see_me
urban decay & utopia
+ My city is an emotional map, randomly but carefully made up of people and intersections in a chaotic mess of words and sensations that has its own order. It is a collage of places, smells, and people. The people are the most important. Tastes, or street corners and parks, a lot of parks or courtyards with cats. Many cats. And some tiny bit of freedom when we first stepped off the sidewalk for Roșia Montană*, or when we Collectively* mumbled the anthem in squares or marching on boulevards. Foișorul de foc measured carefully on behalf of the Architecture University and imaginary dialogues with the Houses of People in the first seven years of Bucharest. L u n a* spelled on the walls and the last peer at the National Library. In my city, we always try to keep things under control*, but there are seldom repetitions of I felt nothing, I learned nothing or I forgot nothing, the same way it was written on the walls in Verona St.*. We don’t see each other even when we’re carefully looking*, but occasionally you will meet an angel* at any given street corner. I’m not from here, but all these fragments make me feel here, now.
* Protests for including Roșia Montană in Unesco Herritage, September – December 2013 I series of promotional materials designed for Fân Fest Roșia Montană festival
* Marches related to the fire in Club Colectiv 30 october 2015
* Deșteaptă-te Române! Romanian national anthem beginning with 1990
* Grafitti present in the city, made by L U N Ă I part of the exhibition
* Club Control, Constantin Mille st. no.4
* Series of three murals made by Wanda Hutira during Street Delivery 2017, part of the project “In a Relationship” ( powered by Friends for Friends Foundation ), vandalized and repeatedly redone I foto part of the installation
* Elements written in braille, part of the installation
* Street art Paste-up present in the city, made by Ortaku I part of the installation
+ Cut-out paper installation depicting the personal city, paired with street art, sound, and tactile immersion. The installation, part of a bigger event dedicated to personal bonds with the city, is a nostalgic collection of art, sounds, and smells. Using left-over paper from my academic years to depict through cut-out buildings, significant words and quotes imprinted in braille, combined with works from my two favorite street artists, my inner city.
Contributing to this description through sound is a carefully curated collage by sound artist Maria Balabas that consists of field recordings from moments that proved relevant for the city.
In addition, a guided tour with a group of visually impaired participants mixed with regular blindfolded participants through CMU Seanability, made accessible this personal experience to those who otherwise have little access within the city itself.
+ Concept, coordination, implementation, set-up, event planning.
+ collaborations: Wanda Hutira // Ortaku // Club de Mobilitate Urbana Senseability // Maria Balabaș // Cristiana Chivu ( l u n ă )
+ exhibition: S T A R T E R, Romanian Design Week collateral event, Colivia, Bucharest 2018
+ photo: Cristian Apostol // Poteca Studio