13 spaces in Sibiu become temporary homes for contemporary art through visual arts platform

The visual arts platform (PAV), a project that began in 2010 at artist Dan Perjovschi’s initiative, became part of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS) this year, coordinated and curated by Iris Ordean. PAV finds itself at the intersection of two international events: the documenta15 contemporary art exhibition in Kassel (Germany) and the Sibiu International Theatre Festival.

By Oana Vasiliu

Photo courtesy of PAV

Johannes Vogl’s installation (Photo courtesy of PAV)

Taking place in Sibiu, a city that wavers between a conservatory approach and a reintegration/redefinition of multiculturalism, the visual arts platform aims to illustrate this complex dynamic, which has inherent echoes in the local contemporary art scene. PAV brings together artists and associative entities working locally, as well as creative voices from the rest of Romania and from Germany—after all, the plurality of different points of view is the core concept of this first edition.

At the meeting point of these three vectors is artist Dan Perjovschi, who divides his time between Sibiu and various locations around the world. A participant of this year's editions of both documenta15 and FITS, Perjovschi works with curator Iris Ordean to bring different voices to the first edition of PAV.

Through the presence of artists and the inclusion of a series of unconventional spaces, the visual arts platform aims to illustrate the complex dynamics that affect the local contemporary art scene, which is very poorly represented in Sibiu. By participating in this year's edition of documenta15, Dan Perjovschi managed to obtain part of the project’s funding, with other contributions coming from FITS and the German Cultural Centre in Sibiu.

During FITS, which took place between June 26 to July 3, the public was able to discover PAV across 13 spaces in the city: Radu Stanca National Theater – with the Horizontal Newspaper signed by Dan Perjovschi and a magnet installation designed by the artist; the Astra Library (Lia Perjovschi), Promenada Mall (different exhibitions and performances signed by Ioana Sisea, Johannes Vogl, Ana Dumitrescu, Anamaria Sut, Winael Baldus), Sibiu State Philharmonic (performances by

artists Alexandra Coroi, Bogdan Dumitrescu, Lavinia Cretu, Stefan Radu Cretu, Adriana Chiruta, and artistic interventions by the ALEG Sibiu Association and the Arab Cultural Centre), the tower of the Evangelical Church (with temporary projections signed by Adriana Chiruta), the Sibiu German Cultural Centre (Sorina Tomuletiu), the art.nonstop space (Flaviu Cacoveanu, Catalina Nistor, Miruna Radovici), the Sibiu Zoo (Casandra Vidrighin), the Astra Museum (Adina Mocanu), and the Love Gallery (Dan Raul Pintea, who also invited an anonymous artist).

“The project was also based on a series of more or less formal discussions at the local

level about the lack of spaces for contemporary art, the fact that all the initiatives we have seen over the years have not lasted, and the need to form a coalition with people involved in the creative industries—not necessarily just artists,” Iris Ordean explained.

Photo courtesy of documenta15