The animal as a plastic meditation subject

The graduation project of four students at the Art University was displayed at the Romanian Literature Museum. The display has as subject "the Animal" in a few clear stances. The artists are Dinu Petrescu, Dan Horja, Matei Caltia and Iuliana Valsan, and their animals are "Animalis ludicus," "Animalis fossatum," "Animalis urbanis" and "Interanimales." The specially set spaces copy the rural landscape or something totally different from it in order to stimulate subtleties. No matter how abstract the message is, the fact that it is born out of a concrete that is familiar to us makes understanding easy. The message could be nothing but optimistic.

Dinu Petrescu is preoccupied with the image of the fantastic animal. His "animals" are gathered in three roller coasters that can be manhandled. They make sounds, and spin on the walls of the display. Dan Horja, is preoccupied with the relations between the animal and its milieu in "Animalis fossatum." A hen-house, clothed in grass, eggs kept in baskets, mill stones are all represented efficiently and with fidelity. One would expect a hen or a goose popping out.

In "Animalis urbanis" the animals are a bit more emancipated. The "urban" animals sit on shelves like dolls in a store. The names he found are funny - a big dog with green ears is called "Canis orbus" and the head of a red stuffed bear is "Ursus corpus lipsae." They talk here about the "Animalul intrastomacal" a dense text - testimony to the power to create abstract things on an animal theme. Iuliana Valsan put cotton on the walls, threw black granules on the floors and invited the guests on a voyage of light and darkness. She seeks a link to a universe hidden from our eyes that can emerge at any moment. Iuliana Valsan considers that language can trigger things beyond our control. ca limbajul antreneaza niveluri ale sensibilului pe care nu le putem control. The four artists participated to group displays in Copenhaga (1999, Venice (2000) and the Sighet Memorial (1996).