The title, inspired by Mircea Cantor’s work, suggests multiple narratives which one can elaborate on Romanian art, having in mind a compressed timeline, which will be discovered either through the historical end of this line itself or through the most recent art production of the young, vivacious art scene. The exhibition, a cut-out from a yet unwritten “ring of fire” of the most impressive visual productions of recent decades, offers an opportunity to retrace conceptual links, invisible stories, common inspiration, and relevant friendships between the artists selected.

The artworks presented were selected from four important Romanian private collections of today – the collections of Mircea Pinte, Ovidiu Şandor, Răzvan Bănescu and the Plan B Foundation – found in three different cities: Cluj, Timişoara and Bucharest. The selection, compiled with the help of curator Diana Marincu, provides a comprehensive and informative cross-section of contemporary Romanian art, though it also includes examples of Romanian neo-avantgarde works, which suggest that, although every generation has its own perceptions and responses, the creators and consumers of art can forge bridges between generations. Indeed, it has been said of the so-called Cluj School that its representatives harbour a keen interest in the recent past.

The collections boast emblematic works by renowned Romanian artists such as Mircea Cantor, Adrian Ghenie, Ciprian Mureşan, Vlad Nancă, Ioana Nemeș, Şerban Savu and Mircea Suciu, who rose to international fame as their patrons’ collections were coming into being. At the same time, the collectors’ interest in the young generation of artists, for instance Mi Kafchin, Alex Mirutziu and George Crîngașu, extends the focus to a variety of mediums and subjects.

While there are many overlaps among these collections, each assembly of artworks has its own distinctive character and geographical focus, and each reflects a unique type of interest. This exhibition strives to offer insights into the personal tastes of these passionate collectors, for whom art collection, as Răzvan Bănescu so aptly remarked in an interview, is not merely a hobby, but a life model. Their patronage has been instrumental in the integration of contemporary Romanian art into public spaces and the international art scene. The exhibition can be a platform to initiate meaningful comparisons between private art collecting in Hungary and Romania: the 2014 exhibition Contemporaries: Collectors and Artists, which presented works from 38 Hungarian collections, was also organized by the Budapest Gallery.

Șerban Savu

The Lazy Fisherman, 2010, oil on canvas, 127 × 170 cm

Courtesy of the artist and Plan B Foundation

Mi Kafchin

While Radu and Mihut were having a coffee, 2012, mixed media on plasterboard, 95 × 120 cm

Courtesy of the artist and Răzvan Bănescu Collection

Gabriela Vanga

Pavel, 2006, mixed media, glass, white sand

Courtesy of the artist and Mircea Pinte Collection