The project Five (alleged) artists focuses on artists and their genesis in terms of «being» and «doing» so as to reflect on the intrinsic, or “biological”, origins of an individual’s artistic process and their encounter with the social dynamics of the art system.
Rivers of ink have been spilled regarding the relationship between a work of art and the public who recognise it as such, as well as about the mystery which sanctions the birth of an artist and their entrance into history books, yet these subjects remain elusive and difficult to define.
Departing from these reflections, the artist Carlo Caloro — invited to develop a project for A+ Project Space in Cluj-Napoca in collaboration with artQ13 in Rome and curated by Giuliana Benassi — devised to transform the space into a place of living experimentation. He in turn invited five young artists at the beginning of their career to display their own works to the public, who could interact in the selection and staging of the exhibition.
The name Five (alleged) artists wants to escape with subtle irony from a specific definition of «artist», in order to stimulate and provoke the public to actively participate in the recognition process. In this game between observer and observed the concept of showcasing is exacerbated, in reference to two different circumstances: the tangible one concerning the work of art and the elusory one of being an artist.
The young artists — Daniela Ciolomic, Augusta Cuc, Melitta Erzsébet Karácsony, Christine Ribstein, Maria Stoica — are called to bring their pictorial and graphic works without the possibility of setting them up, but solely to make them available for consultation. The exchange of opinions between artist and visitor will decree what works are to be exhibited, generating an exhibition in the making and in continuous metamorphosis.
Rather than a container of answers, the project wants to be a generator of questions: what drives us to make art? Is it destiny, a need for expression, or something akin to divine inspiration? Where do images and inspiration come from? Where does artistic work begin and how does everyone find their own language? With what legitimacy does one start? What authority defines a work of art? What are the criteria for deciding what is art and what can be discarded?
In a world dictated by such a frenetic rhythm which almost does not allow to delineate an overview of emerging artists, is it still possible to act in order to gain attention in the art world? And so on.
Credits
Curator: Giuliana Benassi (Forlì, 1984) — independent curator, MA in Art History from the University of Pisa. Co-founder of There is no place like home (Rome 2014), of the platform Contemporary Attitude and the workshop Ritratto a mano. Has curated exhibitions and projects at MAMbo Bologna, Istituto Svizzero Rome, Condominio Museo Turin, Fondazione Lac or Le Man, L’ARCA Teramo. Writes for Exibart and Rivista Segno.
Venues: A+ Project Space, Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and artQ13, Rome.