Interest in public art increases, while this area is still in its early stages in Romania.
- Following the assessment of around 30 applications received, 5 emerging artists were selected. The ratio of 6 candidates for 1 place available confirms the increase of interest in this artistic field.
- Stages of the program: open call & selection by the jury, mentorship and production of artworks in public space & their presentation.
- The project is co-funded by National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN), implemented by Asociația Culturală Eastwards Prospectus and lasts 8 months (April-November).
Asociația Culturală Eastwards Prospectus announces who are the emerging artists selected to take part in ACCELERATOR. ART IN THE PUBLIC SPACE program.
They are: Albert Kaan, Roxana Morar, Dumitrița Răzlog, Ioana Rusu and Mihai Savin.
The artists were selected by a professional jury from Romania, composed of Andrei Breahnă, cultural manager and president of Asociația Culturală Eastwards Prospectus, Georgia Țidorescu, curator and program coordinator, and Ioana Chira, manager, GAEP Gallery, out of a portfolio of around 30 applications received during the Open Call that took place in May 2024.
“It was a tough assessment, because the competition itself was tough. The ratio of almost 6 artists to 1 place available shows the growing interest in public art. What mattered the most was the artists’ capacity to create clear and articulated projects, very likely to immerse the audience in the story the artists will tell us.” – Andrei Breahnă, president of Asociația Culturală Eastwards Prospectus and project manager, explains
The project aims to support the development of public art practices, a field which is in its early stage in Romania, through knowledge and presentation opportunities, provided in an eclectic capital city with a great potential. The citizens of Bucharest are eager to express themselves in public spaces, and there they will get inspired by art.
During the mentoring stage which will take place in the following months, they will attend 4 intensive face-to-face laboratories, held by 4 mentors specialized in: The system of contemporary art: the artist, part of an ecosystem; Art in the public space: how to coexist; Curating: artist-curator collaboration; PR, art-related communication and writing in the context of the artistic practice: the artist in relation to the general public.
The following stages of ACCELERATOR are:
- Workshops and physical meetings (in Bucharest)
- One-to-one mentoring sessions (online)
- Production of artworks
- Start of series of activations of artworks in public space
- Period of the series of activations of works of art in public space
“Accelerator. Mentoring and Art in the Public Space” is the 4th ACCELERATOR project, running from 2022-2024. In total, all Accelerator projects had the following results: 30 emerging artists benefited, over 250 applications, over 5500 people – audiences reached through direct interactions and over 19,000 people reached in online.
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The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.
About ACEP
Founded over 7 ago, Asociația Culturală Eastwards Prospectus (ACEP) promotes contemporary art at national and international level by the means of implementing cultural and educational programs. Through the ACCELERATOR series of projects, ACEP supports emerging artists in the development of their career path by offering them learning opportunities inspired from international approaches and practices. In addition, ACEP aims to deepen its efforts of training and developing new audiences by the means of activities organised in Bucharest and country-wide, both online and offline.
To date, Asociația Culturală Eastwards Prospectus implemented 3 editions of Accelerator Mentoring program for emerging artists, financed by various institutions, while the current Accelerated, dedicated to public art, is the 4th project.
ACEP received financing for the production of artworks; organised over 35 online and offline shows; supported an artistic intervention in public space of artist Tania Mouraud, held simultaneously in 9 cities; supported the participation of artists in over 25 national and international art fairs and developed projects for children and for the employees in corporations interested in contemporary art.
Thus, with the help of ACEP projects, art contributes to individual and collective progress – fulfilling its well-known role from older ages – to foster the evolution of society.