Between September 30 and October 2, during the Noaptea Albă a Galeriilor (White Night of the Galleries), the LIVE video art installation by visual artist Alex Manea (born 1988) will be on display at the Auditorium Hall (level -1) of the MARe/Museum of Recent Art (B-dul Primăverii, No. 15, Bucharest). The work, combining Manea’s two major passions—visual art and cinema—lasts 8 hours and 46 minutes, serving as a comprehensive history of real and fictional artists at work, as depicted in various cinematic productions. The installation will be accessible from 14:00 to 22:45, and entry is free for the public.
LIVE marks Manea’s first video artwork, created over five years dedicated to searching, researching, collecting, and viewing over 700 films dealing with visual arts in one form or another. This period resulted in the creation of what is probably the most extensive list of such films globally. The project was born from the artist's need to share the experience he lived throughout this cinematic journey. The installation features over 300 film fragments in which an artist is at work, all carefully arranged in chronological order according to the release date of each film.
The result is a compelling video art installation that highlights the stark contrast between a film made according to the highest cinematic standards and a more authentic art installation. The quality of the images, sound levels, and many other details vary, as each fragment is from a different film.
“I believe this film is meant for everyone, but especially for artists and those directly involved in the visual arts world. Every visual artist should watch this installation. We are primarily influenced by other artists—works we admire or simply come across by chance. So, through this installation, I aim to offer access to a vast volume of scenes showcasing both real and fictional artists at work, with all the techniques, emotions, impulses, and drives they experience,” explains Alex Manea.
Manea’s conceptual art practice engages in presenting themes of interest in aesthetically intriguing and convincing forms, with each of his works designed to provoke a reaction from the viewer, prompting reflection on their position in relation to the artwork and the world.
Alex Manea (born in 1988, Romania) is a visual artist based in Bucharest. His work revolves around the idea that every piece of art should communicate a powerful message to the viewer and ideally push them to respond in some way to the subject matter. Therefore, most of his compositions tackle significant social issues.
