CONCRETE PLATFORM/PLATFORMA BETONATĂ is a collective exhibition that brings together artists who transformed the former offices of the Unirea factory in Cluj-Napoca into a dynamic cultural space. The exhibition, opened at space Rubik, explores themes related to gentrification, reconversion and the possibilities of transforming abandoned industrial spaces. The artists involved aim to reflect on the impact of urban changes and how the artistic community can regenerate these places, creating a dialogue between the industrial past and the creative future of the city.
ARTISTS: Roxana Ajder, Arami, Celina Cordoș, Mara Cucu, Norbert Filep, Camilia Filipov, Gagyi Botond Lucian Indrei, Alexandra Mocan, Ioan de Moisa, Oana Năstăsache, Daniela Orban, Marta Palii, Lucian Popăilă, Leonardo Silaghi, George Șimon, Matei Toşa, Codruț Zele.
“In the surroundings, outside this collective exhibition, a vast territory of the former industrial platform of Cluj has disappeared. The concrete and steel structures, the reddish bricks, the asbestos and sheet metal roofs, the high chimneys that indicated from a distance the direction of the former Carbochim platform have dissipated in the plainness of the demolition and in the hopes of the new complex that will revive the former industrial territory. In the vicinity of this vanished landscape, there is also the Unirea platform, the former machinery factory for the textile industry, which, most likely and in a not very long time, will follow in the footsteps of its neighbor Carbochim. The concrete platforms of big cities are among the first spaces to be targeted by gentrification.
The collective included in the present exhibition has developed organically in the last seven years. It occupies the former offices of the Unirea factory with workshops and cultural events. The present exhibition represents the effort of this group of artists to emphasize the possibilities of transformation and reconversion of concrete platforms.
The exhibition’s title, “concrete platform”, derives from the status of these spaces, which hides in its simplicity a valid oxymoron. Composed of the terms “platform” and “concrete”, it refers to safety and certainty, with the aim of supporting a metallurgical industry (Uzina Unirea) for a long time and facilitating good operation. At the same time, from the perspective of cultural-creative industries (oriented towards a co-existential convergence with concrete platforms), this longevity appears to us as a constant doubt that threatens the continuity and development of these directions. Thus, the possibility of relocation becomes a persistent thought that jams the ideas and programs of the actors on the creative stage.
Whether we are talking about workshops or the entities of cultural entrepreneurs, this thought threatens the normality necessary for the enrichment and promotion of personal or collective projects. Sooner or later, the neighboring landscape will include the Unirea factory area, leaving behind ideas, projects, and activities, with the hope that they will relocate in a new cultural-creative mélange.
This is a group exhibition in which the practice of the artists who occupied the fourth floor of the former offices at the Unirea factory is presented, where the artists also hosted the Unirea Open Studios (UOS) events. This exhibition must be read in the symbolic key of these activities that began in the spring of 2022, counting seven events joined by more than forty guest artists.” Norbert Filep
The exhibition can be visited until September 13, 2024 at the Rubik Space in Cluj-Napoca. Entry is free.
