An exceptional exhibition dedicated to the painter Julije Knifer, marking at the same time 100 years since the birth of the Croatian artist, will be inaugurated starting September 5, 2024, at the Art Encounters Foundation in Timișoara.
Julije Knifer – meander without bounds is curated by Ami Barak and offers a foray into the artistic universe of this key personality of the Croatian avant-garde of the second half of the 20th century, co-founder of the Yugoslav group Gorgona, based in Zagreb. The group’s members promoted a nihilistic stance inspired by existentialist philosophy and the example of local avant-garde pre-World War II.
The exhibition “Julije Knifer—meander without bounds” is part of the Art Encounters Foundation’s mission to amplify the artistic dialogue between Romania and the rest of Central and Eastern Europe. Through this initiative, the Foundation reaffirms its commitment to exploring and exhibiting works that reflect the region’s diversity and cultural richness.
His works explore the relationship between the suggestion of infinite repetition of the motif and the boundaries of the canvas. The meandering river is an ancient symbol of the eternal flow of life, but for Knifer, it is the key to a timeless world and a way to create works that transcend themselves.
The perfection of the execution reveals an artist who has found a meditative source in the creative process. This unique theme of repetition of the purest and simplest form creates a hypnotic aesthetic.
Knifer had relatives in Timișoara, which makes the exhibition all the more interesting for the public on Bega. Visitors will have the opportunity to discover why and how repetition and geometric structure became the artist’s distinctive signature while realizing the complexity of the ideas they express. Through a representative selection of works, the exhibition will show how Knifer created compositions of great sophistication and subtlety, providing a succinct insight into his contribution to contemporary art.
Julije Knifer represented Croatia at the Venice Biennale in 2001, and in 2014, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb presented a complete retrospective of his work. He has exhibited at the Center Pompidou Paris, MAMCO in Geneva and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, and his work is in numerous private and public collections worldwide, including MoMA in New York, Tate London, Center Pompidou in Paris and the National Gallery in Berlin.
The exhibition will open on September 5, 2024, at the Art Encounters Foundation’s exhibition space on Bvd. Take Ionescu 46C (Casa ISHO), from Timișoara, starting at 18:00.
The exhibition can be visited between September 5 and October 12, 2024, from Tuesday to Saturday, between 12:00 and 18:00. A guided tour will take place every Saturday from 17:00.
The exhibition benefits from the invaluable help of Ana Knifer, to whom we are extremely grateful.
The exhibition “Julije Knifer—meanders without bounds” is organized by the Art Encounters Foundation and co-financed by AFCN. This event is also possible thanks to the strategic partnership with Banca Transilvania and partners ISHO, Volvo AutoGardo, and Cramele Recaș.
