The Line of the Valley – Part II

Opening: October 22, 6:00 PM

Artists: Yasmina Assbane, Aurora Kiraly, Yana Bachynska, Liesbeth Bik and Jos Van Der Pol, Megan Dominescu, Anetta Mona Chișa, Kamruzzaman Shadhin, Tanja Boukal, Željko Beljan, Bogdan Rata, Dan Visovan, Delia Popa, Mihaela Moldovan, Loredana Ilie, Ilie Mihali, Donald Simionoiu

Curator: Marie Maertens
Artistic Director: Anca Poterasu

Exhibition period: 23 October – 5 December 2024

Location: Anca Poterasu Gallery
26 Popa Soare Street, Bucharest

Curated by Marie Maertens, the exhibition showcases the works created during the residency by artists Yasmina Assbane, Aurora Kiraly, Yana Bachynska, Liesbeth Bik & Jos Van Der Pol, Megan Dominescu, Anetta Mona Chișa, Kamruzzaman Shadhin, Tanja Boukal, Željko Beljan, Bogdan Rata, Dan Visovan, Delia Popa, Mihaela Moldovan, Loredana Ilie, Ilie Mihali, and Donald Simionoiu.

During the residency, the artists had the opportunity to learn traditional techniques in weaving, sewing, and textile dyeing from local craftsmen, applying these skills in contemporary creations. The exhibition not only preserves and protects intangible cultural heritage but also promotes more sustainable and eco-friendly practices. The showcased works include textiles, ceramics, wood, and recyclable materials, reflecting a unique blend of tradition and contemporary innovation.

Marie Maertens is an art historian, independent curator, art critic, and journalist. Recently, she was the artistic director of Bordeaux Art & Design and worked with resident artists at the Fiminco Foundation, resulting in the exhibition Urban Odysseys. In 2022, she curated Power Flower at 109 as part of the Nice Biennale and In this World, I’m a Stranger at Hiflow in Geneva. In 2020, she conceived the exhibition American Women, the Infinite Journey at Patinoire Royale in Brussels, exploring American women artists.

Her work can also be read on her website: mariemaertens.com

The exhibition DE/CODING TEXTILE. Contemporary Art Reflecting Textile Traditions will continue after Vienna in an adapted form in Zagreb (curated by Josip Zanki) and Bucharest (curated by Anca Poterasu).

Artists for Artists Residency Network (AFAR) is an EU co-funded project, also supported by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. The residency program aims to improve the mobility of contemporary visual artists and curators in Romania, Germany, Croatia, and Austria. The project is led by the Romanian Association for Contemporary Art (ARAC), in partnership with Goethe Institute Network, the Croatian Association of Fine Artists, and Künstlerhaus Vienna.

The project is also supported by the financial contribution of the Maramureș County Council.

Institutional Partners: Forumul Cultural Austriac, Isntitutul Francez din România

The AFAR Network project is co-funded by the European Union: ”Views and opionions expressed are however those of the autohor(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsable for them.”