February 17–April 23, 2023
Chronic desire—Sete cronică, the main group exhibition at the launch of Timișoara 2023 European Capital of Culture, opens on February 17, 2023 with 34 participating artists. Curated by Cosmina Goagea, Corina Oprea and Brîndușa Tudor, it encompasses an exhibition across four venues, with 22 new commissions; five commissioned works in public space and a consistent public and mediation programme.
Chronic Desire—Sete Cronică is a proposal for vocabularies of looking, feeling and writing, which can be useful instruments for reading the brutal present. These art practices address the current critical political and ecological moment.
The title Chronic desire—Sete cronică points on the one hand to a recurring, persistent state and on the other hand to the double meaning of the Romanian word “sete,” which means both thirst and desire.
The exhibition follows three threads: Commons; Landings; History and Subjecthood. These threads meander through different venues around the city of Timișoara and their legacies of military and industrial heritage. How do we generate new Commons in the name of revolutionary struggles across race, class, gender, ability, age and sexuality? Landings is devoted to crossover readings of land histories, geological agency, and rurality. History and Subjecthood grapples with current toxic climates, from political to environmental landscapes, condensed in the most liminal sense, the one of thirst-sete.
The span of the exhibition over diverse venues and public areas around the city offers a space for viewing, meditation and discussion. The public programme includes performances, talks, workshops, screenings and neighbourhood outreach.
Participating artists (* denotes new commissions and/or new works)
Ana Adam, Leonor Antunes, Tarek Atoui*, Matei Bejenaru*, Anca Benera & Arnold Estefan*, Irina Botea Bucan*, Pavel Brăila*, Anca Bucur*, Dana Catona, Lia Dostlieva și Andrii Dostliev*, Saskia Holmkvist*, Shilpa Gupta, Joan Jonas, Hiwa K*, Zhanna Kadyrova*, Ana Kun & Noemi Hügel*, Susanna Jablonski & Santiago Mostyn*, Adriana Lucaciu, Silvia Moldovan*, Harun Morrison*, Dan Perjovschi*, Agnieszka Polska*, Renée Renard*, Marinella Senatore*, Alexa Szekeres*, Slavs & Tatars, Mona Vătămanu & Florin Tudor*, Rosa Whiteley*, RomaMoMA (Ionela Mihaela Cîmpeanu & Sead Kazanxhiu).
Venues
Museum of Public Transport “Corneliu Mikloși,” Maria Theresia Bastion, Ștefania Palace, Garrison Command.
Full details can be found here.
A series of live commissions, performances and talks activate the spaces of the exhibition during the opening weekend, February 17-19:
*Faces without Hands by Harun Morrison
Performance by different musicians activating a graphic score, at Garrison Command
February 17, 3:30pm and February 19, 11:30am
*The tree of knowledge is pluriversal: a discussion about ecology and political chances in a changed world
Mona Vătămanu & Florin Tudor, Ovidiu Ţichindeleanu & Oana Mateescu, at The Museum of Public Transport “Corneliu Mikloși”
February 18, 11am
*when the giants left…cand uriesii or plecat…
Sound performance by Borusiade
February 18, 12:45pm, at The Museum of Public Transport “Corneliu Mikloși”
*A unique performance by Tarek Atoui
Based on field recordings of harbours from his Water’s Witness project, at The Stronghold Synagogue of Timișoara
February 18, 9:15pm.
*Tour of interventions by Matei Bejenaru and Sead Kazanxhiu around Liberty Square, February 19, 12:00-12:30 pm
*A conducted tour with the tram by Dan Perjovschi
February 19, 12:45pm
The curated contemporary art programme at the opening of Timișoara 2023 includes:
The multimedia installation by Adina Pintilie You are another me—A cathedral of the body, organised in partnership with Manekino Cultural Association & Manekino Film, Kunsthalle Bega. Curators: Cosmin Costinaș, Viktor Neumann. The project has represented Romania at the 59th edition of the 2022 Venice Biennale.
The exhibition Mircea Nicolae—Small Things, Precious Things curated by Salonul de Proiecte (Alexandra Croitoru, Magda Radu, Ștefan Sava).
Media contacts
Vlad Tăușance, Vlad.tausance [at] centruldeproiecte.ro
The exhibition Chronic desire—Sete cronică is organised by the Center for Projects on behalf of the Municipality of Timișoara, as part of the Opening event of Timișoara 2023—European Capital of Culture.
