ANDREI BUDESCU – THE [UN]SEEN | SUBJECTIVE ITINERARIES (an exhibition review by 2nd year student Anamaria Todor, ITA Department)

The Art Museum in Cluj-Napoca, situated in the Bánffy Palace, hosted from April 20 to  April 30, 2023, a remarkable exhibition by the Romanian artist Andrei Budescu. It was a site-specific multimedia art installation that occupied four rooms in the Honor Wing of the palace,  which is not only home to the art museum but also a building of great historical significance for the city of Cluj, being built in the 18th century and serving as the residence of the Bánffy family,  one of the most illustrious and influential aristocratic families in Transylvania. The exhibition was titled “The [Un]Seen | Subjective Itineraries” and was initiated and curated by Alexandra Sârbu and realized with the logistical support of the Photo-Video-Digital Image Processing Department within the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca (UAD). The artist, Andrei Budescu, used various media such as photography, sound, video, and light projection to create immersive and interactive experiences for the visitors.

Room 1

As a visual artist, Andrei Budescu specializes in artistic/alternative/experimental photography, 3D animation, multimedia, and audio-video productions. His vast experience in this area was exceptionally visible in the making and display of this exhibition. The project also included related events such as workshops, lectures, and artist & curator talks along with its regular visiting schedule.

The exhibition was conceived, first of all, as a dialogue and an interaction between it, the interior fine art decorations of the Honor Wing of the Palace and nine paintings of great cultural value for Romanian art, which are part of the museum’s collection and can be viewed in the  National Gallery’s permanent exhibition. This interrelation and conversation between all the things mentioned above were only possible because of the artist's medium; the exhibition's multimedia aspect was central to its success. As soon as the viewer stepped into the space, he was first struck by the eerie sounds and the darkness pierced by the play of light and video projections. In the first few seconds, it was quite a jolt to the system. After a few minutes, the viewer’s eyes would adjust to the environment, and he would start to notice that at the beginning, there was a stillness in the way the light and videos were projected into the space. Slowly the

projections would start to move and change while the sounds became more and more other-worldly with each passing minute. 

Room 2

In this way, the entire space was transformed. All these elements combined resulted in an immersive experience for the viewer. The physical space became the artwork, and the person visiting became both a canvas, a tool, and an artwork, as one’s simple presence and movement influenced how the videos were perceived in the space.

The video works in the exhibition were inspired by the paintings of prominent Romanian artists of the 19th century, such as Nicolae Grigorescu, Ion Andreescu, Ștefan Luchian, and Aloisie  Hora. Through the use of video projections, snippets of the paintings were reflected onto the walls,  the mirrors, and the other elements of décor, using geometric shapes, like circles and rectangles,  or lines that moved and changed color in sync with the soundscapes. Trying to catch glimpses of the original artworks that inspired Andrei Budescu’s video artworks, the viewer was compelled to pay attention to what was happening in front of him, to look for both the similarities and the differences between the original work and its interpretation, to compare and contrast, and to question their own perception and interpretation of what was in front of one’s eyes. The immersive nature of the installation would pull the visitor in, commanding him to be fully present in the space by engaging both his sight and hearing. 

This aspect was brilliantly illustrated by the work in room 3. Here, on one side of the room,  two benches invited the visitors to sit in the dark and quietly observe for a few minutes a video artwork inspired by Ion Andreescu’s painting, “Rider at Sunset”, go through a myriad of changes,  from its most abstract form to its most representational one in sync with the soundscapes. A mirror on the right side of the room reflected the video work, a detail that further enriched the viewer’s experience.

In another room, two of Andrei Budescu’s works were in a direct and frontal dialogue with the two mirrors in the space. The video artworks from this room were inspired by Nicolae  Grigorescu’s painting, “Little Shepherdess,” and Aloisie Hora’s, “Landscape with Animals”. Here,  the viewer could immerse himself in the space more deeply, as his reflection in the mirrors made him one with the works. Rarely is an artist able to achieve such a feat.

Room 3

The title of the exhibition, “The [Un]Seen | Subjective Itineraries,” can refer to the artworks that were inspired by the paintings from the museum’s collection, which can be both seen and unseen,  depending on the viewer’s perspective and attention, or can allude to the personal journey and experience that the viewer has while exploring the art installation. There was no single or objective way to understand or appreciate the artworks, and each viewer could have had his or her own interpretation and reaction.

With “The [Un]Seen | Subjective Itineraries”, the Museum of Art from Cluj-Napoca showcased one of its most remarkable and well-done exhibitions in the past few years, achieving remarkable success. The exhibition was a creative and innovative way to engage the public with art and culture. Through this exhibition, Andrei Budescu showcased his artistic potential and creativity and proved his skills as a photo-video artist.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VfikqkFNzmQaPgTYruE6BYlrQAs4bwYc/view?usp=sharing