The group exhibition “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” opened at LeiLei Gallery in Bucharest brings together the works of artists: Olimpiu Bandalac, Cătălin Burcea, Nora Cupcencu, Cristina Chirilă, Petru Lucaci, Diana Oană, Alexandru Ranga, Cristian Răduță, Teodora Rotaru and Mihai Zgondoiu.
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” serves as a potent metaphor for collective psychosis gripping our era. Characterised by uncertainty, global tensions, and pervasive anxiety, this period of crisis fosters irrational reactions that disrupt our psychological equilibrium. Thus, an alternative reality emerges that extends malignantly, shaping behaviors and expectations that can no longer be fully acknowledged. Modern psychosis infiltrates not only collective thought and power structures but also the most subtle dynamics of human relationships.
Inspired by Ken Kesey’s novel of the same name, the title and theme of psychological captivity align perfectly with contemporary realities. In this context, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” becomes more than just a cursory literary reference. The exhibition positions itself as a witness to the subtle slippage between the desire for freedom and the trap of remaining prisoners within a psychotic nest, where reality is distorted and perceptions are shaped by fears, illusions, and imposed conventions.
Olimpiu Bandalac, Cătălin Burcea, Nora Cupcencu, Cristina Chirilă, Petru Lucaci, Diana Oană, Alexandru Ranga, Cristian Răduță, Teodora Rotaru, and Mihai Zgondoiu, through a diverse range of media (painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles, object-installation, site-specific installations, new media), invite the audience to experience a contemplative space where individual emotions transform into collective expressions. Through the lens of the intersection of different media, artists interrogate how intimate experiences are shaped by the turbulence of collective disarray, creating a dialogue between personal and universal emotions.
The artworks serve as reflections of psychological fragility and collective anxieties: the fear of the unknown, the urge to find a refuge in prefabricated narratives, and the struggle to maintain balance in a world on the verge of losing its bearings. The exhibited artworks analyze a wide range of human experiences ranging from despair and confusion to moments of clarity and revelation. Each artwork acts as a mirror reflecting inner turmoil, both personal and collective. In this disorienting reality, the flight transcends mere escape, evolving into an act of awareness. This “flight” is not an escape from an imposed reality, but rather a space for reflection on psychological fragility, a suspended journey above a world where reality itself appears as volatile as our own projections. “
Nora Cupcencu, curator
The exhibition can be visited until March 13, 2025. Free entrance.
