The solo show “New Tenant | Sunshine Noir”, signed by Marius Bercea, marks the debut of Timișoara-based gallery Jecza in Bucharest and opens a new chapter in the gallery’s history—one that expands its presence on the capital’s contemporary art scene.

“In the play The New Tenant, Eugène Ionesco explores alienation, materialism and existential entrapment through an absurdist approach. The story follows a man who moves into a new apartment that gradually fills up with too much furniture, suffocating him both physically and metaphorically. The act of accumulation transforms the space into an oppressive, almost surreal environment, echoing Ionesco’s themes of the absurd, the weight of existence and the loss of individual power in relation to external forces.

A situation that can, in a way, be linked to the current exhibition by Marius Bercea, who also uses space as a kind of theatrical construct to interrogate the viewer’s existential condition. If Ionesco’s protagonist is trapped in a room that itself becomes part of a theatrical spectacle of accumulation, it is similar to Bercea’s exhibition, which is conceived as a staged environment, with the paintings acting as “stage flats” and the props contributing to the mise-en-scene. Just as Ionesco’s tenant transforms a living space into a striking, inescapable composition, Bercea’s exhibition immerses the viewer in a multi-layered world where they become part of the narrative.” (Excerpt from the curatorial text)

The exhibition, curated by Tevž Logar, can be visited at Scânteia+ until July 13, 2025.

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