Matei Bejenaru is a visual artist who lives and works in Iaşi, where he teaches photography and video art at the “George Enescu” University of Arts. In his projects, through photography, video, performance and inter-media installations, he analyzes how the ways of economic production, technological knowledge, mentalities and lifestyles have changed in the last two decades in the post-communist countries. The Romanian workers’ immigration towards the West was analyzed in his artistic projects Travel Guide and Maersk Dubai, selected for various international exhibitions, like the ones in Tate Modern, Level 2 Gallery in London in 2007, The Taipei Biennial in 2008.
His choral music experimental project, started in 2010, Songs for a Better Future, was presented at The Drawing Room and Tate Modern in London, Western Front la Vancouver, Kuenstlerhaus Buchsenhausen Innsbruck, Laakteater Haga. The most recent episode of this project, Ode of the Matter, was exhibited at The National Museum of Contemporary Museum in Bucharest and at the Art Encounters Biennial in Timişoara.
Solo Exhibitions
2024 Proiectie 03, Switchlab, Atelierele Scânteia, Bucharest, Romania
2024 Proiectie 02, Kunsthalle Bega, Timisoara, Romania
2023MODELE, Paris Photo Art Fair, Paris, France
2023PRUT, National Museum of Art of Moldova, Republic of Moldova
2022Modele, Anca Poterasu Gallery, Bucharest
2022Peripheral Routes, Invitro Gallery, Cluj Napoca
2021Print, Artep Gallery, curator: Cristian Nae, Iasi
2020 DIAPOZITIV , Switch Lab, Bucharest
2019 Same Histories, Anca Poterașu Gallery, Spinnerei Leipzig, Germany
2019 Prut, Galerie Art & Essai, Rennes
2018 Prut, The Museum of the Romanian Peasant, Bucharest
2018 REFLECTOR, apARTe Gallery, Iași, Romania, curator: Anca Mihulet
2016 The Steps, the Words and the Usual, Anca Poterasu Gallery, Bucharest Romania, curator: Anca Mihulet
2014 Songs for a better future, Laakteater, The Hague, Netherlands, curator: Reka Imola Makkai
2013 From A to B, Cupola Gallery, Iasi, Romania, curator: Livia Pancu
2013 Projects 1993-2000, Tranzit Iasi, Romania, curator: Livia Pancu
2012 Matei Bejenaru: Art into Life.Life into Art, The Artery Gallery North Adams Massachussets, United States of America, curator: Izabel Galliera
2011 Battling Inertia, Andreiana Mihail Gallery, Bucharest, Romania
2011 Projects_2008-2010, Contemporary Art Gallery of the Brukenthal Museum Sibiu, Romania, curators: Liviana Dan and Anca Mihulet
2009 M3 Work, Memory, Movement, Cupola Gallery Iasi, Romania
2009 Double Stéreo, Galerie ERSEP Tourcoing (F) (with Yves Robuschi), curators: Ivan Polliart and Christelle Manfredi
2007 Ghid de calatorie, Galeria Posibila, Bucharest, Romania
2005 Strawberry Fields Forever, Galeria Noua, Bucharest, Romania
2005 Strawberry Fields Forever, Galeria Noua, Bucharest
2005 INTER (with Robert Fearns), R O O M Gallery, Bristol, United Kingdom
2005 INTER (with Robert Fearns), Vector Gallery Iasi, Romania
2005 Travelling Guide, Insert in the IDEA Art Magazine, Cluj, Romania
2002 Mehr Chancen Fur Unsere Jugend, Kulturkontakt Gastatelier, Vienna, Austria
2002 Salut / Ave Bachtalo, Offspace Gallery, Vienna, Austria
2000 Peripheral Routes 2, Space Gallery, ICCA Bucharest, Romania
2000 Peripheral Routes, ATC Space, Chicago, United States of America
1999 Unequal Parallels, “Cupola” Gallery, Iasi, Romania
1998 Archives, “GAD” Photo Gallery, Bucharest, Romania
1998 Interferencies, Palace Of Culture, Tg.Mures, Romania
1996 9 Days, “Cupola” Gallery, Iasi, Romania
1996 Reflex, “Matei Millo” House, Iasi, Romania
Group exhibitions
2024 RAD ART Fair 2024, Bucharest, Timisoara
2024 Touch Nature, /Sac Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
2024 Art Brussels 2024, Brussels, Belgium
2023 The Multiple Nature of Time, curated by Cristina Moraru, Profil Gallery, Bratislava
2023 Poetics of Hospitality, Vol. II, curated by Cristina Stoenescu, Anca Poterasu Gallery, Bucharest
2023 Nature Expanded, curated by Ileana Pintilie, Meta Spatiu, Timisoara, Romania
2023 All important ideas must include the trees, the mountains, and the rivers, No Name Creative Projects, Paris, France
2023Chronic Hunger / Sete cronică, Centrul de proiecte Timișoara, Timișoara
2023European Capital of Culture, curator Cosmina Goagea, Corina Oprea, Brîndușa Tudor
2022Redrawing the Lines, Museum of Contemporary Art, curator: Daniella Geo, Belgium
2021Borrowed Memories, Waldburger Wouters Space, Brussels
2021L’Air du Temps, Main Section, Paris Photo, Paris, France
2021Heartbeat 20, Kunsthalle Bega, curator: Călin Dan
2021 12 Years After. A Survey of Romanian Art in 180 Works, The National Museum of Contemporary Art,RO
2021 The Show That Never Was, Anca Poterasu Gallery, RO
2020 In Midst of the Worst, the Best of Times, SUMO – The Odd year at lítost Prague,CZ
2020 A Room of One’s Own, NADA Gallery Open NY Harlem CT Collective and DannyBaez,US
2019 Historical and cultural perspectives on migration, Presentation of the film ABYSS, Europalia, BOZAR, Bruxelles
2019 The Principle of Migration, New York Foundation for the Arts, USA
2018 From different angles, The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest
2018 Orient, Curator: Michal Novotný; Venues: Kim? Laikmetīgās mākslas centrs, Rīga; BOZAR, Brussels; Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej Bunkier Sztuki, Krakówia
2016 The Factory of Facts and Other (Unspoken) Stories, Salonul de Proiecte, Bucharest, Romania
2016 NON-FICTIONS, Rezidența Scena9, Bucharest, Romania
2016 Innersound: Touch, multimedia project, (the project is part of #4 Innersound New Arts Festival), Bucharest, Romania
2016 Industrisemester, Maskinhuset, Grängesberg, Sweden, curator: Johan Norling
2016 Clinical architectures for a compositionist future, Camera Plus Biennial for Contemporary Photography, Iasi, Romania, curator: Catalin Gheorghe
2015 Timisoara Art Encounters, curators: Nathalie Hoyos & Rainald Schumacher
2015 Pocket Revolutions, Korea Foundation Seul (South Korea), curator: Simona Nastac
2015 In times of Hope and Unrest: Cristical Art from Iasi, National Museum for Contemporary Art Bucharest, curators: Catalin Gheorghe si Cristian Nae
2015 Cartographies, McDaniel College, Maryland, United States of America, curator : Izabel Galliera
2015 Brave New World Romanian Migrants’ Dream Houses, Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Berlin
2014 Showtime, ABC Contemporary Zurich, Switzerland, curator: Olga Stefan
2014 Power and Play, De Markten, Summer of Photography, Brussels, Belgium, curator: Christophe de Jaegger
2014 Paralele intersectate / Intersected Parralels : 5 positions in Romanian Contemporary Photography, Cupola Gallery, Iasi, Romania
2013 From the Plastic Arts to the Visual Arts (together with Dumitru Oboroc), Salonul de proiecte Bucharest, Romania, curators: Magda Radu & Alexandra Croitoru
2013 AGORA, 4th Athens Biennial, Greece, curator: Despina Zefkili
2012-2013 One Sixth of the Earth, MUSAC Valladolid, Spain, ZKM Karlsruhe, curator: Mark Nash
2012-2013 Associate Artists, Kettle’s Yard, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, curator: Elizabeth Fischer
2011 Vector Association at Western Front, Western Front Vancouver, Canada, curators: Livia Pancu & Jesse McKee
2011 Songs for a better future, PerformIC Festival, Innsbruck, Austria, curator: Andrei Siclodi
2011 Living Today, Glasgow School of Art, United Kingdom, curator: Jenny Brownrigg
2011 I work. I produce. I control, Galeria ZONA Lodz, Poland, curator: Livia Pancu
2011 Artists’ Film Club, ICA London, curator: Cylena Simonds
2010 The Haifa Mediterranian Biennial, Haifa, Istrael, curator: Belu Fainaru
2010 Songs for a better future, KNOT project, Bucharest, Romania, curator: Raluca Voinea
2010 Over the counter, Mucsarnok Museum Budapest, Hungary, curators: Eszther Lazar, Zsolt Petranyi
2010 Image at work, INDEX Stockholm and the Romanian Cultural Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, curator:Helena Holmberg
2010 Eurovisions, Vasa Konsthall, Finland, curator: Robert Back
2010 Critical Point, Vector Association participation at Frieze Projects London, United Kingdom, curator: Livia Pancu
2010 Best Laid Plans, The Drawing Room London, United Kingdom, curator: Cylena Simmonds
2009 Performing the East, Salzburger Kunstverein, Austria, curator: Hemma Schmutz
2009 De Porc, The National Dance Center Bucharest, Romania, curator Ervin Kessler
2009 Dacia, Lille 3000 series of exhibitions and events, Galerie Comune Tourcoing, France, curator: Christelle Manfredi
2008 Taipei Biennial, Taiwan, curators: Manray Shu and Vasif Kortun
2008 Spa Port, Banja Luka, Bosnia, curator: Ana Nikitovic
2008 Schengen, Finekost Gallery Berlin, curator: Aaron Moulton
2008 Move On, Futura Art Center Prague, Czech Republic, curator: Alberto di Stefan
2007 The Irresistible Force, Tate Modern London Level 2 Gallery, curator: Ben Borthwick
2007 Social Cooking Romania, NGBK Berlin, Germany, curator: Dan Mihaltianu
2007 If you find this world bad, you should see some of the others, Prague Biennial 3, curator: Simona Nastac
2007 Blurrr 6 Performance Festival, Tel Aviv, curator: Sergio Edelsztein
2006 Journey Against the Current Küba, Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, Nestroyhof, Vienna
2006 Cities from Bellow, Fondazione Teseco per l’arte, Pisa, Italia, curator: Marco Scotini
2006 Check-in Europe Reflecting Identities in Contemporary Art, European Pattent Office, München, Germany, curator: Marius Babias
2005 Situated Self, Museum for Contemporary Art Belgrade, Serbia, Tennis Art Palace, Helsinki, Finland, curators: Branko Dimitrević & Mika Haanula
2005 NowHere Europe, Polo Museale Veneziano alla Misericordia, Venice, Italy, MNAC Bucharest, Romania, curator: Bartolomeo Pietromarchi (Fondazione Adriano Olivetti)
2005 Motion Parade, Fotogalerie Vienna, Austria, curator: Alina Serban
2005 Just a Doubt, Manhattan Gallery Łodz, Poland, curator: Ivan Polliart
2004 The Roma Show, Minoriten Gallery Graz, Austria, Jana Koniarka Gallery Trnava, Slovakia, Skuc Gallery Ljubljana, Slovenia
2004 I Am Here You Are There…, GFZK Leipzig, Germany, curator: Barbara Steiner
2004 U-Topos, Tirana Biennial 2, Albania, curator: Branislava Dimitrevič
2003 Superbia, Dublin, Ireland, curator: Stephen Brandes
2003 Palpable Disequilibrium, LIPA Gallery Chicago, curator: Olga Ştefan
2002 Personal-Public Space, Čačak, Serbia, curator: Zoran Erič
2002 Mope 02, Performance Festival, Vasa, Finland, curator: Markus Lerviks
2002 Ebent Performance Festival, CCCB Barcelona, Spain, curator: Maria Cosmes
2002 Akt 2,Performance Festival, Brno, Czech Republic, curator: František Kowolowski
2001 Fabs Show, Poznanski Factory, Łodz, Poland, curator: Malgorzata Sido
2001 Never Stop The Action, Steirischer Herbst Festival, Rotor Graz, Austria, curators: Margarethe Makovec & Anton Ledere
2001 49th Venice Biennial, Context Project, Romanian Pavilion, Venice, Italy, curator: Alexandru Patatics
2000 Via Bucharest, Eforie Gallery, Bucharest, Romania
2000 Transferatu, Ifa Gallery, Berlin, Germany, curator: Dan Mihălţianu
2000 Peripheric Roads, Around the Coyote Gallery, Chicago, curator: Olga Stefan
1999 Jünge Rümänische Kunst, Bayerische Stadtkanzlei, München, Germany
1999 At Home, French Cultural Center Iasi, Romania
1999 Zone 3 Performance Festival, Timisoara, Romania, curator: Ileana Pintilie
1999 Periferic 3, Festival, Iasi, Romania
1999 Annart 10 Performance Festival, St. Ann Lake, Romania, curator: Gusztàv Ütó
1998 Periferic 2, Performance Festival, Iasi, Romania
1998 Gioconda’s Smile , Performance Festival, Kishinew, Republic of Moldova, curator: Octavian Esanu
1998 Contemporary Concepts, Art Museum, Oradea, Romania
1998 Alternatives Experimental Film Festival, Tg. Mures, Romania, curator: Joseph Bartha
1997 Altfest, Alternative Theatre Festival, Iasi, Romania
1997 Soare cu dinti, 35 Studio, 3/4 Floor Gallery, National Theatre, Bucharest, Romania, curator: Erwin Kessle
1997 Periferic 1, French Cultural Centre, Iasi, Romania
1997 Civitas Solis, Civitas Artis, The Soros Center for Contemporary Arts Annual Exhibition, Calnic Castle, Romania, curator: Maria Rus Bojan
1997 Ad-Hoc, Romanian Art of Today, Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Hungary, curator: Erwin Kessler
1996 Interferencies and Experiments from the 1960s until the 90s in the Romanian Art (The Soros Center For Contemporary Arts Annual Exhibition), 3/4 Floor Gallery
1996 GATA young graduating art students exhibition, 3/4 Floor Gallery, National Theatre, Bucharest
1995 Object- Objective, 35 Studio, Caminul Artei Gallery, Bucharest, Romania, curator: Erwin Kessler
1995 Neotraditionalism & Neoavanguard, 35 Studio, Caminul Artei Gallery, Bucharest, Romania, curator: Erwin Kessler
1995 Inter(N), Art Museum of Arad, Romania, curator: Judit Angel
1994 Art Unlimited Ltd, Art Museum Of Arad, Romania, curator: Judit Angel
Performances
2015 Ode of the Matter, Timisoara Art Encounters, curators: Nathalie Hoyos & Rainald Schumacher
2013 My Head / My Street, AGORA, 4th Athens Biennial, Greece, curator: Despina Zefkili
2013 From A to B (together with Paul Gradinaru), transit Iasi, Romania
2009 ZäuberJackl Quest, Salzburger Kunstverein, Austria, Curator: Hemma Schmutz
2009 ISO, Thessaloniki Biennial 2, Grecia, curators: Demostenes Agrafiotis and Eirini Papakonstantinou
2007 Impreuna / Together, Tate Modern London, curator: Ben Borthwick
2004 Speaking 5, House of Writers Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, GFZK Leipzig, Germania, curator: Barbara Steiner
2002 Zona 4 Festival, Timisoara, Romania
2002 Strawberry Fields Forever, Ebent Festival, CCCB Barcelona, Spania
2002 Sauna Speaking, Mope 02, Vasa, Finland
2002 Salut / Ave Bachtalo, Akt 2 Festival, Brno, Czech Republic
2002 Looking For Caslav, Čačak, Serbia
2002 A Methamorphosys of Speaking, live radio broadcast, ORF Kunstradio, Vienna, Austria, organizer: Jeanette Pacher
2001 Walzer der Dinge, Never Stop The Action Festival, Graz, Austria
2001 Speaking 4, Fabs Show, Łodz, Poland
1999 Personal History, The Zone Performance Festival, Timisoara, Romania
1999 Body Spray, French Cultural Center, Iasi, Romania
1999 13047, Annart 10 Performance Festival, St. Ann Lake, Romania
1998 To The Center, Periferic 2 Festival, Iasi, Romania
1998 Speaking 3, Gioconda’s Smile Performance Festival, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
1997 Speaking2, Altfest Festival, Iasi, Romania
1997 Somebody Up There Likes Me, Periferic 1 Festival, French Cultural Centre, Iasi, Romania
1997 Pilotage, French Cultural Centre, Iasi, Romania
1996 Speaking1, Live TV performance, Europa Nova Studio, Iasi, Romania
1995 Alexandru cel Bun, Iasi, Romania
1994 The Mirrors, Piatra Neamt, Romania
Videos
2016 Wall, 16mm b&w film, 3min.
2014 The Wall of J.O., HDV, 30min.
2013 The Band Without a Name, HDV, 30min.
2010 From afar , HDV, 5min.
2010 Battling Inertia, HDV, 14min.
2009 A.S.B.T, HDV, 14min.
2007 Maersk Dubai, DVD, 8min.
2005 1982, DVD, 1min.
2004 Speaking 5, DVD, 11min.
2003 Alexandru cel Bun Epilogue, DVD, 6 min.
2002 Salut / Ave Bachtalo, Hi8, Colour, Sound, 43 Min.
2001 Conversations 15, Vhs, Colour, Sound, 10 Min.
1996 Duo, Svhs, Colour, Sound, 6 Min.
1995 Struggle, Vhs, Colour, Sound, 4 Min.
1995 All, Svhs, Colour, Sound, 4 Min.
1995 Alexander The Good, Colour Sound, 5 Min.
1994 Transience, Vhs, Colour, Sound, 3 Min.
1993 Noncommunication, Vhs, Colour, Sound, 4 Min.
Professional experience
Founder and Artistic Director of Periferic Biennial, Iasi, Romania
2003-2007 Director of VECTOR Gallery in Iasi, Romania
2005 Editor of Vector visual art magazine, Iasi, Romania
1998-2004 Graphic designer of all the Periferic Biennial publications (catalogues, posters, invitations…)
2003-2007 He was the initiator and manager of the cARTier project (a social culture project which tries to rehabilitate an esplanade in a worker’s district in Iasi-Romania). The cARTier project was a pilot project of Pro Helvetia in Romania.
2004-2008 He wrote weekly art articles at the Supliment de cultura (the visual arts page), a cultural magazine with a national distribution in Romania.
Fellowships and awards
2012-2013 Associated artist at Kettle’s Yard Cambridge, United Kingdom
2011-2012 Visiting Professor at the University of Quebec, Montreal, Canada
2008 Artist in residence at Futura Art Center in Prague, Czech Republic
2007 Artist in Residence, Tate Modern London Level 2 Gallery
2002 Kulturkontakt Fellowship Vienna, Austria
2000 Artslink Fellowship, Artist In Residence Around The Coyote Chicago, United States of America
1997 Soros Center For Contemporary Arts First Prize, Bucharest, Romania
1997 British Council Fellowship, Belfast, United Kingdom
Conferences
2014 The Mobile Biennial, National Museum for Contemporary Arts Bucharest
2012 Western Front, (Conference Institutions by Artists), Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
2012 California College of the Arts, San Francisco, United States of America
2011 Université du Québéc à Montréal
2008 Institut National d’Histoire de l’art Paris (Conference „Art contemporain et territoires)
2007 Flaggfabrikke Bergen, Norway
2007 Courtauld Institute, Londra
2007 Contemporary Art Center, Tel Aviv
2006 Romanian Cultural Institute, New York
2006 Moderna Museet, Stockholm
2006 Middle South European Meeting, Pristina, Kosovo
2006 Cabaret Voltaire, Zurich
2005 Institutul Goethe Bucureşti, Conference After The Happy Nineties
2005 University of South Florida, Tampa, United States of America
2005 Muzeul de Arta Contemporana, Belgrad
2004 Manifesta Cofee Break, Liverpool Biennial
