The Cluj School

An Art Scene You Need To Know

Introduction — Status Quaestionis

Since the new millennium, there has been coming a lot of noise from the Transylvanian city of Cluj, Romania. This new hotspot of contemporary visual artistic production has been delivering exciting artists at an incredible pace.

When discussing this phenomenon in contemporary art, the term Cluj School – or School of Cluj – is used very often, with varying connotations and/or meanings. A term which is often – rightfully – contested or sometimes even detested. Certainly, the contemporary art scene in Cluj has been one of the most exciting phenomena of recent art history and continues to draw significant interest to the Mitteleuropean city.

In this article, we will critically discuss the term Cluj School, sketch the historical context and the art scenes bounding factors, as well as the main representatives of the Cluj art scene, such as Adrian Ghenie (b. 1977), Mircea Cantor (b . 1977), Ciprian Mureşan (b. 1977), Victor Man (b. 1974), Alex Mirutziu (b. 1981), Mircea Suciu (b. 1978), Marius Bercea (b. 1979), Serban Savu (b.1978), Gabriela Vanga (b. 1977), Oana Farcas (b. 1981), Hortensia Mi Kafchin (b. 1986), Cristi Pogăcean (b. 1980), Teodora Axente (b. 1984), Radu Cioca (b. 1982), Mihai Iepure Gorski (b. 1982), Radu Comșa (b. 1975), Szabolcs Veres (b. 1983), Răzvan Botiş (b. 1984), Szilard Gaspar (b. 1991), Sergiu Toma (b. 1987), Robert Fekete (b. 1987), Ana Maria Micu (b. 1979) and Dan Maciuca (b. 1979).

Further, is the mythical artistic buzz of Cluj as a purveyor of art’s new superstars over its peak? Does the new generation of Cluj artists fulfill the high expectations and standards set by their illustrious role models? Or is the artistic production in Cluj a hype of overrated, monotonous, and predictable art?

Please note that the reasoned selection of the leading representatives is in no way presented as complete or absolute. The artistic landscape continues to shift with artists climbing the ladder of success every day while others see their exposure limited to a national scale. The critical overview presented in this article consists of an intersection of the prominent representatives over the past ten years.

Ciprian Mureşan at the Prague Biennale in 2007. Photo: Simona Nastac.

Terminology — What is the Cluj School?

Although the terminology is often contested, it is customary to be used in various (international) artistic and academic circles. Generally speaking, the term Cluj School could be described or defined as;

An art historical phenomenon and group of contemporary artists from Cluj-Napoca, bound by the historical context of their generation, growing up in the aftermath of the Romanian Revolution in 1989, characterized by life in Post-Communist Romania and well-known by their dominant manifestation in the contemporary art scene.

The term has existed since the Prague Biennale in 2007, where it was used for the first time to describe a group of emerging Romanian artists who participated in the biennale.[1] The term Cluj School originates from the tradition of naming such local phenomena as ‘schools’. Think of the Barbizon School, the School of London, or more recently the Neue Leipziger Schule (New Leipzig School).

Further, there is a strong connection with the Art and Design University of Cluj-Napoca, where many of the leading representatives have received their MA education and training. Some of these artists hated their passage at the University and found their traits after the University. Others have manifested themselves as important figures for the future generation of artists from Cluj. Think of Marius Bercea, an internationally celebrated painter and professor at the University of Cluj-Napoca. However, one may not underestimate the importance of forged alliances in the form of friendships back in the late 90s.

Marius Bercea working in his studio. Photo: Widewalls.

The term Cluj School is contested too, often by the representatives themself. It is to say, the group of artists coming from Cluj may not be interpreted as a homogeneous group, but rather as several different circles, styles, and visions of contemporary art.[2] Adrian Ghenie:

“There’s been a fair amount of tension at times between groups, which is natural. We might have different ideas about what constitutes “good” art, which can result in discord or fallings-out, but the one thing we’ve all come to realize is that we have to create a cultural platform in Cluj; we have to communicate to the world that something interesting is happening here. So we all turn up to each other’s openings and initiatives and thereby support each other. The city is too small to excuse someone from simply not showing up.”[3]

Furthermore, galleries and other entities often use these so-called schools as an economic lever. By associating a specific artist with this school or ‘movement’, the connection is often used as a justification to profile the artist and his works as very valuable, pushing up the price tag. Although the new generation of young artists from Cluj is still in search of a distinctive style and may arguably be too rooted in the style of their successful predecessors,[4] gallerists continue to travel every year to Cluj to pick up graduates from the Art and Design University of Cluj-Napoca.

The critical pitfall followed by its contestation and misconceptions concerning the term Cluj School lies in the modernist approach, connotation, and interpretation of any art historical school, movement, wave, group, or phenomenon. The artists of the Cluj School are individuals. They do not share a revolutionary program or have written any manifestos indicating they have a shared vision of art, the world, and how they’d like to change it, as was the case with more historical avant-garde movements and modernist schools of painters.[5]

There is also a quasi-direct association between the term Cluj School and painting. Since the introduction of the term, the main emphasis has been on painting. At times, it is even called the Cluj School of Painting. A logical association considering the incredible array of painters emanating from this local phenomenon, think of Adrian Ghenie, the aforementioned Marius Bercea, Victor Man, Mircea Suciu and Serban Savu.

As a result, it often feels deceitful when one categorizes or denominates a neo-conceptual artist such as Ciprian Mureşan or Mircea Cantor as a Cluj School representative, as one might argue the formal characteristics of their oeuvre are diametrically opposed to the body of works by the aforementioned Cluj painters. However, they are, in fact, more strongly linked to their compatriots than to, for instance, Joseph Kosuth or Piero Manzoni. They share a common ground, rooted in their historical context and reflected in their subject matter (cf. infra).

The Paintbrush Factory as a Cultural Hotbed

One of these cultural platforms in Cluj is the Fabrica de Pensule, or the Paintbrush Factory, which played a vital role in the rise of the contemporary art scene of Cluj. The brutalist former factory building found its new purpose in 2009 as a hub for contemporary art, bringing together creative minds, galleries, producers, artists, and other cultural organizations. This initiative was a reaction to the lack of space for exhibitions and artistic production.[6]

Ten years later, in 2019, this initiative in its original form came to a halt. It disintegrated while other actors took over the Factory’s identity by night.[7] However, the community and efflorescence of Cluj as a cultural hotbed isn’t going anywhere, as different groups of different shapes continue to set course. Even more, although the Factory may have fallen apart, ideologically and as a collective, it remains a landmark in Cluj’s recent (art) history, without which things could not have gone further.[8]

One of the greatest success stories connected to the Fabrica de Pensule must be Galeria Plan B and its prominent artists who became the art world’s new superstars. The gallery, an exhibition and production space for contemporary art, opened in Cluj in 2005, followed by a second gallery, a permanent exhibition space, in Berlin in 2008.[9] Founded by Mihai Pop and Adrian Ghenie, the artist-run gallery became not only an inspiring story of success for other artists from Cluj, but it also became a model or exemplum for different galleries. As a result, in 2009, Plan B was one of the main initiators of the Paintbrush Factory project bringing their international exposure to the broader art scene in Cluj.

Galeria Plan B seemed to be a hit from the start. The genuine combination of new figurative painters and Neo-Conceptualists proved to the art world that both spheres or disciplines aren’t opposites at all but work together to establish a synergetic relationship. Their opening show in 2005 — presenting the works of Victor Man — was covered by the major art publication Art in America, and in 2007, they hosted the Romanian Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale, presenting Plan B’s artists, followed in 2015, when Mihai Pop curated the Romanian Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale featuring a solo show of Adrian Ghenie.[10][11]

Fabrica de Pensule. Photo: Fabrica de Pensule.

Historical Context and Analysis

But what factors contributed to this series of successes? What aspects transformed Cluj into this thriving cultural hotspot? And what makes the artworks an sich produced in the Transylvanian capital relevant as such, taking the art world by storm and nesting in the highest tiers of art in the world and sustaining their presence?

As always, several factors come into play. From a stylistic point of view, one can state the interest of Western galleries, curators, and collectors around the new millennium is rooted in the distinctive figurative painting style of many Cluj artists. Figurative painting has been on the up in an exponential manner since the 80s and 90s with Neo-expressionism or the emergence of New European Painting.

A more critical similarity than the distinctive visual language with New European Painting, is the strong affinity for historical issues, which is in my opinion, a primary characteristic of the Cluj artists.[12] The so-called Cluj School artists belong to the first post-communist generation. From a cultural and socio-political perspective, they were set to deal with a complex transition from a totalitarian regime to a democratic, early-capitalist organization of the new Romanian society, paired with difficulties and issues concerning internationalization and globalization.[13]

Jane Neal: “(…) Growing up during communism and witnessing its disintegration, followed by the rapid onslaught and effects of consumer culture on their society, has given them a unique perspective. It could be, as Romanian critic Mihnea Mircan proposes, that the artists have developed a kind of “allergy to Utopia” that has imbued them with a watchful detachment, a desire to deconstruct and uncover things for themselves.”[14]

Galeria Plan B, Cluj. / Photo: Fabrica De Pensula.

Prominent Representatives — A Critical Anthology

The following critical anthology consists of the most influential artists for the Cluj art scene’s current generation and the so-called Cluj School. For instance, Miklos Onuscan (b. 1952) is one of the most important Romanian artists connected to Cluj. However, as he is part of a different generation, Onuscan is not included in this anthology as we aim to sketch the current generation’s leading representatives.

The selection is based upon objective career facts, such as the artist’s Artfacts ranking, their presence in professional literature concerning the Cluj art scene over the past two decades, the gallery representation of the artist, and participation in significant shows, biennales, or their presence in major public and private collections.

S.n.: The list is not to be interpreted as a ranking.

1. Adrian Ghenie

Adrian Ghenie is arguably the most prolific and most influential artist from the so-called Cluj School, most commonly illustrated by mind-boggling auction results such as the 7 million pound auction record at Christie’s in 2016.

The Romanian superstar was born in 1977 in Baia Mare and currently resides and works in Berlin, Germany. Ghenie is known for his dynamic and collage-like compositions, marked by virtuoso impastos, strong contrasts, and lively colors. In an eclectic manner, Ghenie combines (art) historical references, humor, and a critical mind by building hallucinative narratives in his paintings, often large in scale.[15]

To discover more, please read our artist spotlight on Adrian Ghenie or our exhibition review on Adrian Ghenie at Tim Van Laere Gallery, Antwerp (BE).

Adrian Ghenie, The raft, 2019. Oil on canvas – 230 x 360 cm. Courtesy of Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac.
Mircea Cantor, Supposing I could hear that sound. Now, 2015. Concrete and two shofars – 200 x 123 cm. Courtesy Dvir Gallery.

2. Mircea Cantor

One of the first artists of his generation to achieve international praise is Mircea Cantor. Born in 1977, Cantor is known for his videos, photography and mixed-media installations.

The Marcel Duchamp Prize winner (2011) effectuates evocative and metaphorical works reflecting a broad worldview examining concepts such as ideology, the self, the other, and multivalence. As a true postmodernist, Cantor inflicts a multitude of meanings into his (found) objects, playing with language, categorization, and interpretation.[16]

Read our artist spotlight on Mircea Cantor here.

3. Ciprian Mureşan

Also born in 1977, Ciprian Mureşan is a neo-conceptual artist living and working in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

His oeuvre is marked by a multidisciplinary practice, encompassing installation, sculpture, video, and drawing — although his drawings feel just as conceptual as his installations. Mureşan’s postmodern and conceptual approach combines irony, a critical world view and a strong affinity for (art) history, resulting into subtle and intelligent commentaries on certain topics.[17]

Discover more by reading our artist spotlight on Ciprian Mureşan.

Ciprian Mureşan, Debandadă istorică, 2019. Installation view. Courtesy of Nicodim Gallery.
Victor Man, Self-Portrait at Father’s Death, 2016. Oil on canvas mounted on wood – 27 x 19 cm. Courtesy of Gladstone Gallery.

4. Victor Man

Further, we have the enigmatic paintings by Victor Man. Born in 1974 in Cluj, Man is a contemporary painter living and working in Cluj, Romania, and Rome, Italy.

What distinguishes Man from other painters is the spiritual aura and nocturnal character residing in his works. His styled figurative imagery is built upon an art historical dialogue, using darker tones and mysterious compositions.[18]

For further reading on Man, feel free to look at our artist spotlight dedicated to Victor Man’s unique painted oeuvre.

Alex Mirutziu, Because, 2019. Wooden object, cutout text – 190 × 130 × 20 cm. Courtesy Art Encounters Foundation

5. Alex Mirutziu

Alex Mirutziu, born in 1981 in Sibiu, Romania, resides and works in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and London, England, United Kingdom. Mirutziu is known for his performance-, installation-, object-based practice, and body of works.

The Romanian multidisciplinary artist is occupied with the body, misunderstanding, fault, or correction, examining topics such as self-familiarization, mediation, interaction, social processes, and more. The central concept dominating his artistic practice is his own body and autobiography, using it as a vehicular medium and tool from which the artwork is navigated.[19]

Read our artist spotlight on Alex Mirutziu here.

Mircea Suciu, Still Life with Lemon, 2019. Oil, acrylic, monoprint on linen – 13 4/5 × 13 4/5 in / 35 × 35 cm. Courtesy Zeno X Gallery.

6. Mircea Suciu

Mircea Suciu, born in 1978 in Baia Mara, Romania, resides and works in Cluj, Romania. The Romanian artist is known for his mixed media paintings and drawings, combining materials and techniques to achieve his characteristic figurative imagery.

It is to say, Suciu implements the monoprint technique in his painterly practice. Photographic material is transferred onto the canvas, often creating a grid-like effect when working on a larger scale, from which he tackles the transferred image with oil and acrylic paint. The topics and subject matter of the paintings are often dominated by socio-political themes or psychological aspects examining concepts such as (psychological) pain, metaphysics, mass identity, or even philosophical questions.[20]

Discover more works by reading our artist spotlight on Mircea Suciu.

Marius Bercea, Semantic Pair, 2020. Oil on canvas – 76.2 × 61 cm. Courtesy François Ghelaby, Los Angeles.

7. Marius Bercea

Born in 1979 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Marius Bercea lives and works in Cluj, Romania. Bercea is known for his – often large in scale – paintings filled with color, contrast, objects, and an almost horror vacui setting.

Based on photographs and from memory, Bercea depicts post-communist Romania as an early-capitalist state. Certain objects and, in particular, the vivid colors, feel as if exotic Romania is not so different from Los Angeles. Bercea depicts figures in these settings, mainly in a state of leisure or engaged in a collective activity.[21]

Read our in-depth artist spotlight on Marius Bercea here.

8. Serban Savu

Born in Sighișoara, Romania, in 1978, Serban Savu lives and works in Cluj, Romania. The graduate of the University of Art and Design in Cluj is known for his skillfully rendered paintings depicting the daily existence of Romanians and Romania today.[22]

In a Courbet-Manet manner, Socialist Realism is a central topic throughout his oeuvre. This realist approach combines a touch of melancholy, showing abandoned factories, structures, or old cars, but also figures and nature.

Discover more works and an extensive take on Serban Savu’s oeuvre by reading our artist spotlight here.

Serban Savu, The Thorn, 2020. Acrylic on board – 62 × 84.5 cm. Courtesy Galeria Plan B.
Gabriela Vanga, Mirare, 2015. Wood ladder, two mirrors – variable dimensions. Courtesy Art Encounters Foundation.

9. Gabriela Vanga

Gabriela Vanga, born in 1977 in Târgu-Mureș, Romania, lives and work in Paris, France and Târgu-Mureș, Romania. Vanga is known for her intriguing sculptures and installations and has been highly influential in Cluj and beyond for her multimedia practice.

Vanga is married to Mircea Cantor and together with Ciprian Mureșan they launched the artist-run magazine Version, which is still, up to now, a very important initiative for the Cluj art scene.[23]

Read our artist spotlight on Gabriela Vanga here.

Oana Farcas, The lady and the unicorn, 2015. Oil on canvas – 80.5 × 80.5 cm. Courtesy Galleria Doris Ghetta.

10. Oana Farcas

Oana Farcas, born in 1981 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, lives and works in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Farcas is known for her colorful paintings marked by a distinctive figurative language.

Packed with historical and/or art historical references, her oeuvre communicates an aura of mystery. Dreamy and surreal elements create a complex narrative filled with strange objects, subjects, and poses.[24]

Read our artist spotlight on Oana Farcas here.

11. Hortensia Mi Kafchin

Hortensia Mi Kafchin, born in 1986 in Galati, Romania, lives and works in Cluj, Romania, and Berlin, Germany. Mi Kafchin was formerly known as Mihut Boscu Kafchin.

Kafchin, the former studio assistant of Adrian Ghenie, is known for an array of paintings and multimedia installations, resulting in an international reputation. The emerging artist is best known for surreal figurative paintings combining concepts such as time, cosmology, Eastern philosophy, and dystopia into contemporary masterpieces.[25]

Read our artist spotlight on Hortensia Mi Kafchin here.

Hortensia Mi Kafchin, Quarrel at the Fountain of Youth, 2016. Oil on canvas – 90 × 142 cm. Courtesy Galeria Plan B.

12. Cristi Pogăcean

Cristi Pogăcean, born in 1980 in Târgu-Mureș, Romania, lives and works in Târgu-Mureș, Romania. Pogăcean is known for his experimental artistic approach, defying the academic tradition of Romanian artistic education.

Pogăcean achieved international recognition effectuated by a wide variety of methods and media. Encompassing sculpture, drawing, painting, and installation, the neo-conceptual artist defies categorization with his multimedia practice. Drawing inspiration from everyday life and mass media, he searches for objects, images, and ideas which he artistically tackles with irony, wit, and ingenuity as his weapons of choice.[26]

Read our artist spotlight on Cristi Pogăcean here.

Cristi Pogăcean, Screenshot Memorial, 2016-2017. Oil on canvas – 197 x 350 cm. Courtesy Galeria Plan B.
Teodora Axente, Pietà, 2019. Oil on board – 29 × 24 cm. Courtesy Rosenfeld, London.

13. Teodora Axente

Teodora Axente, born in 1984 in Sibiu, Romania, lives and works in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Axente is a visual artist known for her figurative paintings filled with fabrics, surreal elements, and virtuosity.

Exploring states of internal crisis, Axente depicts human figures constricted and constructed with various objects, fabrics, and materials. These collaged figures present juxtapositions between the material and the spiritual. This dualistic approach encompasses concepts such as human emotion, human desire, individuality, and modern society.[27]

Discover our artist spotlight on Teodora Axente or read our extensive interview with the Romanian painter here.

14. Radu Cioca

Born in 1982, Radu Cioca is a contemporary artist living and working in Cluj, Romania. Cioca’s oeuvre has an intensely experimental nature, shifting between media and challenging his ‘no-style’ oeuvre.

The Romanian artist explores his ideas using drawing, painting, video, animation, photography, sculpture and installation. The medium an sich is subjugated to his idea-based practice as his main objective is to create ‘clicks’ in reality.

Read our artist spotlight on Radu Cioca here.

Radu Cioca, Horizontal Curtain, 2013. Concrete, faux fur, metal – 30 x 61 x 7 cm. Courtesy Gaep Gallery.

15. Mihai Iepure Gorski

Mihai Iepure Gorski, born in 1982 in Alba-Iulia, Romania, resides and works in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Iepure Gorski is a visual artist known for his installations, photography, stills, and video art.

The Romanian artist graduated from the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca in 2007, obtaining his master’s degree in arts. A varied artistic oeuvre followed, rooted in a post-conceptual tradition.

Read our artist spotlight on Miahi Iepure Gorski here.

Mihai Iepure Gorski, Souvenir, 2014. Four dried plum trees – variable dimensions. Courtesy Art Encounters Foundation.

16. Radu Comșa

Born in 1975 in Sibu, Romania, Radu Comșa is a contemporary artist living and working in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

His work is marked by the use of primary colors and hoovers between painting and sculpture. The objects are a visual translation of a systematic and abstract creative process.

Read Radu Comșa’s artist spotlight here.

Radu Comșa, PartSibiu, I, II, III… (Chromatic tetrachord), 2020. Pigments on cotton fabric (batik) – 185 x 300 x 10 cm. Courtesy Galerie Eimmanuel Herve / Photo: YAP Studio.

17. Răzvan Botiș

Born in 1984 in Brașov, Romania, Răzvan Botiș currently lives and works in Cluj, Romania. Botiș is known for his conceptual installations and body of work.

Encompassing sculpture and installation in the tradition of Duchamp, Botiș uses ready-mades and found objects to sculpt his works, or, ceramics to give form to his conceptual ideas.

Read our artist spotlight on Răzvan Botiș here.

Răzvan Botiș, The Ceramist (installation view), 2019. Courtesy the artist and SABOT, Cluj- Napoca. Photo: YAP Studio.

18. Szilard Gaspar

Up next, we have the performance artist Szilard Gaspar. Born in 1991 in Satu Mare, Romania, Gaspar is the youngest artist on our list, living and working in Cluj, Romania. Gaspar’s performance-based artistic practice combines boxing and art, resulting in impressive performances and intriguing sculptures.

Read our artist spotlight on Szilard Gaspar here or discover his work in his own words by reading our exclusive interview Transforming Energy into Matter.

Szilard Gaspar, Action wall, 2018. Courtesy the artist and Zorzini F Gallery.
Sergiu Toma, untiled, 2018. Oil on canvas – 60 × 60 cm. Courtesy Galleria Doris Ghetta.

19. Sergiu Toma

Sergiu Toma, born in 1987 in Baia-Mare, Romania, resides and works in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Toma is a contemporary painter known for his distinctive figurative style with a mysterious character.

Inspired by Renaissance, Baroque, and theatricality, Toma explores painting as a medium an sich. The expressive potential of painting, guided by light and shadow, inflicts a playful and free approach resulting in mysterious and dynamic imagery.[29]

Read the artist spotlight on Sergiu Toma here.

20. Ana Maria Micu

Ana Maria Micu, born in 1979 in Botoșani, Romania, lives and works in Botoșani, Romania. The Art and Design University of Cluj-Napoca graduate studied painting, resulting in a figurative body of work.

Micu’s oeuvre explores many ideas and concepts, functioning as a continuum throughout her career. Body language, portraiture, self-portraiture, interiors, personal spaces, and more are some of the main issues addressed and examined by the Romanian artist.[30]

Discover more by reading Ana Maria Micu’s artist spotlight here.

Ana Maria Micu, By crowds, all sorts of… He was granted an audience, 2019. Oil on linen – 157 x 185 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
Dan Maciuca, Dark smoke, 2018. Oil on canvas – 150 × 130 cm. Courtesy Patrick Heide Contemporary Art, London.

21. Dan Maciuca

Dan Maciuca, born in 1979 in Craiova, Romania, lives and works in Cluj, Romania. Maciuca is a neo-expressionist painter hovering between figuration and abstraction, inflicted by sheer expressive strokes of paint.

Using geometric or figurative elements as backdrops, Maciuca creates a specific space in his paintings which he then populates with thick impastos. In doing so, he examines and explores the uncertainty through utopian urban landscapes, opposing the geometric with the organic, figuration with abstraction, and the smooth surface with the raw texture of the impasto.[31]

Read more via the artist spotlight on Dan Maciuca here.

22. Szabolcs Veres

Szabolcs Veres, born in 1983 in Satu Mare, Romania, lives and works in Cluj, Romania. Veres is a contemporary painter marked by strong impastos and collage-like compositions.

His vivid palette and loose brushwork are often in the tradition of portraiture and figure painting. Veres’ approach to painting denies the traditional aesthetic intention, resulting in disturbing images encompassing concepts such as beauty, a tension between reality, idealized figures, and the grotesque.[28]

Read our artist spotlight on Szabolcs Veres here.

Szabolcs Veres, Bedroom, 2016. Oil on canvas – 32.5 × 40 cm. Courtesy of Spencer Brownstone Gallery, New York.
Robert Fekete, The Bound 2, 2017. Oil on canvas – 116 × 74 cm. Courtesy Tajan ArtStudio, Paris.

23. Robert Fekete

Robert Fekete, born in 1987 in Satu Mare, is a visual artist primarily known as a painter residing and working in Cluj, Romania.

Fekete’s oeuvre is marked by color, figuration, contrast, and a certain playfulness. He fragments images, using photographic source material of friends, objects, newspapers, film frames, landscapes and more, and reassembles them into an ambiguous and amalgamed entity.

Read the artist spotlight on Robert Fekete here.

Conclusion — Peroration

There are many possible conclusions concerning contemporary art in Cluj since the new millennium. First and foremost, a phenomenon in itself is the vast amount of (successful) artists in such a small era and area. As a result, Cluj is currently one of the most exciting cities and a leading artistic scene. However, due to this success, there are many pitfalls for art critics, gallerists, collectors, and even the Cluj artists themselves.

The generation of artists born roughly around 1975-1985 (cf. supra; Main Representatives) can be considered the established and historical generation of artists putting the Transylvanian city of Cluj on the map of contemporary art. Their impact on the international artistic landscape will remain visible for years to come, nesting themselves into the canon of the 21st century.

Even more, their impact on today’s generation of artists remains very noticeable. As they’ve given Cluj an international visibility, the world is currently watching Cluj with a magnifying glass. A positive for young artists in Cluj to have a platform with international interest to make a name for themselves. But at the same time a threat for the artists to follow too closely in the footsteps of their predecessors. Or for the collectors, critics, and gallerists to lose their unprejudiced attitude and objectivity when approaching new art from the Transylvanian capital.

When talking with other art critics or reading the recent literature on Cluj and the Cluj School, the opinions are very divided. To be blunt, there are two tendencies. A first, declaring everything from Cluj to be great art and very promising. A second, claiming all the art coming from Cluj is overhyped crap. In fact, in my humble opinion, both tendencies are equally wrong, and the truth is to be found in the middle ground as often. In any case, Cluj remains one of the most exciting art scenes.

One may argue the Transylvanian city is over its peak, as the new generation is wrestling with the illustrious legacy of Ghenie and consorts. This issue in itself, combined with the thriving artistic dynamic urging through the city, remains an utmost intriguing development. As always, the same principles remain with art, pleading for a critical approach in which every artist is a different case study, as is every group, movement, wave, or scene. And when I do this exercise with the up-and-coming artists from Cluj, I can not help but be excited and discover promising prospects and, above all, great art. That is why I will continue to follow Cluj’s developments closely without a single doubt.

Notes:

[1] Richard Unwin, “City Report: Cluj” in Frieze Blog.
[2] Jane Neal, “Cluj” in Art Cities of the Future : 21st century Avant-Garde. (London: Phaidon, 2013), p. 63.
[3] Quote from Adrian Ghenie via e email correspondence with the author Jane Neal in December 2011. Jane Neal, “Cluj” in Art Cities of the Future : 21st century Avant-Garde. (London: Phaidon, 2013), p. 63.
[4] Piotr Pollicht, “Wrestling in the Mud. Notes on Romanian painting” in Revista–ARTA at https://revistaarta.ro/en/wrestling-in-the-mud-notes-on-romanian-painting/ consulted 8/01/2021.
[5 ]Bogdan Teodor Iacob, “The Cluj School of Painting: Main representatives of a contemporary art phenomenon” in Brukenthal. Acta Mvsei, XII.2 (2017): p. 441. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320536793_The_Cluj_schoolw_of_painting_Main_representatives_of_a_contemporary_art_phenomenon
[6] Fabrica de Pensule, About at https://fabricadepensule.ro/en/about/ consulted 4/01/2021.
[7] Olga Stefan, “The Paintbrush Factory in its own words, interview with Mihai Pop.” in Kajet Journal at http://kajetjournal.com/2020/06/24/interview-with-mihai-pop/ consulted 10/01/2021.
[8] Ibidem.
[9] Galeria Plan B, About at https://www.plan-b.ro/info consulted 4/01/2021.
[10] Ibidem note 2, p. 64.
[11] Ibidem note 9.
[12] Judit Angel, European Travellers. Art from Cluj Today. (Budapest: Kunsthalle Budapest, 2015), p. 92-99.
[13] Bogdan Teodor Iacob, “The Cluj School of Painting: Main representatives of a contemporary art phenomenon” in Brukenthal. Acta Mvsei, XII.2 (2017): p. 440.
[14] Jane Neal, “The New Roman(Ian) Order” in Modern Painters (September 2009): p. 55.
[15] Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Adrian Ghenie at https://ropac.net/artists/44-adrian-ghenie/ consulted 16/11/2020. [16] Artsy, Mircea Cantor at https://www.artsy.net/artist/mircea-cantor consulted 11/01/2021. [17] Nicodmin Gallery, Ciprian Muresan at http://www.nicodimgallery.com/artists/ciprian-muresan consulted 17/11/2020.
[18] Simona, Nastac, “Victor Man,” Flash Art, Vol. XXXIX, No. 251, Nov-Dec 2006.
[19] Artsy, Alex Mirutziu at https://www.artsy.net/artist/alex-mirutziu consulted 12/01/2021.
[20] Zeno X Gallery, Mircea Suciu at http://www.zeno-x.com/artists/SM/mircea_suciu_bio.html consulted 12/01/2021.
[21] Artsy, Marius Bercea at https://www.artsy.net/artist/marius-bercea consulted 12/01/2021.
[22] Nicodim Gallery, Serban Savu at http://www.nicodimgallery.com/artists/serban-savu consulted 12/01/2021.
[23] Ibidem note 2, p. 64.
[24] Galleria Doris Ghetta, Oana Farcas at https://www.dorisghetta.com/oanafarcas-eng consulted 16/01/2021.
[25] Elephant, New Establishment: Mi Kafchin at https://elephant.art/new-establishment-mi-kafchin/ consulted 16/01/2021.
[26] Art Encounters, Crisita Pogacean at http://2017.artencounters.ro/en/pogacean-cristi-pogacean-2/ consulted 16/01/2021.
[27] Artsy, Teodora Axente at https://www.artsy.net/artist/teodora-axente consulted 16/01/2021.
[28] Spencer Brownstone Gallery, Szabolcs Veres at https://spencerbrownstonegallery.com/artists/veres-szabolcs consulted 18/01/2021.
[29] Galleria Doris Ghetta, Sergiu Toma at https://www.dorisghetta.com/sergiutomapage consulted 18/01/2021. [30] Wikipedia, Ana Maria Micu at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ana_Maria_Micu consulted 18/01/2021.
[31] Patrick Heide Contemporary Art, Dan Maciuca at https://www.patrickheide.com/artists/dan-maciuca consulted 18/01/2021.