Romanian Artists at London’s Crossroads

Romanian visual practices are showcased at the famous Old Truman Brewery in East London, as part of the first edition of Crossroads Art Show – a new platform promoting innovative contemporary art by established and emerging artists around the world. Joining this artistic melting pot, Zorzini Gallery in Bucharest is showcasing original works signed by artists Szilard Gaspar, Dan Măciucă and Radu Solovăstru.

Szilard Gaspar (b. 1991) is a highly skillful young sculptor and a brilliant performance artist. Born in Transylvania, the artist graduated from the University of Arts and Design in Cluj-Napoca, where he studied sculpture, while also being a promising young professional boxer, successfully representing Romania in many different international sport competitions. The range of his performances during the last five years, including a performance session held by Flash Art Hungary in Budapest in 2014, reflect Szilard Gaspar’s increasing interest for integrating specific boxing techniques within the frame of performance art, in order to obtain a unique and very special conceptual approach.

Dan Măciucă (b. 1979) is a fast emerging Romanian artist, living and working in Cluj-Napoca. A PhD graduate of the University of Arts and Design in Cluj, Dan Măciucă is also an Associate Professor in the Painting Department. Specialising in painting, the artist masters all classical techniques of the medium, which he connotes into a contemporary manner of representation and of abstract gestural expression. Dan Măciucă is one of the few abstract Eastern European painters of his generation, thus being one of the important representatives of the abstract approach in its recent production.

Radu Solovăstru (b. 1957) is a Professor at the University of Arts and Design in Cluj-Napoca, where he also took his PhD. Mastering all classical and recent drawing and graphic techniques, his art during the past decades borders on taboo, studying the intersection between death and eroticism within a cultural frame, and yet in a highly direct manner of expression. The artist’s 'Glycemic' series takes his artistic and philosophical research in a new direction by using a completely different material, the marzipan, through which drawing becomes a volumetric quest and the limits of materiality are challenged in themselves. Thus, the project comprises unseen and completely unexpected pieces created during the past two years, which take art history one step further on the 'glycemic' and artistic scale.

A new international art show in the British capital, Crossroads is a niche fair, with approximately 47 galleries and special projects that have been handpicked by a team of renowned curators. A fresh, multicultural and accessible fair, it presents the current artistic trends in a relaxed and convivial setting. An opportunity to experience the highest quality contemporary art by established and emerging artists, from a multitude of backgrounds and spanning different generations, who share a desire for exploring new realms, new forms and new ideas.