Timisoara European Capital of Culture 2023, Romania: a cultural exchange

Tudor Matrescu, 'ARTA = lat, ars, -tis' 2023. 'Individual all around' exhibition curated by Alex Radu and Thomas Zitwitz at the Garrison. Part of Timisoara EU Capital of Culture 2023

“Bridging the gap between art and science is an incredibly potent approach to understanding humanity, and society in general. Meeting and getting to listen to Alice speak about this…became fundamental to my practice, both as an artist and as a culture worker here in Romania, and many of my initiatives are now rooted in the days of the workshop she did in the Art Encounters Biennial and in the curiosity she gifted us with. Since the workshop, we have managed to collaborate with a scientist for an installation that involved an arduino and eight water pumps, and now we’re working on an exhibition that documents homelessness in Timișoara.” – Mutrescu Tudor, young Romanian Artist

We always aim to share knowledge internationally, because shifting perspectives around climate change requires an international effort.

Our founder Alice Sharp has been spending time in Romania this year as part of an extended cultural exchange for Timisoara European Capital of Culture 2023. This has included workshops with META Cultural Foundation and Art Encounters. Young artists, scientists and curators based in Timisoara took part in workshops to learn new skills and develop their own science and art projects.

Artistic Director Mirela Stoeac-Vlăduți and assistant curator Loredana Nedelcu from Meta Contemporary are visiting the UK with Invisible Dust. There will be visits to museums, galleries, science and art centres to build on and expand long-term collaborations.

Mirela Cerbu, ‘Flori Cu Dinti’ ‘Flowers with Theeth’, 2023. A series of elements including the motif of the ‘toothed flower’, the fly and the relationship between conscious and subconscious. ‘Individual all around’ exhibition curated by Alex Radu and Thomas Zitwitz at the Garrison. Part of Timisoara EU Capital of Culture 2023.

‘Art and Science’ Conference

June 2023

Alice Sharp was among the special guests of the ‘Art and Science’ Conference in Timișoara on 24th June, as part of the Art Encounters Biennial conference, which focused on the intersection of art, science and fiction.

Alice was invited to present on our work as part of discussing the wider context to the Biennial by Adrian Notz, one of the curators. The event also featured Monica Bello from Arts at CERN and Anetta Mona Chisa, Libby Heaney, Aneta Mona Chisa and Gregor Mobius.

Circular Catalysts

June 2023

How can we reduce, reuse and repair what we use and produce? How do we plan and programme cultural events integrating ecological thinking?

As part of the launch of ‘Circular Catalysts’ by the British Council Romania, and supported by the Romanian Cultural Institute, 5 UK designers and artists were invited to collaborate with rural Romanian organisations. They explored the role of local materials & developing a circular economy network and good practice models.

At the House of European Institutes, Circular Catalysts was a documentary exhibition of the residencies.

Our Founder Alice took part in the Repair panel hosted by the British Council Romania on Friday 23rd June exploring the Circular Catalysts themes, with Andreea Iager Tako (Ambasada TM, Plai) and Alex Herberth (Kraft Made)

The panel discussed the importance of art and design to climate change and connecting to the rural Romanian context. It will be moderated by Andrei Popov, Deputy Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum, and is part of HEI’s programme to engage the public in important global conversations.