Featuring Iulian Bisericaru and Megan Dominescu
Photo credit: Iulian Bisericaru, Vivid Anxiety, 2024, oil on canvas, 150 x 120 cm, courtesy of the Estate of Iulian Bisericaru and Anca Poterașu Gallery, Bucharest
With the support of The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, painter Iulian Bisericaru, represented by Anca Poterașu Gallery, will make his debut at the 10th edition of NADA New York (May 2-5), the international fair described by The Wall Street Journal as the place that “provides the opportunity to peek into the future”. Ironic and playful at the same time, Bisericaru (b. 1987), who lives and works in Sibiu, central Romania, and is a graduate and a Ph.D. of the University of Arts and Design in Cluj-Napoca, offers a somehow neglected or hidden perspective on aspects of contemporary society, inviting the viewer to take a position towards environmental issues, either by depicting the remains of industrial society or by approaching the controversial topic of city planning and resource exploitation.
At NADA, Bisericaru pairs with the Romanian-American artist Megan Dominescu, with whom he is linked through a common interest in the deep connection between climate anxiety and the concept of freedom as well as the interest to offer an artistic perspective on the current environmental challenges. Through artworks that explore climate fears and serve as a mirror of the collective consciousness, capturing the inner turmoil generated by dramatic changes, the two artists bring to the fore human vulnerability in the face of climate degradation, creating an emotional dialogue with the viewer. Freedom is a key element in their works, reflecting the human desire to regain control over one's destiny in the face of climate threats as well as a metaphor for the restoration of natural balance and for our responsibility towards the environment.
Access to the fair is by ticket only. More details on the organizers' website: TICKETS
ABOUT THE GALLERY
ANCA POTERAȘU GALLERY is a contemporary art gallery established in Bucharest in 2011 with the mission to support contemporary Romanian artists, both well established and young visual artists, working in various media – painting, drawing, installation, photograph, and video-art. The gallery’s program is centered on curatorial practices that encourage collaborations with art practitioners from across Romania and from all over the world. In 2015, the gallery initiated an international exhibition residency program – Plantelor 58 – for Romanian and international artists and curators, establishing a sustainable platform for cooperation. Working to develop the international visibility of the artists it represents through cooperation with other galleries and institutions, Anca Poterașu Gallery has established a strong presence at international arts fairs and events and has continued to develop the concept of the “nomad gallery”, with the aim to open different project spaces around Europe.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
IULIAN BISERICARU lives and works in Sibiu, Romania. He graduated from the Painting Department of the University of Arts and Design Cluj-Napoca, Romania and developed his PhD thesis around the relationship between architecture and painting, with a critical overview of the ecological ideology. Iulian Bisericaru’s artworks offer a somehow neglected or hidden perspective on aspects of contemporary society, that the human eye willingly avoids. Ironic and playful at the same time, Iulian Bisericaru invites the beholder to take a position towards environmental issues, be it by depicting the remains of industrial society or by approaching the controversial topic of city planning and resource exploitation. His artist book with texts by Liviana Dan, Marie Maertens and Cristina Stoenescu was launched in May 2022, with a solo show curated by Marie Maertens at Anca Poterasu Gallery in Bucharest. The artist was awarded a grant for an virtual artistic residency organized by the European Alliance of Art Academies through Akademie der Künste, Berlin in 2022. During February – May 2019 Iulian Bisericaru attended the residency Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris and two years earlier he took part in the International Summer Residency in Aschersleben. In 2012 he was nominated for Start Point Prize and he also received the Expomaraton Award. In 2017 his work “Diebenkorn Background” (2016) was featured in the Italian journal La Lettura – Corriere dela Sera (July, 2017).
MEGAN DOMINESCU is a visual artist, living and working in Bucharest, Romania. She graduated from the Department of Painting at the National University of the Arts, Bucharest. She was born in the Netherlands to Romanian and American parents, grew up in Washington, D.C. and later moved to Bucharest, Romania. She is currently represented by Anca Poterașu Gallery in Bucharest. Megan is also a member of the artist collective MOXA20, the CEO of Good Boy Security canine couture fashion company, and one half of the hot and sizzly DJ duo Miss Clitoral. ”From life-size crocheted figures to rug-hooked scenes of whimsical and alien subjects, Dominescu’s work mingles difficult subject matter with lighthearted imagery. She uses humor to convey the hardships people face and the “absurdity” of the world we inhabit.” Omar Gabr, for artsy, 10 Gen Z Artists around the World Offer a Look inside Their Art Practices
ABOUT THE ART FAIR
NADA New York 2024 presents the 10th edition of NADA New York, that will take place from Thursday, May 2nd through Sunday, May 5th at 548 West in West Chelsea’s gallery district. NADA New York 2024 will showcase a dynamic selection from 92 galleries, art spaces, and non-profit organizations spanning 15 countries and 31 cities including Athens, Bucharest, Ghent, Montreal, New York, Portland, Warsaw, and Seoul. This year’s exhibitors list showcases 59 NADA Members and 34 first-time exhibitors. The fair also features the return of TD Bank Curated Spotlight, a special section organized by curator and writer Simon Wu featuring five presentations from exhibiting galleries, as well as NADA Presents, a programming series of conversations bringing together voices in art and culture. NADA New York is an expression of the organization’s commitment to the city, both as the cultural mecca in which the association’s headquarters and exhibition space are located, as well as a global epicenter of emerging and established galleries and artists.