The exhibition THE SUBLIME OF THE FEEDBACK LOOP, curated by Teodora Roșu, invites the privilege to dive into the artistic process of Sergiu Chihaia.

𝘐𝘕𝘚𝘐𝘎𝘏𝘛
“The sublime of the feedback loop” is not just another reformulation of an artistic discourse, but an open workspace to attest the beginning of a next step in refining the artistic vocabulary. In his experimentation with different materialities, Chihaia focuses on the natural element as a reaction to his practice thus far. By juxtaposing this organic matter with the artificiality of textile fiber, the artist intends to draw attention to the ways in which we interact with the webs of life at absolutely any time.

As a behavioral model, the artist’s appreciation and devotion to the natural element transpires through the effort of patiently peeling and smoothening the wooden branches by hand, to keep the natural beauty of textures, knots and colors. Born out of a fascination with the fragility of the delicate balance from which we are a part, the momentary installations reveal a contemplation on an ever-changing world. Because bare life cannot be domesticated, the patterns of harmonisation evoke a measure of disorder that causes chaotic reactions, much like entropy. From the miniature to the large scale, every installation completes one another to create a whole, just like every microorganism acts as a part of the ecosystem. But more than that, the process of constantly reconfiguring the installations during the exhibition reflects how the world is perpetually reformulated, mirroring the dynamic and evolving nature of our surroundings.

Following a predetermined gradient, the installation aims to recreate the feeling of continuous process and transformation that we cannot separate ourselves from. Therefore, the sublime that inspires Chihaia in his artistic endeavor is not one that can be experienced only in natural or artistic contexts, but one that can be felt as part of our daily lives in the Anthropocene era.

Every exhibition is a forest, but besides all the “signs and meanings”2 revealed or acquired, this momentary landscape suggests an abstract imitation of the sensations that overwhelm us in the contemporary world. Trying to reconstruct the pleasant and dangerous conditions of an environment that can reveal sublime feelings, the exhibition “The sublime of the feedback loop” proposes a careful exploration of the way we unfold in space and of the difficulty with which our traces can be recovered.” (curatorial text)

Sergiu CHIHAIA (b. 1982, Verejeni, Republic of Moldova) is a visual artist specialized in fashion. He graduated the courses of the National University of Arts Bucharest and is currently a professor at the Fashion department, within the same institution. He lives and works in Bucharest. He participates with his works in national and international exhibitions (Bucharest, Constanta, London and Venice). He has works in private collections in England, Italy and Romania. In 2014 he won the UAP prize for Decorative Arts – Textiles within the Arts in Bucharest project, 5th edition. He is a sculptor, textile artist and designer and in the fire of creation, he combines them all, becoming a set designer. Thus, the artist recreates the history of the world as a stage, a space of exposure for the dramas, happiness and joys of man.

The exhibition can be visited until November 11, 2023.
Address: Strata Gallery, Parângului street, no. 76, Bucharest

DISCLAIMER
Please move carefully through the exhibition space without touching the installations because they are not stable. Behave as if you were in a forest, where everything around you could present a risk. Carefully supervise and direct the children to avoid any danger. If an artwork is destroyed, you will have the opportunity to work with the artist to restore it.

2. Nicolas Bourriaud, PLANET B, Climate change and the new sublime, 2022.