have been staged in different spaces and locations, including Norwegian prisons.

Simen Langeland – View

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF SEBASTIAN (person living with HIV in Romania)

“People living with HIV can face stigma and fear from their fellow citizens, this is true in a Nowegian context and is even more acute for those living with HIV in Romania. Sebastian had many challenges in this regard. HIV is considered taboo in Romanian society, for example doctors would refuse to treat Sebastian when they found out about his HIV status. Sebastian’s personal project, the online support group he runs, shows that it is difficult for people with HIV in Romania to find friendship and companionship.” – Simen Langeland

This signal exhibition is part of the project “When ContempArt helps social!” organized by Semper Musica Association. On this occasion, 15 Romanian and Norwegian artists will exhibit at the Creart Gallery 15 art works related to the difficulties and challenges of living with HIV in Norway and Romania.

Project funded through SEE 2014 – 2021 Grants within the RO-CULTURA Program.

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF MR. P (person living with HIV in Norway)

“The largest percentage, of all the sources we spoke to, gave up actually touching the HIV-infected person, even though they do not transmit the virus through touch. Also, as a consequence of this, they themselves have given up this gesture, which is a real separation from the clear social side that dominates practically all our lives and the assimilation of other ways of being part of contemporaneity, physically, even in small and very small communities, as they themselves reported. The paper makes it abundantly clear that the friendship of a person living with HIV stops in most cases at a simple touch.” – Bogdan Roșca

A sculptor by vocation, with works in stone and wood, but his favourite remains metal. He has numerous creations exhibited both in various cities in the country and abroad. His life and activities go in stages, the succession being generated by his professional path.

“All my works are dynamic and I have a particular style of expression. Some are works that contain myths, others are figurative and all are inspired by my social life, my passions and my experiences. For me it is very important that my works convey a push factor and that people understand who I am. If you understand one of my sculptures, you understand who I am, because it is a part of me.” – Bogdan Roșca

This signal exhibition is part of the project “When ContempArt helps social!” organized by Semper Musica Association. On this occasion, 15 Romanian and Norwegian artists will exhibit at the Creart Gallery 15 art works related to the difficulties and challenges of living with HIV in Norway and Romania.

Project funded through SEE 2014 – 2021 Grants within the RO-CULTURA Program.

Diana Munteanu – Love through positive sight

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF MR. E (person living with HIV in Norway)

“The aim of the work is that each viewer, sitting in front of it, to imagine themselves in the place of the central character and follow their story illustrated through shapes and symbols – from the aspirations and efforts of the person living with HIV, to embracing the sense of fulfilment of finding a soul mate and starting a happy family. The basic idea of the painting is centered on love and acceptance; after all, the way we look at others is actually a mirror of our own self and that should encourage us to love more.” – Diana Munteanu

Diana Munteanu studied painting for 3 years at the School of Arts ‘Tudor Jarda’ to develop her artistic skills and continued to practice painting as a hobby until she started to receive requests from friends. While at first she only painted for herself, along the way, she noticed that her work spoke to others and the feedback she received from outside encouraged her to create, explore more and make her presence felt online. The artist is interested in themes such as recycling/environmental protection, promoting sustainability through art and using unconventional materials for artistic purposes.

Bogdan Cazacincu – Hope

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF MR. E (person living with HIV in Norway)

“The family portrayed in the first work with strong and dynamic contrasts actually represents the support Mr. E. had from his family. The support from the family is reproduced by those stylized hands. The agitated background and that gradient element represented as one of the central subjects, is actually the inner state of Mr E. The second painting, artistically, shows the disappointment Mr E. had towards his loved one, especially the one who gave him the infection. The next two paintings are about friendship and performance.” – Bogdan Cazacincu

MURAL ARTIST OF THE GEOMETRIC SPACE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Creativity and the street art experience challenges the artist to experiment with different materials to create artworks suitable for living spaces or offices. Passionate about street art, in 2019, Bogdan Cazacincu is taking his MFA in MURAL PAINTING at the National University of Arts in Bucharest. CAZACINCU’s street art works can be seen on buildings in Bucharest, Timisoara, Sibiu, Bacau, Targu-Jiu, Constanta – cities in picturesque Romania. The artistic area the artist approaches is a geometric space of consciousness reflecting the immutable reality of the world we all know. From portraits to abstract compositions reflecting the familiar features of Pointillism and Abstract Expressionism.

This signal exhibition is part of the project “When ContempArt helps social!” organized by Semper Musica Association. On this occasion, 15 Romanian and Norwegian artists will exhibit at the Creart Gallery 15 art works related to the difficulties and challenges of living with HIV in Norway and Romania.

Project funded through SEE 2014 – 2021 Grants within the RO-CULTURA Program.

ANDREEA CHIRICĂ – THE POSITIVE LIFE

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF MR. P (person living with HIV in Norway)

“The work is a comic book narrating a conversation between the young P. and the older P. about intimacy and couple life. If they could meet, what would Mr. P. advise his younger self (or any young man or woman who is diagnosed with HIV) about today? The comic book covers issues such as sexual partners, how to deal with loneliness when living with HIV, what are common misconceptions among young people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, how they can overcome the stigma and shame of disclosing to others that they are living with HIV, and other related topics.” – Andreea Chirică

Andreea Chirică is an artist and author of graphic novels. In 2011 she published the book “The year of the pioneer” with which she participated at Comic Con New York and the Barcelona International Comic Book Fair. Her second graphic novel, “Home Alone”, was in the central exhibition of Romanian Design Week 2017 and received the award for illustration at “The most beautiful books in Romania”, also in 2017. She has published comics and illustration in The Guardian, LA Times, Die Tageszeitung, Re:public Sweden, Elle Romania, Scena9, DOR etc. She has also exhibited at Residenzpflicht Berlin, Kunstraum Walcheturm Zürich, Visual Kontakt Cluj, creart Gallery Bucharest, Centro Mora Bucharest, National Museum of Contemporary Art Bucharest etc.

SORINA VAZELINA – Hivandfriends_loveliesandties

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF MR. H (person living with HIV in Norway)

“The work is centered around the topic of love, living with HIV in toxic relationships, and the resources that are available to each of us, whether we find them within ourselves or find support in the friends around us.”

The artist’s work is a comic book that includes two stories, Ana’s story and Mr. H.’s story, both running in parallel. While Ana is considering a quest, Mr. H tells the story of how and when he found out he was living with HIV and the impact this status has had on him.

Illustrator. One half graphic designer, one quarter illustrator and one quarter comic author (scene9). So far she has worked in two visual communication studios: Synopsis Media, in Timișoara, and It’s Everyday, in Bucharest. Her comics have been published by Hardcomics, Kus Komics, Centrala UK and Novo Doba Belgrade. She used to be a contributor to the magazines: Esquire, Playboy and Regard. Some of the projects she has been involved in include: the visual identity for the White Night of Galleries in Bucharest, 100towatch.ro and George’s Book, a compendium of Romanian cartoonists. In 2015 she won the prize for the best limited edition book in the competition „The Most Beautiful Books in Romania”.

This signal exhibition is part of the project “When ContempArt helps social!” organized by Semper Musica Association. On this occasion, 15 Romanian and Norwegian artists will exhibit at the Creart Gallery 15 art works related to the difficulties and challenges of living with HIV in Norway and Romania.

Project funded through SEE 2014 – 2021 Grants within the RO-CULTURA Program.

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF MISS D (person living with HIV in Norway)

„The installation includes three concepts, namely LOVE, FRIENDSHIP and PERFORMANCE, but treated under a single concept of questioning the speeds to which the material we interact with is subjected. When I say speeds, I mean the speed at which the earth spins around its own axis, the speed of the gravitational force pushing the planet around the sun, and the speed at which the universe expands and accelerates. All three of these speeds, though it may not seem like it, make matter dance. Through this dance we all belong to each other and not just to ourselves. Life with HIV is represented by one of the characters.” – Daniel Sascău

Daniel Sascău started studying art in 9th grade, when he was admitted to the George Apostu National High School of Arts in Bacau. He was the student of the teacher and great artist Ovidiu Marciuc. Since the 9th grade he started to participate in international art symposiums, in art camps with artists from the country and abroad. He is currently a master student at the George Enescu National University of Arts in Iasi, at the Faculty of Visual Arts and Design, Graphic Design section. He has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions, national and international symposiums.

This signal exhibition is part of the project “When ContempArt helps social!” organized by Semper Musica Association. On this occasion, 15 Romanian and Norwegian artists will exhibit at the Creart Gallery 15 art works related to the difficulties and challenges of living with HIV in Norway and Romania.

Project funded through SEE 2014 – 2021 Grants within the RO-CULTURA Program.

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF MISS D (person living with HIV in Norway)

In this context, through his practice, the artist wants to put into perspective the subject of the family and the implications it has in different situations in the lives of those living with HIV. The work refers to the path of Miss D., since her arrival in Norway and the new family she enters, the adaptation to the new family and social system of which she becomes part when she is diagnosed with HIV – from the type of support provided within her family to accessing the services of a local center for people living with HIV and her personal and emotional development to this day.

His artistic and curatorial practice is oriented towards different directions of social niches and micro-societies, but also with areas of orientation towards new technologies and new media. The possibility of exploring the artist and the opportunity to offer a broad perspective in this area of people living with HIV, gives him the chance to expand a number of ramifications in terms of personal connections developed in this area, 2 years ago.

This signal exhibition is part of the project “When ContempArt helps social!” organized by Semper Musica Association. On this occasion, 15 Romanian and Norwegian artists will exhibit at the Creart Gallery 15 art works related to the difficulties and challenges of living with HIV in Norway and Romania.

Project funded through SEE 2014 – 2021 Grants within the RO-CULTURA Program.

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF MR. E (person living with HIV in Norway)

„In this work we scaled and reinterpreted the symbol of HIV – the red ribbon and the act by which HIV is detected, respectively by the rapid HIV testing performed with a needle prick . The material symbolizes blood, skin, body, the presence of someone who is or is likely to be HIV positive, emotion. The paper actually represents the moment when Mr. E. found out that he is infected with HIV. He was sitting in a gray chair, in the office, immediately after the HIV test. On the material are sewn the answers of Mr. E. to the question what is love, how should love be now, how can those living with HIV respond to the situation. ” – Cătălina Gubandru

Cătălina Gubandru attended the International Ballet School in Kiev, Ukraine, and in Bucharest Romania and has a degree in Performing Arts from the Choreography Department of the National University of Theatre and Film Bucharest, 2004. The artist’s works are about the presence and experience of the body in space. as an artist (performer) and spectator. She works mainly with the basic definition of a show, in which there is performer, audience, context (frame) and statement-argument. She has created projects in national and international artistic residencies and she presented her works in exhibitions, dance festivals, platforms and art galleries in Romania and abroad.

This signal exhibition is part of the project “When ContempArt helps social!” organized by Semper Musica Association. On this occasion, 15 Romanian and Norwegian artists will exhibit at the Creart Gallery 15 art works related to the difficulties and challenges of living with HIV in Norway and Romania.

Project funded through SEE 2014 – 2021 Grants within the RO-CULTURA Program.

BALCONUL – MARIUS LUPOIAN

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF MR. C (person living with HIV in Norway)

“B A L C O N U L is a short art film with a strong social and educational message. The main character is Luca, a young student who gets HIV without knowing how or where. His life takes a dramatic turn when he announces to his family that he is living with this virus. Through this film, the artist aims to highlight a worrying scourge in the society in which we live – ISOLATION: ours towards others, others towards ours, ours towards ourselves.” – Marius Lupoian

Marius Florin Lupoian has 33 years old and he is a director, actor, helicopter pilot and cultural manager. He graduated from the Faculty of Performing Arts in 2009 in the class of Suto Andras and also has a Master Degree in Directing at the U.A. Tg. Mureș. As an actor he has performed both in independent theatres and national or state theatres. We mention roles like Mundo in Roosevelt Square directed by Radu Afrim, Barnardo in Hamlet, directed by Ada Lupu, Ernst in Spring Awakening , directed by Cristian Ban (T.N. M.Eminescu Timișoara).

FLOARE / FLOWER – THOMAS JOHANSEN & JORGE LERA

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF MR. C (person living with HIV in Romania)

“The word FLOWER was mentioned by Sebastian during the interview he had with the artists. I asked him: when you put aside all your definitions, preferences and personality, who are you? He replied: A flower. We see Sebastian as a bright, confident person who loves to help and support others living with HIV. Helping them to be strong and showing them the opportunity to live a happy life even with HIV in Romania.” – Thomas Johansen & Jorge Lera

The artists’ names are Thomas Johansen, 42, and Jorge Orlando Lera, 41. They both live in Oslo, Norway. Jorge is a Polish artist with experience in contemporary dance, and Thomas is a dancer who discovered pole dance in November 2020. The two began training, exploring and creating together, mixing pole dance and contemporary dance. This year the two performed at Pride Art Oslo 2021.

“Our work is always influenced and inspired by human relationships in all its forms. We are curious and we are searching topics in the direction of identity, intimacy, distance and belonging. We both have people in our lives who are living with HIV. ”

VANJA MARIE LARSEN & FREDRIK LINDBERG NIELSEN

THE WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF MR. C (person living with HIV in Romania)

“Our vision for the film is to create a poetic image in the form of a video essay, which takes a stand and answers the question: What is it like to live with HIV/AIDS in Romania? Thus, the film presents pictures of everyday life in Romania (streets, parks, etc.). After the meeting with Dan in which we discover his unique situation, we both agreed that the film should describe a person’s perspective and his thoughts about what is it like to live with HIV: challenges, family, shame, emotions, loneliness, love, fear, hope… ”

They are a small film team founded in 2011. Since then, they have mainly made documentaries, films and commercials for various media and NGOs active in the field of health. A common feature in their films has always been to present in a powerful way vulnerable stories.

“The new living conditions have constantly led us to new topics, which, for us are important topics that we need to talk about and pass on. There are things that we have experienced, that we want to continue to share.” – Vanja Marie Larsen & Fredrik Lidberg Nielsen

This signal exhibition is part of the project “When ContempArt helps social!” organized by Semper Musica Association. On this occasion, 15 Romanian and Norwegian artists will exhibit at the Creart Gallery 15 art works related to the difficulties and challenges of living with HIV in Norway and Romania.

Project funded through SEE 2014 – 2021 Grants within the RO-CULTURA Program 

THE ART WORK IS BASED ON THE LIFE STORY OF MR. C (person living with HIV in Norway)

„I did an imagination exercise trying to empathize with people living with HIV and I felt an imperative need to develop and interpret, from my perspective, the relationship of HIV-positive people with love. The plastic wrap used in my photos is the leitmotif of my project, the synthesis of the relationship that I can observe between people with HIV and the others. This seemingly imperceptible barrier symbolizes the ambiguity that uninformed people have about the lives of those living with HIV.”

Mădălina Costache has recently graduated the Master in Painting at the National University of Arts in Bucharest and is part of the new generation of visual artists of the Union of Visual Artists from Romania. Although her professional training is based on painting, in recent years she has experienced very different backgrounds – she has participated in painting, photography, installation, performance and sculpture projects. Following these experiments, she came to the conclusion that the subject is the one who requires the technique and the environment in which the project should be materialized. The main areas in which she manifested himself lately were painting and photography.

This signal exhibition is part of the project “When ContempArt helps social!” organized by Semper Musica Association. On this occasion, 15 Romanian and Norwegian artists will exhibit at the Creart Gallery 15 art works related to the difficulties and challenges of living with HIV in Norway and Romania.

Project funded through SEE 2014 – 2021 Grants within the RO-CULTURA Program