ESTETICA RELAIONAL N CONTEXTUL ARTEI ROMNETI

DUP 1990

MariaOROSANTELEA

UniversitateadeVestdinTimioara,FacultateadeArteiDesign,
Email:mariaorosantelea@gmail.com

Rezumat: Estetica relaional reprezint cu concept esenial

pentru teoria artei contemporane, pe care criticul francez
Nicolas Bourriaud l aplic unor practici artistice aprute n
perioada anilor 90. Acesta vorbete despre un tip de art vie,
trit i experimentat n mod direct de artist i de grupul de
persoane implicate. Prezentul articol i propune s
urmreasc modul n care contextul artistic romnesc din
perioada postcomunist va integra demersuri care au i
aceast component relaional. Cazurile identificate i
analizate acoper o perioad de aproape zece ani. Primele
exemple de proiecte ncadrabile esteticii relaionale apar n
Romnia la mijlocul anilor 90 i au, n general, un discurs
critic la adresa problemelor cu care societatea romneasc se
confrunt.
Cuvinte cheie: estetic relaional, contemporaneitate,
postcomunism, art conceptual,

INTRODUCERE

ncontextulactualeiteoriiaarteicarecontientizeazdepirea
postmodernismului i ncearc identificarea unor caracteristici
coagulantepentrumicrileartisticededup
unadintrecelemai
specifice tendine este cea descris i analizat de Nicolas Bourriaud la
sfritul anilor
. n studiul su Estetica relaional, publicat n
,
acesta vorbete despre o form de art n care experiena direct a
convivialitiidevinemedium-uldelucrualartistului,materialuldincare
acesta produce opera. Estetica relaional vine ca rspuns al artei la o
societate care transform individul ntro entitate izolat, artificial
relaional.Eapresupuneangrenareanactulartisticaunorenergiicare
depesc individualitatea artistului i vizeaz interaciunea uman,
relaionareapeplansocial.Finalitateaactuluiartisticnumaiestenmod
necesarceadereprezentarealumiiexterioare,cidestabilirederaporturi
ntre entiti sociale. Asta nu nseamn ns c nu o i reprezint.
Gesturile,atitudinile,comportamentelermnsemnificative,chiardacse
sustrag modalitilor clasice de semnificare n art. n cadrul cercetrii
WillGompertz,O istorie a artei moderne, EdituraPolirom,)ai,

,p.

doctorale,publicatsubtitlulPseudosemnificare i hipersemnificare n arta

romneasc dup 1990, am demonstrat c arta relaional, chiar dac se
sustrage sistemului clasic de producere de semnificaie aa cum l
defineteCharlesSandersPeirce ,eaproducesemnificaiiprinmetodape
care am denumito pseudosemnificare. Adic, nu opereaz cu stimuli
surogat,aacumsentmplncazulunuitablousauauneisculpturi,ci
custimulireali .
Pornind de la premisa c imaginarul epocii noastre se preocup
de negocieri, de legturi, de coexistene , autorul afirm c arta nu mai
cautsimaginezeutopii ,ciopereazmaidegrabcumicroutopiicare
testeaz situaii cotidiene concrete. )deea poate fi pus n legtur cu
teoriarevoluiei molecularpecareodefineteFelixGuattari .
Autorul stabilete de la bun nceput c arta a avut ntotdeauna o
componentrelaional,adicafostfactordesocialitateifondatoarede
dialog . ns specificitatea artei pur relaionale se cristalizeaz abia la
nceputul anilor
, cnd apar o serie de demersuri artistice n cadrul
croraproducereaopereideartntroformmaterialestenlocuitcu
producerea de experien mprtit de doi sau mai muli indivizi. Aa
cum foarte pertinent remarc Cristian Nae, artistul sculpteaz n chiar
formele de interaciune, comunicare i schimb social, producnd noi
experiene i ntlniri umane, noi pretexte comunitare . Cu alte cuvinte
lucrrile de art relaional presupun ntlnirile dintre indivizi care se
producnspaiuloperei,alinstalaieiartisticesaualpropuneriiartistice
carelecanalizeaz .

Estetica relaional este i cel mai acut simptom al schimbrii

paradigmeiprivindtipulderaporturipecareartalevizeaz.Dacsecole
dearndulnreprezentrileartisticeafostprivilegiatraportulomuluicu
divinitatea, iar n secolul al X)Xlea transferul de interes se face nspre
raportulomuluicu natura,tipulderaportpecarel exploateazestetica
relaional este, evident, cel interuman. De aici deriv i eliminarea
cvasitotalalimitelordintreartivia.Artasefolosetedesituaiiale
vieiireale,seidentificcuaceasta,numaiareunlocprivilegiatdepunere
n scen a actului artistic, cum ar fi atelierul, galeria, muzeul, etc. Este o
formdeartncareelementuldenoutateprevaleaz.Artarelaionalnu
se bazeaz pe reluarea unui curent anterior, nu are precedent n istoria
artei.

Maria OROSANTELEA, Pseudosemnificare i hipersemnificare n arta romneasc

dup 1990,EdituraEurostampa,Timioara,
,p. .
NicolasBOURR)AUD,Estetica relaional.PostproducieEd.)deaDesign&Print,Cluj
Napoca,
,p. .
Felix GUATTAR), Chaosophy. Texts and interviews 1972-1977, Semiotext e ,
,
pp.

.
NicolasBOURR)AUD,Op. cit,p. .
Criatian NAE, Moduri de a percepe. O introducere n teoria artei moderne i
contemporane,EdituraArtes,)ai,
,p.
.

Pledoaria autorului pentru formele de art relaional se leag i

de gradul nalt de autenticitate pe care l presupun. Acestea nu sunt
supuse presiunii mercantilismului creat de piaa de art, fa de formele
de creaie care au ca finalitate obiectul artistic i pentru care capcanele
potfimultmaimari.
CristianNaeexpuneicriticileformulatedeanumiiteoreticieniai
arteilaadresaesteticiirelaionale .MartinStewartsusinecacesttipde
art, critic la adresa formelor de comunicare capitaliste, rmne totui
aservit acestora . Claire Bishop aduce in discuie lipsa finalitii.
Proiectele relaionale sunt ineficiente social, ele rmnnd nchise sferei
elitisteaartei .Caracterulelitistiesteimputatide(alFoster.
Ceea ce din punctul nostru de vedere este surprinztor n
demersulteoreticalluiBourriaudestefaptulcpuinedintreexemplele
pecarelefolosetepentruaisusineteoriasuntrealmenteedificatoare.
Printre cele mai ilustrative se numr: invitaia lansat de Philippe
Parreno unor oameni de ai practica hobbyurile n ziua de mai n
fabric saurepetatelecstoriiidivorurialeartisteiAlixLambert ,cu
scopul de a interoga funcia instituiei maritale n societatea
contemporan.

ARTA RELA IONAL N ROMNIA

Urmrindastfeldepracticincontextularteiromneti,observm
c exist imediat dup
civa ariti care i sincronizeaz discursul
noilortendinedinartaoccidental,ajungndspunnactiproiectede
esteticrelaional.Acestarticolvinessaducnoiinterpretrialeunor
cazuri deja discutate de noi anterior, dar care fuseser analizate dintro
perspectiv diferit, i s completeze cercetarea cu noi exemple
edificatoare .
MateiBejenarulafostprimulartistromncarearealizatproiecte
artistice ncadrabile esteticii relaionale, nainte chiar ca studiul lui
Bourriaud s fie publicat. O astfel de lucrare este Alexandru cel Bun din
,prinintermediulcreiaartistulipropunesatragateniaasupra
unor anumite aspecte specifice cartierelor muncitoreti construite n
marileoraealeRomnieinperioadacomunist.CazulpecareBejenaru
laducendiscuieestecelalcartieruluiAlexandrucelBundinorauln
care el nsui locuiete, )aiul. Experimentul pus n practic vizeaz
interaciuneadirectculocuitoriizonei,includereaspontanaacestoran
CriatianNAE, Op. cit. p.

MartinSTEWARt,Critique of Relational Aesthetics,Routledge,

,pp.

.
ClaireB)S(OP,Antagonism and Relational Aesthetics, n October, Nr.
,
,pp.
.
NicolasBOURR)AUD,Op. cit.,p .
NicolasBOURR)AUD,Op. cit.,p .
VezisubcapitolulAnularealimitelordintreartivia MariaOrosanTelea,Op. cit., pp.

actul artistic. Artistul amenajeaz, n preajma srbtorilor de iarn, zece

afumtoriiimprovizatepecarelepuneladispoziiaoamenilor.Demersul
este completat prin rspndirea n scrile blocurilor a unor afie care
anunorelentrecareacesteinstalaiipotfifolosite.Locuitoriizoneivor
profitadesituaiacreat,aducnduinstradcrnaiiihlciledecarne
pentru a le afuma. Comentariul critic al artistului este legat de politicile
incoerente ale fostului regim comunist de a strmuta forat grupuri de
oamenidinzoneruralenmarileorae.Chiaridupcderearegimului,
populaiaestencneadaptatmoduluideviacitadinirecurgeadesea
la practici inventive pentru soluionarea problemei hranei zilnice, sau la
activitispecificetraiuluilaar.

Dac n cazul lucrrii Alexandru cel Bun finalitatea depindea de

persoane necunoscute, fr a se putea prevedea numrul celor implicai,
viitoarele proiecte de estetic relaional puse n practic de Matei
Bejenaru se vor baza pe premise mai uor controlabile. n Salut/Ave
bachtalo (2002)
artistul investigheaz comparativ problemele
comunitilor rome din dou orae europene: Iai-Romnia i BrnoCehia. Experimentul pe care l pune n practic alturi de cteva
persoane din aceste comuniti este organizarea unei ntlniri n Austria,
ntre acetia. Bejenaru ncearc astfel s atrage atenia asupra
defectuoasei integrri sociale, lucru care se confirm n special n cazul
romilor din Romnia, care nu vor putea ajunge n Austria din cauza
dificultilor legislative. Demersul euat al obinerii paapoartelor este
experimentat pas cu pas i de artist. Impedimentele n calea liberei
circulaii, se dovedesc a fi reale.

O experien mult mai personal devine punctul de plecare al

lucrrii Looking for Caslav
. Aceasta este realizat cu ocazia
participriiluiMateiBejenarulaoexpoziiedinCacak,Serbia.Artistulle
propune organizatorilor un proiect care presupunea cutarea unei
anumitepersoanedenaionalitatesrbpecareocunoscusentmpltor
n anul
. Finalitatea acestei cutri este reprezentat de ntlnirea
celordoidupdouzecideani,cuocaziaacestuievenimentartisticlacare
Bejenaru particip. Acetia au ocazia s i mprteasc reciproc
experienele trite n rstimpul dintre cele dou ntlniri. Discuiile
urmresc inclusiv evenimentele politice petrecute n cele dou ri n
perioada

, astfel nct istoria recent este evaluat subiectiv,

dinperspectivaindividuluisingular.
Rezidena artistic din
, de la KulturKontakt din Viena i
prilejuiete lui Matei Bejenaru proiectul poate cel mai pur din punct de
http://www.mateibejenaru.net/ave_ro.html ultimaaccesare . .
,ora : .
Textul integral al scrisorii poate fi consultat pe pagina de internet a artistului Matei
Bejenaru http://www.mateibejenaru.net/caslav_ro.html ultima accesare . .
, ora
: .

vederealesteticiirelaionale.ntregbugetulrezideneisaleartisticevafi
folositpentruasuportacheltuieliledecltorieacincitinericolegideai
si, activi n cadrul Asociaiei Vector. Gestul vine s susin potenialul
ideii de comunitate artistic, Bejenaru considernd c succesele sale
profesionale se datoreaz i colaborrii cu oamenii din jurul su . n
timpul vernisajului, grupul va juca pingpong i va invita de asemenea
publicul s i se alture. Titlul lucrrii preia sloganul de campanie
electoralalcancelaruluiaustriacSchussel: Mai multe anse pentru tinerii
notri.
Un alt artist romn, care pune n practic proiecte de estetic
relaional nc din anii
, este Teodor Graur. Scrisori de departe din
iHran pentru Art/Art pentru hrandin
suntdoulucrri
n care discursul este unul critic la adresa instabilitilor i disfunciilor
sociale.
Pentru Scrisori de departe Graur colaboreaz cu un grup de
persoane cu disabiliti de vedere dobndite n timp, crora le solicit
relatri despre experienele personale legate de perceperea ntro form
conceptual a unor senzaii vizuale. ncearc astfel s atrag atenia
asupranevoiideintegrarensocietateaunorastfeldegrupurisociale.
Lucrarea Hran pentru Art /Art pentru hran a fost realizat
mpreun cu un grup de studeni, care n timpul unei aciuni stradale se
transpunnipostazadeceretori.Fondurileobinutesuntfolositepentru
a oferi o mas decent oamenilor strzii. Proiectul se apleac asupra
situaieigrupurilorsocialedefavorizateioferunexempludeimplicare
mobilizatoareaarteinconcreteeaproblemelorsociale.
Artist al tineri generaii neoconceptualiste, nscut la Cluj la
nceputul anilor
, Mircea Cantor integreaz unora dintre lucrrile
sale o consistent component relaional. Lucrarea Double Heads
Matches

implicntregcolectivuldemuncitoarealuneifabrici
din Gherla. Demersul a constat n producerea unui lot de chibrituri cu
dou capete, producia serial trebuind s fie ajustat prin
manufacturizare. Artistul este interesat de investigarea condiiilor de
munc,deproblematizareamoduluincareomicmodificareaobiectului
perturb procesul de producie standardizat, de observarea modului n
careoanomalieestecapabilspotenezeutilitateaunuiobiect.
n cadrul celei dea aptea ediii a festivalului Periferic de la )ai,
MirceaCantorpropuneonoulucrarerelaional.Campionat de Ping Pang
Pong
presupune o serie de meciuri de tenis de mas, organizate
pentrucopii,dupreguliparticulareijucatelamesecudoufileuri. Este
de remarcat faptul c ntreg proiectul curatorial al ediiei din
a
festivalului Periferic poate fi vzut ca unul care valorific acest concept al
http://www.mateibejenaru.net/chancen_ro.html ultimaaccesare
Ibidem.

,ora

esteticii relaionale. Gndit de Attila Tordai i intitulat De ce copiii?,

proiectulansemnatimplicareaunorgrupuridecopiidediferitevrsten
programeleconceputedeartitiiparticipani.
Pentru expoziia sa personal, Q.E.D, deschis la MNAC n
,
MirceaCantorpropuneolucrarecutitlulCamera de oaspei. Aceastlucrare
constntroncperegoalpecareCantoropuneladispoziiaunuiartist
diferit,nfiecarelun.Gestuldeospitalitatepecarelfacepringzduirean
propriaexpoziieaunoralteminiexpoziiiestemultmaimultdectsimpla
practicdeexpunempreun,dectocolaborare.Nudespreastaestevorba
aici,cidesprecrearea unei operede artdeschislacaresuntchemais
contribuieoseriedeoameni.Operadeartnuestenicicamera,niciceeace
uniisaualivorexpuneacolo.Substanaopereiestedatdemodalitateade
relaionarepecarepretextulexpuneriimpreunlcreeaz.
Tot conceptul de opera deschis o conduce i pe Gabriela Vanga
nspre estetica relaional. Constanta demersul su creativ se
concentreaz n jurul unei activiti de memorare a povetilor diverselor
persoane cu care intr n contact, ea devenind astfel purttoarea unei
arhive de ficiuni intime transmise doar pe cale oral. Acest bagaj de
memoriecolectivconstituiematerialpentrulucrricarestauieleadesea
sub semnul interaciunii cu publicul. Acestuia i revine o parte
semnificativ n derularea proiectelor gndite de Vanga. n
,
realizeaznGaleriePublicdinParislucrareaconceptualA letter, a word,
a story, n care ntreg spaiul este subordonat ideii de descoperire
treptatasensuriloroperei.Acoperpodeauagalerieicuunstratdebile
de polistiren i inscripioneaz un perete cu cerneal termocrom.
Cuvinteleaparlacontactulcucldurapalmeiumane,iarpovesteanarat
aicisepoatedescifradoarlent,cugesturiritualice.

Ciprian Murean n Auto-da-Fe

propune unui grup de
grafferi s mprtie prin lume citate dintrun fragment al romanul
Orbirea de Elias Canetti, pe care acesta l alesese n prealabil i l
fragmentase. Citatele scrise n diverse locuri se ntorc la Murean sub
form de fotografii. Prin intermediul celor o sut cincizeci i patru de
imagini astfel obinute, textul va fi recompus i prezentat publicului 104 .
Deconstrucia i reconstrucia realizat prin intermediul relaiilor
interumane servete unei cercetri legate de puterea discursului, de
scoaterea din context, de glisajul ntre autonomia i interdependena
ideilor.

Dora(EGY),De ce Iai? n)dea.Arta+Societate, nr. ,

,p. .
ClaireSTAEBLER,Expoziia al crei autor eti tu nsui ,n)dea.Art+Societate, nr. ,
, http://idea.ro/revista/?q=ro/node/ &articol=
ultima accesare . .
, ora
:
cat.Ciprian Murean,publicatdeMariusBabias,Kln,
,p. .

CONCLUZII

Conceptul de estetic relaional, aa cum studiul omonim al lui

Nicolas Bourriaud relev, este aplicabil celor mai inovative tendine ale
arteidinanii .Exempleleartisticeadusedeautorpentruargumentarea
ipotezeilansatesebazeazpeideearelaiilorumanedirecte,experienei
triteimprtite.Operade artipierdespecificitatea,ndreptndu
sespreoidentificareaproapetotalcusituaiialevieiireale.
nceeacepriveteartaromneascdedup
,ntruncontext
nc profund marcat de motenirea comunist sau de nevoia unei
recuperrirapideaformelordeartinterzisentimpulfostuluiregim,vor
apreaiuneleorientrisincronecutendineleoccidentale.naintechiar
ca acest concept de estetic relaional s fie teoretizat, artiti romni
precumMateiBejenaruiTeodorGraurrealizeazlucrribazatestrictpe
experiena direct a convivialitii. Anii urmtori vor oferi alte astfel de
exemple,carevinsntreascipotezauneiintegrricoerentencircuitul
internaionalalunordiscursuriartisticedinartaromneasc.

*Acknowledgment: Aceast lucrare a fost finanat din contractul

POSDRU/
/ . /S/
, proiect strategic )D

,
cofinanat din Fondul Social European, prin Programul
OperaionalSectorialDezvoltareaResurselorUmane

BIBLIOGRAFIE:

[ ]. B)S(OP, Claire, Antagonism and Relational Aesthetics, n October, Nr.

,

[ ]. BOURR)AUD, Nicolas, Estetica relaional. Postproducie Editura )dea

Design&Print,ClujNapoca,
.
[ ]. GOMPERTZ,Will,O istorie a artei moderne, EdituraPolirom,)ai,
.
[ ]. GRAUR Teodor, Transitionart , n cat. Transitionaland 2000 Romnia,
Bucureti,
.
[ ]. GUATTAR), Felix, Chaosophy. Texts and interviews 1972-1977,
Semiotext(e), 2008.
[ ]. (EGY),Dora,Dece)ai? n)dea.Arta+Societate, nr. ,ClujNapoca,
.
[ ]. NAE,Criatian,Moduri de a percepe. O introducere n teoria artei moderne i
contemporane, EdituraArtes,)ai,
.
[ ]. OROSANTELEA, Maria, Pseudosemnificare i hipersemnificare n arta
romneasc dup 1990, EdituraEurostampa,Timioara,
.
[ ]. STEWART,Martin,Critique of Relational Aesthetics,Routledge,
.
[ ]. ***CatalogCiprian Murean,publicatdeMariusBabias,Kln,
.

SURSE WEB:
[ ]. C)OS, )rina, Profil 90. Teodor Graur-Art Authro, articolconsultat pe siteul
http://www.observatorcultural.ro/Profil-90.-Teodor-Graur-Art
Author*articleID_6286-articles_details.html, noiembrie

[ ].
[ ].

STAEBLER, Claire, Expoziia al crei autor eti tu nsui , n Idea.

Art+Societate, nr. ,
:
http://idea.ro/revista/?q=ro/node/ &articol=
, noiembrie,
http://www.mateibejenaru.net/, noiembrie,
.

RELATIONAL AESTHETICS
IN THE ROMANIAN ART AFTER 1990

Summary: Relational aesthetics represents an essential concept for the theory of

contemporary art, which the French critic, Nicolas Bourriaud, applies to artistic
practices arisen during the 90s. He speaks about a type of living art, directly lived and
experimented by the artist and by the group of involved persons. This article proposes to
follow the method the Romanian artistic context during the post-communist period shall
integrate steps including as well this relational component. The identified and analyzed
cases cover a period of almost ten years. The first examples of projects embeddable into
relational aesthetics appear in Romania in the mid-90s and generally have a critical
speech towards the difficulties faced by the Romanian society.
Key words: relational aesthetics, contemporaneity, post-communism, conceptual
art
PREAMBLE
In the context of present day art theory aware of the encroaching of postmodernism and
trying the identification of general characteristics for the artistic movements after the 90s1 one
of the most specific tendencies is that described and analyzed by Nicolas Bourriaud at the end of
the 90s. In its study, Relational Aesthetics, printed in 1998, he talks about a type of art where
direct experience of the interaction becomes the work medium of the artist, the material he/she
produces the work. Relational aesthetics comes as an answer of art to a society which changes
the individual into an isolated entity, artificially relational. It assumes the engagement in the
artistic action of energies which exceed artists individuality and regard human interaction, social
relationships. The finality of the artistic action is no longer necessarily that of representing the
outside world, but of setting reports amongst social entities. However, it does not mean that it
does not represent it as well. Gestures, attitudes, conducts remain significant, even if evading
from classical methods of art signification. In my doctoral research, printed with the title Pseudosemnification and Hyper-semnification in Romanian Art Since 1990, I showed that relational art,
even if evading from the classical system of producing significance (as defined by Charles
Sanders Peirce), it generates significances by the method I named pseudosignification. That is, it
does not operate surrogate stimuli, as in case of a painting or sculpture, but real stimuli2.

Will Gompertz, O istorie a artei moderne (A History of Modern Art), Polirom Printing House, Iai 2014, p. 328.
Maria Orosan-Telea, Pseudosemnificare i hipersemnificare n arta romneasc dup 1990 (Pseudo-signification
and Hyper-signification in Romanian Art Since 1990 ), Eurostampa Printing House, Timioara, 2014, p.39

Starting from the premise that the imaginary of our poque deals with negotiations,
connections, coexistences, the author states that art is no longer in search of imagining
utopias3, but it rather operates with microutopias which test concrete daily situations4. The idea
may be related to the theory of molecular revolution Felix Guattari5 defines.
The author establishes from the very beginning that art has always had a relational
structure, that is, it was sociality factor and founder of dialogue6. But the specificity of purely
relational art is only crystallized at the beginning of the 90s, with the occurrence of a series of
artistic steps within which the production of a material art work is replaced by the production of
experience shared by two or several individuals. As very pertinently Cristian Nae notices, the
artist sculpts in the interaction, communication and local change shapes themselves, producing
new experiences and human encounters, new community pretexts. In other words, the relational
art works assume encounters amongst individuals which produce in the space of the work, of
the artistic installation or of the artistic proposal canalizing them7.
Relational aesthetics is as well the acutest symptom of changing the paradigm related to
the type of reports art regards. Two centuries in a row the artistic representations privileged the
relation of the human being with the divinity, and in the 19th century, the transfer of interest is
made towards the relationship of man to nature, the type of relationship relational aesthetics
exploits is, obviously, inter-human. Hence, the quasi-total removal of the limits between art and
life. Art puts forth situations of real life, identifies with them, has no longer a privileged place to
enact the artistic act, like the studio, gallery, museum etc. It is about a type of art where the news
element prevails. Relational art is not based on resuming a prior current, has no precedent in the
history of arts.
The plea of the author for the types of relational art relates as well to the highest degree
of authenticity they assume. They are not object of the pressure of mercantilism created by the
art market, as compared to the creation forms which have the finality of the artistic object and for
which traps can be much larger.
Cristian Nae depicts as well the critics lodged by certain theoreticians of addressing
relational asesthetics8. Martin Stewart states that such type of art, critical to capitalist
communication formulas, is however their vassal9. Claire Bishop debates on the lack of finality.
Relational projects are socially ineffective, they remain close to the elitist scope of art10. The
elitist character is also imputed by Hal Foster.
Nicolas Bourriaud, Estetica relaional. Postproducie (Relational Aesthetics. Postproduction) Idea Design & Print
Printing House, Cluj-Napoca, 2007, p. 36.

Felix Guattari, Chaosophy. Texts and interviews 1972-1977, Semiotext(e), 2008, pp. 267-269.
Nicolas Bourriaud, Op. cit, p.14
7
Criatian Nae, Moduri de a percepe. O introducere n teoria artei moderne i contemporane (Perception Modes.
Introduction in the Theory of Modern and Contemporary History), Artes Printing House, Iai, 2013, p. 263
8
Criatian Nae, Op. cit. p. 268
9
Martin Stewart, Critique of Relational Aesthetics, Routledge, 2007, pp.369 386.
10
Claire Bishop, Antagonism and Relational Aesthetics, in October, No. 110, 2004, pp. 51-79

Surprising from our standpoint in Bourriauds theoretical step is that few of the examples
he uses in order to affirm his theory are actually illuminating. Amongst the most illustrating: the
invitation launched by Philippe Parreno to people to practice their hobbies on May 1, in the
factory11 or the repeated marriages and divorces of the artist Alix Lambert12, having the purpose
of interrogating the function of the marital institution in contemporary society.
RELATIONAL ART IN ROMANIA
Following such practices in the context of the Romanian art, we notice right after 1990
some artists synchronizing their speech to the new tendencies in the occidental art, as they used
to enact relational aesthetics projects. This article shall bring new interpretations to some cases
we have already discussed, but which were analyzed from a different perspective, and shall
complete the research with new probative examples13.
Matei Bejenarul was the first Romanian artist who performed artistic projects
embeddable into relational aesthetics, before even the publication of Bourriauds study. Such a
work is Alexandru cel Bun (Alexander I of Moldavia) from 1994, by which, the artist proposes to
signalize certain specific aspects of the neighbourhoods built in the cities of Romania during the
communist period. The case Bejenaru brings up is that of the neighbourhood, Alexandru cel Bun,
from his home city, Iai. The enacted experiment regards the direct interaction with the
inhabitants of the area, their spontaneous inclusion in the artistic performance. The artist
arranges, during the winter holidays, ten improvised smoke houses he makes available to the
people. The step is completed as well by spreading the blocks certain posters announcing the
times when such installations can be used. The inhabitants of the area shall take advantage of the
crated situation, bringing their sausages and chunks of meat in the streets in order to smoke them.
The critical comment of the artist is related to the incoherent policies of the former communist
regime to forcedly move groups of people from the rural areas to large cities. Even after the fall
of the regime, such population is still not adapted to the city lifestyle and often appeals to
inventive practices for settling the issue of daily food, or to activities specific to country life.
If in the case of the work, Alexandru cel Bun, the finality depended on unknown persons,
without being able to prescribe the number of the involved persons, the future projects of
relational aesthetics enacted by Matei Bejenaru shall base on slightly controllable premises. In
Salut/Ave bachtalo (2002)14 the artist investigates by comparison the problems of the Roma
community in two European cities: Iai-Romania and Brno-Czech Republic. The experiment he
applies onto several persons from such communities is the organizing of a meeting in Austria.
Therefore, Bejenaru tries to signalize the faulty social integration, which is confirmed especially
in the case of the Roma from Romania, who shall not be able to reach Austria for the meeting
11

Nicolas Bourriaud, Op. cit., p 7.

Nicolas Bourriaud, Op. cit., p 28.
13
Vezi subcapitolul Anularea limitelor dintre art i via Maria Orosan-Telea, Op. cit., pp. 120-124.
14
http://www.mateibejenaru.net/ave_ro.html (ultima accesare 04.11.2014, ora 18:20).
12

due to legislative difficulties. The failed step for getting passports is experimented step by step
by the artist as well. The restrictions on free circulation prove to be real.
A much more personal experience becomes the departure point of the work Looking for
Caslav (2002). It was performed with the opportunity of Matei Bejenarus attending an
exhibition in aak, Serbia. The artist proposes the organizers a project which assumed the
search of a certain person of Serbian nationality he had met by accident in 1982. The finality of
such search is represented by the encounter of the two after twenty years, with the occasion of
this artistic event Bejenaru attends. They have the opportunity to mutually share their
experiences lived during the two meetings. The discussions also include political events from the
two countries during the period 1982-2002, so that recent history is subjectively evaluated, from
the perspective of the singular individual.15
The artistic residence from 2002, from KulturKontakt, Vienna brings about Matei
Bejenarus probably best project as related to relational aesthetics. The entire budget of his
artistic residence shall be used in order to bear the travelling expenses of five young mates of his,
active within the Vector Association. His gesture comes in order to support the potential of the
artistic community idea, Bejenaru considering that his professional successes are owed to the
collaboration with the persons around him16. During the varnishing, the group shall play stable
tennis and shall invite the public to join it. The title of the work takes over the political campaign
slogan of the Austrian Chancellor, Schussel: More chances for our youngsters.
Another Romanian artist, enacting relational aesthetics projects from the90s, is Teodor
Graur. Scrisori de departe (Letters from far) from 1994 and Hran pentru Art /Art pentru
hran (Food for Art / Art for Food) from 1998 are two works where the speech is critical as
related to social instabilities and disorders.
For Scrisori de departe Graur cooperates with a group of persons with acquired visual
impairment, to whom he requests accounts on their personal experiences related to the
conceptual perception of visual sensations. He tries therefore to signal the need of such social
groups to be integrated in the society.
The work Hran pentru Art /Art pentru hran was performed with a group of students,
who, during a street action, transpose in the hypostasis of beggars. The funds obtained are used
to offer decent meal to homeless persons. The project refers to the situation of socially underprivileged groups and offers an example of mobilizing involvement of art in the pragmatism of
social issues.
Artist of the young neo-conceptualist generation, born in Cluj at the beginning of 2000,
Mircea Cantor integrates a consistent relational component in one of his works. Double Heads
Matches (2002-2003) involves the entire collective of workers of a factory in Gherla. His step
consisted of producing a lot of double headed matches, and the series production was adjusted by
the manufacturing technology. The artist is interested in investigating the work conditions, in
15

The Integral wording of the letter can be seen on the webpage of the artist Matei Bejenaru
http://www.mateibejenaru.net/caslav_ro.html (last visit 04.11.2014, 6:30 pm).
16
http://www.mateibejenaru.net/chancen_ro.html (last visit 04.11.2014, 6:10 pm).

debating the method a slight modification of the object perturbs the standardized production
process, in noticing the method an anomaly is able to potentiate the use of an object.
Within the seventh edition of the festival Periferic from Iai, Mircea Cantor proposes a new
relational work. Campionat de Ping Pang Pong (Ping Pang Pong Championship) (2006) assumes
a series of table tennis matches, organized for children, according to particular rules and played at
tables with two nets.17 The entire curatorial project of the 2006 edition of the festival Periferic may
be seen as capitalizing this concept of relational aesthetics. Thought by Attila Tordai 18 and
entitled De ce copiii? Why the children?, the project involved several groups of children of
various ages in the programs designed by the attending artists.
For his personal exhibition, Q.E.D, opened with the MNAC in 2013, Mircea Cantor
proposes a work with the title Camera de oaspei The Guest Room. This work consists of an
empty room Cantor makes available to a different artist, each and every month. His gesture of
hospitality by hosting in his own exhibition other mini-exhibitions is much more than a simple
joint exhibition, cooperation. It is not about that, but about creating an open work of art expecting
the cooperation of a series of persons. The work of art is neither the room, not what some exhibit
there. The essence of the work is given by the interaction modality the pretext of joint exhibition
creates.
The concept of open work leads Gabriela Vanga as well towards relational aesthetics. Her
creative demarche focuses around a memorizing activity of the stories of various individuals she
makes contact to, as she becomes the carrier of an archive of orally transmitted intimate fictions.19
This baggage of collective memory represents the material for her works which are often object of
interaction. The public devolves a significant role in the development of the projects thought by
Vanga. In 2004, she performs in the Galerie Public from Paris her conceptual work A letter, a
word, a story, where the entire space is subordinated to the idea of gradual discovery of the
work senses. She covers the floor of the gallery by a layer of polystyrene balls and writes a wall
in thermochromic ink. The words appear upon contact to the heat of the human palm, and the
story narrated here may only be read in slow motion, ceremonial gestures involved.
Ciprian Murean in Auto-da-Fe (2008) proposes a group of graffers to spread in the
world quotes from a excerpt of Elias Canettis novel, The Blinding, he had previously chosen and
excerpted. The quotes written in various places turn back to Murean as photos. By the agency of
the hundred and four such images, the wording shall be recomposed and presented to the
public20. Such deconstruction and reconstruction possible by inter-human relations serves a
research related to the power of the speech, to taking out of the context, to the sliding between
autonomy and inter-dependence of ideas.

17

Ibidem.
Dora Hegyi, De ce Iai? (Why Iasi) in Idea. Arta+ Societate, no. 24, 2006, p. 51.
19
Claire Staebler, Expoziia al crei autor eti tu nsui Exhibition Author of Which is Yourself, in Idea.
Art+Societate, no. 19, 2004, http://idea.ro/revista/?q=ro/node/40&articol=275 (last visit 05.11.2014, 8:30 pm)
20
cat. Ciprian Murean, printed by Marius Babias, Kln, 2010, p. 64.

18

CONCLUSION
The concept of relational aesthetics, as shown by Nicolas Bourriauds homonym study, is
applicable to the most innovative art tendencies in the 90s. The artistic examples brought by the
author for supporting such hypothesis base on the idea of direct human relations, of lived and
shared experience. The work of art loses its specificity, getting forward almost total
identification to real life situations.
As related to the Romanian art after the 90s, in a background still deeply affected by the
communist heritage or by the need to quickly recover the forms of art prohibited during the
former regime, we witness some synchronous orientations to occidental tendencies. Even before
the theoretization of the relational aesthetics concept, Romanian artists like Matei Bejenaru and
Teodor Graur perform works strictly based on direct experience of conviviality. During the
following years, they shall offer other such examples, which are to strengthen the hypothesis of
coherent integration in the international circuit of artistic speeches in the Romanian art.