SUBstrat, artrnews by Laura Carpov-Hritac, 1st year, ITA

This year, the Art History and Theory students and those from the Graphics department at our university are organising exhibitions together. The first exhibition to mark this collaboration was SUBstrat. It took place at H33, a social hub in Cluj-Napoca, from 20 to 24 May. The title of the exhibition is a wordplay, highlighting the location choice and the theme of the artworks. The title literally translates as substrate. The capital letters in the title make up the Romanian word sub which translates as under. The location was a basement, with artworks depicting the under layers of the nowadays society.

The exhibition was curated by two BA students from the Department of Art History and Theory, Oana Dico and Sînziana Stănese. Those who exhibited at SUBstrat were twelve BA second-year students from the Graphics department: Adela Aldea, Lucian Barbu, Ovidiu Comanici, Adina Constantin, Sorina Crișan, Manu Harutyunian, Claudiu Daniel Iuga, Anke Renaud, Codrin Șotea, Sebastian Ștefan, Anca Vatavu and Alexandra Vasilescu.

The group of second-year Graphics department students put on display various works, from etchings to art installations. Colourful and witty, the artworks show the students’ creativity and skill, proving that they are not afraid to explore both new and traditional artistic mediums. The opening of SUBstrat was crowded with students from Cluj-Napoca University of Art and Design, who came to admire the artworks and congratulate their colleagues. 

The following exhibitions in collaboration are Tragedy in three acts, which will take place on May 28 at Tranzit House and Buy Nothing Day, between May 31 and June 5, hosted at H33. Tragedy in three acts will focus on the relationship between humans and nature, through the eyes of thirteen BA and MA students of the Graphics department. Buy Nothing Day will display works that criticize consumerism, made by second-year BA students of the mentioned department. The two exhibitions will also be curated by students of the second-year BA of the Art History and Theory Department.