Matei Bejenaru

b. 1963

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.

“I try to exploit the tension between a rational mode of reflection about the world I live in, which is characteristic of the type of modernity I was raised in, and poetic, contemplative forms of thinking, which have nothing to do with the dominant forms of thinking in our society today.” Matei Bejenaru

Matei Bejenaru, Between Two Worlds, ICMET Craiova, 2019
Matei Bejenaru, Between Two Worlds , ICMET Craiova, 2019

Matei Bejenaru’s name is unmistakably tied with the emergence of the contemporary Romanian art-scene in the 1990s. His practice revolves around video and public performances, hybrid art projects at the confluence between visual arts, poetry, experimental music and scientific research as well as a thoughtful, humanistic approach to documentary photography.

Matei Bejenaru’s performance project ”L’Air du Temps” expressed at the time the pathos of a young artist whose options were limited to a slow socioeconomic transition in Romania. The triptych shows the artist performing in front of the camera, blinded, but also hungry for air – an ambition to overcome the obstacles of the Eastern-European context at the time.

The artist has since participated in numerous important national and international exhibitions and biennials, and yet, especially during the recent pandemic years, ”L’air du Temps” is as poignant as ever.

L'air du Temps​ → L'air du Temps​ →
L'air du Temps​ → L'air du Temps​ →
Matei Bejenaru, Prut Hermeziu, 2011
Matei Bejenaru, Prut Glăvănești, 2014

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

Other Exhibited Artists