Areas of Conflu(x)ence Project

Dates : October 5 – November 4, 2007.
Sibiu :*.ARTLABS Centrala termică 3, Hala Balanța, X Future Gallery.
Luxembourg : Galeria Konschthaus beim Engel, LX5 Homebase.
Organizers : 2580 Association Cluj and absl Arscenic Luxemburg.

Synopsis:
The European Union puts forward during 2007 two geographical areas as European Capitals of the Culture, Luxembourg and the surronding area, as well as Sibiu in Romania. These two places, one part of the European Community from the very beginning, and the other one on way to become it, are distant of almost 1700 km. The choice of these two entities reflects in our opinion the evolution of the European Union by promoting at the same time its past, but also its future.

Thus, it seems fundamental to us to highlight the last, the recent and to come process of European construction, as well as its “cultural and topographic landscape” by the means of art, and mainly, by that of the digital dimension, process which gain today more and more importance.

The new ways of communication cause major transformations in our societies, working out new forms of creation, mixing reality and virtuality, altering concepts like distance, temporality, space delimitation, and modifying in-depth the behavior of the individuals. Technologies develop the so difficult to carry out until now transdisciplinarity and generate innovative practices. In this way, the freedom of flow between the various media and the progressive obliteration of the borders between the artistic forms, can be compared with the curently being set up process of European Union.

The selected topic in order to better illustrate our remarks is that of landscape, understood as the image of a country seen from one perspective. By offering a panorama of the young European creation, by choosing works that highlight aspects of artists’ existence, we try to offer a global vision of the present Europe.

It is question to lay out the space of 2007’s Europe, expressed at the same time as a common territory, but also like juxtaposition of distinct elements, by taking as support the two “areas of confluence” represented by Luxembourg and Sibiu.

By connecting real spaces, by imagining new forms of representation, by attaching importance to the urban landscape, but also to its peripheries, the project “Areas of Conflu(x)ences” intends to offer a complex image of a reality which get going to be construct and which is in search of its global identity. It is about creating an exhibition with off-line and on-line works, linking up the three areas (Luxemburg, Sibiu and Internet) that will find themselves in a constant relation (interactive one not), by combining urban and peripheral spaces and by presenting projects of young European artists questioning our daily reality.

Thus, the finality of the project consists in building up a permanent dialog around the European question between publics of various cultures and origins, from near by or at distance.

Exhibiting artists in Sibiu: Guillaume Bruere (FR/DE), Dusan Fiser(SLO), Filipe Jensen & Nuno Costa(PT), Hannes Nehls(DE/RO), Claudia Robles(CO/DE), Scenocosme – Grégory Lasserre & Anais Met Den Ancxt (FR), Colectiv MU (FR), Wj’s – Anne Roquigny, Karin & Marika Dermineur (FR).

Exhibiting artists in Luxembourg: Janez Janša (SLO), Vincent Levy (FR), Florian Grond (AT), Julien Clauss (FR/DE), Collectif QUO (FR), Lynn Pook (FR/DE), Effie Wu (TW/DE).

The Romanian part of the project was realized with the financial support of the Romanian Ministry of Culture in partnership with the French Embassy in Romania, French Cultural Institute Bucharest, KIBLA Multimedia Center Maribor Slovenia; Ille et Villaine Association Sibiu; *.ARTLABS Sibiu; German Cultural Center Sibiu, Planwerk Association Cluj, German Cultural Center Cluj, Czech Center, Bucharest, Art and Design University Cluj, Tranzit Foundation Cluj; SLICK 07 Paris, Hotel Libra Sibiu, Gong Theater Sibiu, X Future Gallery Sibiu.

Project’s team in Sibiu:
Project coordinator: Tincuța Heinzel
Assistants: Laura Panait, Monica Postolache, Liviu Pop, Corina Andor
Translator: Patricia Comănescu
Foto and graphics: Marius Perțe and Sorin Luca