Experiences

THIS IS NOT MY YOUTHOPIA – an attempt to demystify the digital

THIS IS NOT MY YOUTHOPIA exhibition that concludes the Post-Digital Intersections project, organized by Asociația Culturală Marginal, brings together in the premises of the Ștefania Palace in Timișoara the works of six young people from Timişoara, chosen following an open call, who worked with six young curators to -develop their projects around the post-digital concept, starting from the curatorial theme Youthopia.

The six spaces created explore post-digital ideas and practices in complex, large-scale installations to demystify the digital and return to what matters.

“Post-Digital Intersections was an open challenge to talk about the world that surrounds us in a free, open and above all, direct way, abandoning the cryptic language that art generally uses. Through the open way in which all participants responded to the challenge, from the young artists to the mentors from all over the world and, last but not least, to the entire project team, we opened a dialogue about societal issues that we face every day.” – Andrei Tudose, curator of the Post-Digital Intersections program.

The six young artists from Timișoara participating in the exhibition THIS IS NOT MY YOUTHOPIA are Alexandra Costea, Anca Şișu, Andreea Ioniță, Dorian Boloca, Ioana Bartha and Sorin Valea. The curators who accompanied them from the Center for Excellence in Image Studies in Bucharest are Alexandra Buiga, Andra Merfu, Eliza Pătrașcu, Iulia Kycyku, Mihai Milea and Miruna Barcan.

“The project allowed me to create according to different rules than the ones I’m used to, both in the creative environment and the development process. For me, Post-Digital Intersections meant bringing to life an extremely important sliver of expression that would otherwise not have seen the light of day.” – Anca Şișu, artist in the exhibition. THIS IS NOT MY YOUTHOPIA.

The Marginal Association developed the Post-Digital Intersections cultural project at the intersection of art, science and technology, which aimed to provide support for research and artistic production for 12 young practitioners from Romania selected through an open call. They had the opportunity to collaborate throughout the program both with each other and with international artists and curators – Annick Bureaud (FR), Ruth Anderwald + Leonhard Grond (AT), Claudia Schnugg (AT), Dasha Ilina (FR/RU ), Jan Świerkowski (PT/PL), Andrei Tudose and Sabina Suru (RO). The mentoring program was coordinated by Andrei Tudose and Annick Bureaud and had a hybrid online and offline format, thus creating a working framework for practitioners in the visual arts and humanities field.

“THIS IS NOT MY YOUTHOPIA is not just “another” exhibition in the intense cultural program of Timișoara 2023. The exhibition is based on a unique mentorship program, which was a rich and complex experience. I was surprised by the maturity and quality of the works that resulted from this program, the openness of the young artists, and the layered meanings they captured, which generated heated discussions between the mentors. I was intrigued by the fact that many of the works address issues of memory and loss, especially given that young people propose them. It was exciting to discover how they incorporated these subjects differently, materially and aesthetically.” – Annick Bureaud, CESI student coordinator for the exhibition THIS IS NOT MY YOUTHOPIA.

The exhibition can be visited daily until Friday, December 15, between 3 – 8 PM. Public access is free.