“Beginning in full isolation, on April 20th , and continuing until June 20th, AR(t)EST brought together 64 people from the cultural area, visual artists, curators, theater people, filmmakers, musicians, choreographers, writers, journalists, who shared  photos from the reclusion period, which were accompanied by a text. They were all published on the FB and Instagram accounts of VAR Association, every day, at a fixed time. The guests managed to bring spectacular images even from isolation. In turn, the cumulative texts formed a map of subjectivities, this time a non-interactive one because of the pandemic. While staying at home in pyjamas, people seem to take off not only their work clothes, but also their social faces. Being condemned to isolation, they were forced to reflect on the essential things of life, too: a luxury, if we think about the recent years’ pace. The special conditions of the pandemic have brought a certain distance and detachment, strangely mixed with the air of intimacy in everyone’s home. At home, the guard is down. Life is made up of details that in the outside world would have been considered irrelevant. But the sum resulting from the personal tone, in which each author comes with his syntax, rhythm, concerns and with his amusement, configures the collectivity’s diary in times of pandemic. Honesty, authenticity, domesticity and passion are joined together in a totally different context than before.”  Cristina Rusiecki, theater critic.

In order of appearance:

Electric Brother & Vlaicu Golcea – composers; Helmut Stürmer – stage designer; Andreiana Mihail – cultural promoter; Florin Lăzărescu – writer; Olga Diana Török – actress; Alexandru Potecă – visual artist; Elise Wilk – playwright; Cristian Crisbășan – photographer; Arcadie Rusu –  Director at Linotip, Independent Choreography Centre; Ioana Marchidan – Artistic Director at Linotip, Independent Choreography Centre; Ana Maria Pleșcan – TV journalist; Radu Jude – theatre director; Cristina Milea – visual artist; Răzvan Popovici – violist and executive director at SoNoRo Festival; Ilina Schileru – memory hoarder; Horea Avram – art historian, cultural manager; Claudia Ieremia – actress; Marius Petrescu – architect; Iuliana Lungu – poet & Liviu Sas – autorul fotografiei; Mihai Păcurar – artist; Bianca Preda-Bălănică – archaeologist; Alexandru Berceanu – theatre director; Andrea Gavriliu – choreographer; UFe – Dj; Vero Nica – creator, project manager; Francisc Chiuariu – painter; Ruxandra Maria Petre – photographer; Mihai Zgondoiu – artist/curator/independent gallerist/professor at UNArte & UVT-Arte; Coțofana – blogger; Ștefan Peca – playwright; Gabriela Țopa – researcher in ethnography & associate at Radio Antena Satelor;

Bogdan Mureșanu – screenwriter and film director; Lucia Mărneanu – visual artist; Vlad Conovaru – radio producer at Tananana; Raisa Ane – performer; Dan Coman – writer; Corina Boboc – fashion designer; Ion Dumitrescu – performer/musician/speculative philosopher; Judith Dobre – theatre person; Cornel Lazia – photographer; Andra Hera – film director; Claudiu Mihail – actor; Cristina Rusiecki – theatre critic; Marius Tănăsescu – visual artist; Maria Popovici & Alexandru Minculescu – actors/comedians; Eugen Marinescu – architect; Laura T. Ilea – writer; Eduard Gabia – ”I used to be a conceptual artist, but I am ok now”; Dilmana Yordanova – visual artist; Sorin Miron – Presan – actor; Anca Poterașu- art hunter; Lorin Ghiman – lecturer, translator; Luiza Zan – musician;

Gabi Stamate – (1958-2020) visual artist; Alexandra Ion – archaeological storyteller about human bones and scientists who study them; Marius Olteanu – film director; Raluca Ilaria Demetrescu – visual artist; Cezar Stănciulescu – composer/sound designer/lead singer at ROA; Apai Emeșe – first of all mediator (offcial: curator); Andu Dumitrescu – framed creator; Luiza Preda – photographer; Ștefan Teișanu – cultural manager.

Project supported by Impuls Leasing