Romanian artist Matei Bejenaru takes part in the first Artist Platform at Tate Modern's Level 2 Gallery. His contribution, called Impreuna/Together, is an exclusive project featuring Romanian citizens in the UK. The project gathered 250 members of the Romanian community in the UK in front of the gallery in early September.
More than 250 Romanians gathered on the Tate Modern esplanade for the making of a “group portrait” of the Romanian community, as well as of a mini-documentary. These will be presented to the London audience, and to the wider world, on 8 and 9 September, in the Level 2 Gallery, Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG, (Saturday 8 September: 10.00-22.00, Sunday 9 September: 10.00-18.00).
The artist will be present and will engage with the public Saturday from 10.00 to 14.00 and Sunday from 14.00-18.00.
The curators of Tate Modern were impressed by the great number of participants. At the end of the art intervention, all present had the opportunity to take a guided tour of the museum. Some people had the chance to see again some of the masterworks of modern and contemporary art housed in the Tate, while others had the opportunity to see for the first time one of the most important cultural institutions in the world.
Romanians and friends of Romania of all ages and walks of life managed to be together , in order to show that we can have a public presence in London and that we can stand united.
Many thanks go to artist Matei Bejenaru for his interest in the life of the Romanian community in London. This was the first art project which involved the Romanians living in the UK, both as objects of study and as participants.
The success of this project is due, to a great extent, to the Romanian community; and special thanks go to the Romanian national and independent organisations, websites, newspapers, food stores, restaurants, and churches in London, who supported the project by distributing the information.
The project is a follow up to Bejenaru's artwork Travelling Guide, which includes information about the Romanians who had sought to work illegally in the UK before Romania joined the EU. The Travelling Guide will feature in the Level 2 Gallery group exhibition The Irresistible Force, which opens on 20 September 2007.
Matei Bejenaru is an artist and the founder and artistic director of Periferic Biennial in Iasi, Romania. His art projects in recent years have focused on the situation of Romanian nationals who live and work abroad. In 2005, he conceived a Travelling Guide for Romanian illegal workers, shown in 2006 at Thyssen-Bornemisza Contemporary Art in Vienna and in 2007 at the Prague Biennial 3 and at the Galeria Posibila in Bucharest.
For more information please contact Matei Bejenaru on e-mail mateibejenaru@yahoo.com, or by phone 0787 9642680.
Impreuna/TogetherImpreuna/Together is a project by Tate Modern in collaboration with the Romanian Cultural Institute in London.
With the support of the Romanian Cultural Centre, Romanca Society, Romani in UK, Romani Online UK, Diaspora Romaneasca.
Ionela Flood
Chair
Romanca Society
ionela@talktalk.net
Tel/fax: 0044 (0) 20 77 36 86 68
Mob: 0044 78 16 27 52 40
www.romanca.co.uk
www.romancasociety.blogspot.com
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