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
2020DIAPOZITIV , Switch Lab, Bucharest, Romania
2019Same Histories , Anca Poterașu Gallery, Spinnerei Leipzig, Germany
2019Prut , Galerie Art & Essai, Rennes
2018Prut , The Museum of the Romanian Peasant, Bucharest
2018REFLECTOR , apARTe Gallery, Iași, Romania, curator: Anca Mihulet
2016The Steps, the Words and the Usual , Anca Poterasu Gallery, Bucharest Romania, curator: Anca Mihulet
2014Songs for a better future , Laakteater, The Hague, Netherlands, curator: Reka Imola Makkai
2013From A to B , Cupola Gallery, Iasi, Romania, curator: Livia Pancu
2013Projects 1993-2000 , Tranzit Iasi, Romania, curator: Livia Pancu
2012Matei Bejenaru: Art into Life.Life into Art , The Artery Gallery North Adams Massachussets, United States of America, curator: Izabel Galliera
2011Battling Inertia , Andreiana Mihail Gallery, Bucharest, Romania
2011Projects_2008-2010 , Contemporary Art Gallery of the Brukenthal Museum Sibiu, Romania, curators: Liviana Dan and Anca Mihulet
2009M3 Work, Memory, Movement , Cupola Gallery Iasi, Romania
2009Double Stéreo , Galerie ERSEP Tourcoing (F) (with Yves Robuschi), curators: Ivan Polliart and Christelle Manfredi
2007Ghid de calatorie , Galeria Posibila, Bucharest, Romania
2005Strawberry Fields Forever , Galeria Noua, Bucharest, Romania
2005Strawberry Fields Forever , Galeria Noua, Bucharest
2005INTER (with Robert Fearns) , R O O M Gallery, Bristol, United Kingdom
2005INTER (with Robert Fearns) , Vector Gallery Iasi, Romania
2005Travelling Guide , Insert in the IDEA Art Magazine, Cluj, Romania
2002Mehr Chancen Fur Unsere Jugend , Kulturkontakt Gastatelier, Vienna, Austria
2002Salut / Ave Bachtalo , Offspace Gallery, Vienna, Austria
2000Peripheral Routes 2 , Space Gallery, ICCA Bucharest, Romania
2000Peripheral Routes , ATC Space, Chicago, United States of America
1999Unequal Parallels , “Cupola” Gallery, Iasi, Romania
1998Archives , “GAD” Photo Gallery, Bucharest, Romania
1998Interferencies , Palace Of Culture, Tg.Mures, Romania
19969 Days , “Cupola” Gallery, Iasi, Romania
1996Reflex , “Matei Millo” House, Iasi, Romania
Selected group exhibitions
202112 Years After. A Survey of Romanian Art in 180 Works , The National Museum of Contemporary Art,RO
2021The Show That Never Was , Anca Poterasu Gallery,RO
2020In Midst of the Worst, the Best of Times , SUMO – The Odd year at lítost Prague,CZ
2020A Room of One’s Own, NADA Gallery Open NY Harlem CT Collective and DannyBaez,US
2019Historical and cultural perspectives on migration , Presentation of the film ABYSS, Europalia, BOZAR, Bruxelles
2019The Principle of Migration , New York Foundation for the Arts, USA
2018From different angles , The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest
2018Orient , Curator: Michal Novotný; Venues: Kim? Laikmetīgās mākslas centrs, Rīga; BOZAR, Brussels; Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej Bunkier Sztuki, Krakówia
2016The Factory of Facts and Other (Unspoken) Stories , Salonul de Proiecte, Bucharest, Romania
2016NON-FICTIONS , Rezidența Scena9, Bucharest, Romania
2016Innersound: Touch, multimedia project, (the project is part of #4 Innersound New Arts Festival) , Bucharest, Romania
2016Industrisemester, Maskinhuset, Grängesberg , Sweden, curator: Johan Norling
2016Clinical architectures for a compositionist future ,Camera Plus Biennial for Contemporary Photography, Iasi, Romania, curator: Catalin Gheorghe
2015Timisoara Art Encounters , curators: Nathalie Hoyos & Rainald Schumacher
2015Pocket Revolutions , Korea Foundation Seul (South Korea), curator: Simona Nastac
2015In times of Hope and Unrest: Cristical Art from Iasi , National Museum for Contemporary Art Bucharest, curators: Catalin Gheorghe si Cristian Nae
2015Cartographies, McDaniel College, Maryland, United States of America, curator : Izabel Galliera
2015Brave New World Romanian Migrants’ Dream Houses , Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Berlin
2014Showtime, ABC Contemporary Zurich, Switzerland, curator: Olga Stefan
2014Power and Play, De Markten, Summer of Photography ,Brussels, Belgium, curator: Christophe de Jaegger
2014Paralele intersectate / Intersected Parralels : 5 positions in Romanian Contemporary Photography ,Cupola Gallery, Iasi, Romania
2013
2013AGORA , 4th Athens Biennial, Greece, curator: Despina Zefkili
2012-2013One Sixth of the Earth , MUSAC Valladolid, Spain, ZKM Karlsruhe, curator: Mark Nash
2012-2013Associate Artists, Kettle’s Yard , University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, curator: Elizabeth Fischer
2011Vector Association at Western Front , Western Front Vancouver, Canada, curators: Livia Pancu & Jesse McKee
2011Songs for a better future , PerformIC Festival, Innsbruck, Austria, curator: Andrei Siclodi
2011Living Today, Glasgow School of Art, United Kingdom, curator: Jenny Brownrigg
2011I work. I produce. I control , Galeria ZONA Lodz, Poland, curator: Livia Pancu
2011Artists’ Film Club , ICA London, curator: Cylena Simonds
2010The Haifa Mediterranian Biennial , Haifa, Istrael, curator: Belu Fainaru
2010Songs for a better future, KNOT project , Bucharest, Romania, curator: Raluca Voinea
2010Over the counter , Mucsarnok Museum Budapest, Hungary, curators: Eszther Lazar, Zsolt Petranyi
2010Image at work , INDEX Stockholm and the Romanian Cultural Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, curator:Helena Holmberg
2010Eurovisions , Vasa Konsthall, Finland, curator: Robert Back
2010Critical Point , Vector Association participation at Frieze Projects London, United Kingdom, curator: Livia Pancu
2010Best Laid Plans , The Drawing Room London, United Kingdom, curator: Cylena Simmonds
2009Performing the East , Salzburger Kunstverein, Austria, curator: Hemma Schmutz
2009De Porc , The National Dance Center Bucharest, Romania, curator Ervin Kessler
2009Dacia, Lille 3000 series of exhibitions and events , Galerie Comune Tourcoing, France, curator: Christelle Manfredi
2008Taipei Biennial , Taiwan, curators: Manray Shu and Vasif Kortun
2008Spa Port , Banja Luka, Bosnia, curator: Ana Nikitovic
2008Schengen , Finekost Gallery Berlin, curator: Aaron Moulton
2008Move On , Futura Art Center Prague, Czech Republic, curator: Alberto di Stefan
2007The Irresistible Force , Tate Modern London Level 2 Gallery, curator: Ben Borthwick
2007Social Cooking Romania , NGBK Berlin, Germany, curator: Dan Mihaltianu
2007If you find this world bad, you should see some of the others , Prague Biennial 3, curator: Simona Nastac
2007Blurrr 6 Performance Festival, Tel Aviv, curator: Sergio Edelsztein
2006Journey Against the Current Küba , Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, Nestroyhof, Vienna
2006Cities from Bellow , Fondazione Teseco per l’arte, Pisa, Italia, curator: Marco Scotini
2006Check-in Europe Reflecting Identities in Contemporary Art ,European Pattent Office, München, Germany, curator: Marius Babias
2005Situated Self ,Museum for Contemporary Art Belgrade, Serbia, Tennis Art Palace, Helsinki, Finland, curators: Branko Dimitrević & Mika Haanula
2005NowHere Europe ,Polo Museale Veneziano alla Misericordia, Venice, Italy, MNAC Bucharest, Romania, curator: Bartolomeo Pietromarchi (Fondazione Adriano Olivetti)
2005Motion Parade ,Fotogalerie Vienna, Austria, curator: Alina Serban
2005Just a Doubt , Manhattan Gallery Łodz, Poland, curator: Ivan Polliart
2004The Roma Show , Minoriten Gallery Graz, Austria, Jana Koniarka Gallery Trnava, Slovakia, Skuc Gallery Ljubljana, Slovenia
2004I Am Here You Are There… , GFZK Leipzig, Germany, curator: Barbara Steiner
2004U-Topos, Tirana Biennial 2, Albania, curator: Branislava Dimitrevič
2003Superbia, Dublin, Ireland, curator: Stephen Brandes
2003Palpable Disequilibrium , LIPA Gallery Chicago, curator: Olga Ştefan
2002Personal-Public Space , Čačak, Serbia, curator: Zoran Erič
2002Mope 02 , Performance Festival, Vasa, Finland, curator: Markus Lerviks
2002Ebent Performance Festival , CCCB Barcelona, Spain, curator: Maria Cosmes
2002Akt 2,Performance Festival , Brno, Czech Republic, curator: František Kowolowski
2001Fabs Show , Poznanski Factory, Łodz, Poland, curator: Malgorzata Sido
2001Never Stop The Action , Steirischer Herbst Festival, Rotor Graz, Austria, curators: Margarethe Makovec & Anton Ledere
200149th Venice Biennial , Context Project, Romanian Pavilion, Venice, Italy, curator: Alexandru Patatics
2000Via Bucharest , Eforie Gallery, Bucharest, Romania
2000Transferatu , Ifa Gallery, Berlin, Germany, curator: Dan Mihălţianu
2000Peripheric Roads , Around the Coyote Gallery, Chicago, curator: Olga Stefan
1999Jünge Rümänische Kunst , Bayerische Stadtkanzlei, München, Germany
1999At Home , French Cultural Center Iasi, Romania
1999Zone 3 Performance Festival, Timisoara, Romania, curator: Ileana Pintilie
1999Periferic 3 , Festival, Iasi, Romania
1999Annart 10 Performance Festiva l, St. Ann Lake, Romania, curator: Gusztàv Ütó
1998Periferic 2, Performance Festival , Iasi, Romania
1998Gioconda’s Smile , Performance Festival , Kishinew, Republic of Moldova, curator: Octavian Esanu
1998Contemporary Concepts , Art Museum, Oradea, Romania
1998Alternatives Experimental Film Festival , Tg. Mures, Romania, curator: Joseph Bartha
1997Altfest , Alternative Theatre Festival, Iasi, Romania
1997Soare cu dinti , 35 Studio, 3/4 Floor Gallery, National Theatre, Bucharest, Romania, curator: Erwin Kessle
1997Periferic 1, French Cultural Centre, Iasi, Romania
1997Civitas Solis, Civitas Artis, The Soros Center for Contemporary Arts Annual Exhibition ,Calnic Castle, Romania, curator: Maria Rus Bojan
1997Ad-Hoc , Romanian Art of Today , Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Hungary, curator: Erwin Kessler
1996Interferencies and Experiments from the 1960s until the 90s in the Romanian Art (The Soros Center For Contemporary Arts Annual Exhibition) ,3/4 Floor Gallery
1996GATA young graduating art students exhibition, 3/4 Floor Gallery, National Theatre, Bucharest
1995Object- Objective , 35 Studio, Caminul Artei Gallery, Bucharest, Romania, curator: Erwin Kessler
1995Neotraditionalism & Neoavanguard , 35 Studio, Caminul Artei Gallery, Bucharest, Romania, curator: Erwin Kessler
1995Inter(N) , Art Museum of Arad, Romania, curator: Judit Angel
1994Art Unlimited Ltd, Art Museum Of Arad, Romania, curator: Judit Angel
Performances
2015Ode of the Matter ,Timisoara Art Encounters, curators: Nathalie Hoyos & Rainald Schumacher
2013My Head / My Street , AGORA, 4th Athens Biennial, Greece, curator: Despina Zefkili
2013From A to B (together with Paul Gradinaru) , transit Iasi, Romania
2009ZäuberJackl Quest , Salzburger Kunstverein, Austria, Curator: Hemma Schmutz
2009ISO, Thessaloniki Biennial 2, Grecia, curators: Demostenes Agrafiotis and Eirini Papakonstantinou
2007Impreuna / Together , Tate Modern London, curator: Ben Borthwick
2004Speaking 5, House of Writers Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, GFZK Leipzig, Germania, curator: Barbara Steiner
2002Zona 4 Festival , Timisoara, Romania
2002Strawberry Fields Forever, Ebent Festival , CCCB Barcelona, Spania
2002Sauna Speaking, Mope 02, Vasa, Finland
2002Salut / Ave Bachtalo, Akt 2 Festival , Brno, Czech Republic
2002Looking For Caslav , Čačak, Serbia
2002A Methamorphosys of Speaking, live radio broadcast , ORF Kunstradio, Vienna, Austria, organizer: Jeanette Pacher
2001Walzer der Dinge, Never Stop The Action Festival , Graz, Austria
2001Speaking 4, Fabs Show , Łodz, Poland
1999Personal History, The Zone Performance Festival , Timisoara, Romania
1999Body Spray, French Cultural Center, Iasi, Romania
199913047, Annart 10 Performance Festival , St. Ann Lake, Romania
1998To The Center, Periferic 2 Festival, Iasi, Romania
1998Speaking 3, Gioconda’s Smile Performance Festival , Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
1997Speaking2 , Altfest Festival, Iasi, Romania
1997Somebody Up There Likes Me, Periferic 1 Festival , French Cultural Centre, Iasi, Romania
1997Pilotage, French Cultural Centre, Iasi, Romania
1996Speaking1, Live TV performance , Europa Nova Studio, Iasi, Romania
1995Alexandru cel Bun, Iasi, Romania
1994The Mirrors, Piatra Neamt, Romania
Videos
2016Wall , 16mm b&w film, 3min.
2014The Wall of J.O. , HDV, 30min.
2013The Band Without a Name , HDV, 30min.
2010From afar , HDV, 5min.
2010Battling Inertia , HDV, 14min.
2009A.S.B.T, HDV, 14min.
2007Maersk Dubai , DVD, 8min.
20051982 , DVD, 1min.
2004Speaking 5, DVD, 11min.
2003Alexandru cel Bun Epilogue , DVD, 6 min.
2002Salut / Ave Bachtalo , Hi8, Colour, Sound, 43 Min.
2001Conversations 15 , Vhs, Colour, Sound, 10 Min.
1996Duo , Svhs, Colour, Sound, 6 Min.
1995Struggle, Vhs, Colour, Sound, 4 Min.
1995All , Svhs, Colour, Sound, 4 Min.
1995Alexander The Good, Colour Sound, 5 Min.
1994Transience , Vhs, Colour, Sound, 3 Min.
1993Noncommunication, Vhs, Colour, Sound, 4 Min.
Professional experience
Founder and Artistic Director of Periferic Biennial , Iasi, Romania
2003-2007Director of VECTOR Gallery in Iasi, Romania
2005Editor of Vector visual art magazine, Iasi, Romania
1998-2004Graphic designer of all the Periferic Biennial publications (catalogues, posters, invitations…)
2003-2007He 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.
2004-2008He 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
2012-2013Associated artist at Kettle’s Yard Cambridge ,United Kingdom
2011-2012Visiting Professor at the University of Quebec ,Montreal, Canada
2008Artist in residence at Futura Art Center in Prague ,Czech Republic
2007Artist in Residence ,Tate Modern London Level 2 Gallery
2002Kulturkontakt Fellowship Vienna , Austria
2000Artslink Fellowship ,Artist In Residence Around The Coyote Chicago, United States of America
1997Soros Center For Contemporary Arts First Prize ,Bucharest, Romania
1997British Council Fellowship, Belfast ,United Kingdom
Conferences
2014The Mobile Biennial , National Museum for Contemporary Arts Bucharest
2012Western Front, (Conference Institutions by Artists) ,Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
2012California College of the Arts , San Francisco, United States of America
2011Université du Québéc à Montréal
2008Institut National d’Histoire de l’art Paris (Conference „Art contemporain et territoires)
2007Flaggfabrikke Bergen , Norway
2007Courtauld Institute ,Londra
2007Contemporary Art Center ,Tel Aviv
2006Romanian Cultural Institute ,New York
2006Moderna Museet ,Stockholm
2006Middle South European Meeting , Pristina, Kosovo
2006Cabaret Voltaire ,Zurich
2005Institutul Goethe Bucureşti ,(Conference After The Happy Nineties)
2005University of South Florida , Tampa, United States of America
2005Muzeul de Arta Contemporana ,Belgrad
2004Manifesta Cofee Break ,– Liverpool Biennial