Cluj artists' project secures Romania's spot at Biennale di Venezia

A project crafted by artists from Cluj has emerged victorious in the national competition that determines Romania’s representation at the prestigious Venice Art Biennale. After a thorough assessment by a committee at the Ministry of Culture, the project titled “What Is Work / Ce este munca” clinched the top spot with an impressive 97 points.

The creative minds behind “What Is Work / Ce este munca” include Cluj-based artist Șerban Savu, guest artists Nana Esi and Sophie Keij, curator Ciprian Mureșan, project manager Cristian Alexandru Damian, and the IDEA Foundation from Cluj as the organizing entity.

This announcement was made last week, during the second phase of project evaluation in the National Competition, which aims to select the project that will proudly represent Romania at the 60th edition of the renowned International Art Exhibition – Biennale di Venezia. The Ministry of Culture mentions that the selection criteria encompassed the project’s conceptual cohesiveness for both designated spaces – the Romanian Pavilion in the Giardini and the New Gallery of the Romanian Institute for Culture and Humanistic Research in Venice, its practical feasibility, adherence to the estimated budget, and the strategy for promoting the project both within and beyond the scope of the Biennale.

The second place was awarded to the project “Living Monuments,” which scored 80 points, while the third place went to the project “I See Yourself, Seeing Yourself,” with a score of 75.28.

Romania’s budget for Biennale di Venezia

In 2024, Romania’s budget for projects at Biennale di Venezia has been increased, the Ministry of Culture will allocate RON 850,000 for the project in the Romanian Pavilion in Giardini della Biennale, while the Romanian Cultural Institute will provide around RON 250,000 for the project in the New Gallery of the Romanian Institute for Culture and Humanistic Research in Venice.

According to the information from the national press, in 2022, the combined budget from these entities was RON 1 million, with an additional EUR 300,000 contributed by sponsors for a specific project representing Romania.

The Romanian history of Biennale di Venezia

The first edition of the Venice Art Biennale was organized in 1895, but Romania’s debut at this event took place in 1907 when it was represented by Fritz Stork with two exhibited works: “Portrait of Composer Alfons Castaldi” and “Deep in Thought.”

Starting in 1938, Romania has had its own Pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale, designed under the attention and coordination of Nicolae Iorga. The Pavilion was designed as an art salon with three rooms: a tall showroom flanked by two smaller rooms. In 1962, the dividing walls were demolished, and Romania’s Pavilion was reconfigured into a single spacious hall. In 2015, following the initiative and architectural plans of Attila Kim, the Pavilion returned to its original architecture and hosted the winning project of the same year, “Darwin’s Room,” created by the painter Adrian Ghenie.

The 60th edition of the International Art Exhibition – Biennale di Venezia, curated by Adriano Pedrosa, is scheduled to run from April 20th to November 24th, with the theme “Foreigners Everywhere.”