Abstract: The article explores how contemporary Romanian artists are incorporating socialist imagery into their artworks, reflecting on the complexity of Romania’s com munist past. By juxtaposing historical visual elements with contemporary aesthetic practices, the artists are engaging in a debate about identity and memory. The article presents the transformation of former com munist buildings in Bucharest into contemporary cultural spaces, showcasing art galleries like /SAC Bucharest and institutions such as The National Museum of Contemporary Art. The article starts with a short presentation of Şerban Savu’s artworks, the artist that represents Romania at 2024 Venice Biennale, and in his artworks, we can spot influences from former Romanian socialism. The use of comparative and narrative methodologies in the article allows an exploration of the subject matter from a personal cultural point of view.
Keywords: realism, socialism, deconstruction, reconstruction, identity of artworks
BIO
Mihaela Ion
She is a curator, cultural manager and art researcher based in Bucharest. Since 2021, she is an AICA member. Since 2022, she has been an International Board Member in AICA and part of the digital strategies committee in the same association. In the last 17 years, she presented papers about Communist Art, Cultural Wars, contemporary artworks at the most important conferences organized in Europe. She collaborates with several art galleries and museums in Romania, and she curated exhibitions in Romania, Ukraine, Greece, Bulgaria, and Serbia. Her PhD thesis focused on the heritage of communist artworks. She has had the good fortune of being a grant keeper as a cultural manager in London at body>data>space, and in Paris, Sélestat, Strasbourg and Nancy during her Courants du Monde grant from the French Ministry of Culture. In 2010, she cofounded the project Atelierul Magazine – an international online and offline platform that creates an intercultural dialogue between the design creators and the public.
