There is something about solitude… that I like

After I was at MNAC last week, I knew I had to come back to see the other two (turns out there were four) exhibitions.

I asked some friends if they wanted to come. Some couldn’t, some don’t get along with contemporary art. Turns out this was good because I like to see exhibitions alone. It’s the best way to enjoy them. You know, ’cause I’m one of these people who stands for a half an hour in front of a painting that doesn’t say much if anything to my friends. They might ask why and sometimes I do not want to know why, I just want to enjoy the feeling I get. Also, the downtime after I saw the exhibitions, hanging out with a juice on the terrace of the museum, was a nice moment to put in order the inspiration I took in during the day (talking to people is good too, but they have to be the right ones, which is rare). So, here are some of my experiences:

The first exhibition I saw was that of Iosif Kiraly. I was greeted by a sound that I learned to love – a motor running – joined by a click at even intervals.

I quite enjoyed it while I was looking at Kiraly’s photos that turned out to be more inspiring than expected. The photos are beautiful, sometimes I was so taken in by one that I forgot to move my eyes to the photo next to it before it changed. Not only this, but spending the long time it took for all the photos to switch left me clear headed. After I concentrate for a long time on something, all thoughts disappear from my mind. I felt really free when I went out of the room.  My mind was ready for new ideas, which was good because there was a lot of text to read in the exhibition. I do not usually do this unless I get in this state when I can spend hours reading everything.One of the projects presented is called “Wish you were here” and it was a performance through which he tried to find new friends by leaving photos around Bucharest with messages to meet him. It didn’t work out, but he ended up valuing his friends even more after this. He said this experience gave a “magical glow” to his existing friendships.

“A meeting which makes possible long-term communication is a miracle which can be truly understood and appreciated only researching the infinite multitude of missed opportunities.”

The second exhibition was a retrospective of Octav Grigorescu and Georgeta Năpăruș. It brought to my attention an extraordinary Romanian female artist I didn’t know until now.

I liked her work more, because it also includes a Mystical creature populated by many other creatures interacting amongst themselves.

However, her paintings tend to be a bit tiring, being so detailed. Georgeta Năpăruș said she wanted people to always find something new in her paintings. Well, taking in all the details of those paintings would take a lifetime, so mission accomplished. 🙂

Octav Grigorescu’s paintings are more airy and the colors softer, thought they can be very detailed here and there…

…and everywhere

Like Ion Bitzan, these two did not escape the communist subjects they had to paint or draw, but I like this one from Octav Grigorescu.

The last exhibition, showing works from Yael Efrati, won me over through its simplicity. The shadows play both from the artist’s ‘brush’ and from the light coming through the glass ceiling made it even more fun…

…plus the music from the terrace.

It made me feel for a brief moment like I was in a contemporary art museum abroad (except there’s no music there – not sure if it’s a plus or not), which I must do soon…

A trip. Alone. + a contemporary art museum to see + to go to a concert + new monkey 🐵

I lost the habit of doing things alone and I really like the solitude. I need it sometimes!