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
Selected Solo Exhibitions
Same Histories, Anca Poterașu Gallery, Spinnerei Leipzig, Germany
Prut, Galerie Art & Essai, Rennes
Prut, The Museum of the Romanian Peasant, Bucharest
REFLECTOR, apARTe Gallery, Iași, Romania, curator: Anca Mihulet
The Steps, the Words and the Usual, Anca Poterasu Gallery, Bucharest Romania, curator: Anca Mihulet
Songs for a better future, Laakteater, The Hague, Netherlands, curator: Reka Imola Makkai
From A to B, Cupola Gallery, Iasi, Romania, curator: Livia Pancu
Projects 1993-2000, Tranzit Iasi, Romania, curator: Livia Pancu
Matei Bejenaru: Art into Life / Life into Art, The Artery Gallery North Adams Massachussets, United States of America, curator: Izabel Galliera
Battling Inertia, Andreiana Mihail Gallery, Bucharest, Romania
Projects 2008-2010, Contemporary Art Gallery of the Brukenthal Museum Sibiu, Romania, curators: Liviana Dan and Anca Mihulet
M3 Work, Memory, Movement, Cupola Gallery Iasi, Romania
Double Stéreo, Galerie ERSEP Tourcoing (F) (with Yves Robuschi), curators: Ivan Polliart and Christelle Manfredi
Ghid de calatorie, Galeria Posibila, Bucharest, Romania
Strawberry Fields Forever, Galeria Noua, Bucharest, Romania
Strawberry Fields Forever, Galeria Noua, Bucharest
INTER (with Robert Fearns), R O O M Gallery, Bristol, United Kingdom
INTER (with Robert Fearns), Vector Gallery Iasi, Romania
Travelling Guide, Insert in the IDEA Art Magazine, Cluj, Romania
Mehr Chancen Fur Unsere Jugend, Kulturkontakt Gastatelier, Vienna, Austria
Salut / Ave Bachtalo, Offspace Gallery, Vienna, Austria
Peripheral Routes 2, Space Gallery, ICCA Bucharest, Romania
Peripheral Routes, ATC Space, Chicago, United States of America
Unequal Parallels, “Cupola” Gallery, Iasi, Romania
Archives, “GAD” Photo Gallery, Bucharest, Romania
Interferencies, Palace Of Culture, Tg.Mures, Romania
9 Days, “Cupola” Gallery, Iasi, Romania
Reflex, “Matei Millo” House, Iasi, Romania
Selected group exhibitions
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
From different angles, The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest
Orient, Curator: Michal Novotný; Venues: Kim? Laikmetīgās mākslas centrs, Rīga; BOZAR, Brussels; Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej Bunkier Sztuki, Krakówia
The Factory of Facts and Other (Unspoken) Stories, Salonul de Proiecte, Bucharest, Romania
NON-FICTIONS, Rezidența Scena9, Bucharest, Romania
Innersound: Touch, multimedia project, (the project is part of #4 Innersound New Arts Festival), Bucharest, Romania
Industrisemester, Maskinhuset, Grängesberg, Sweden, curator: Johan Norling
Clinical architectures for a compositionist future, Camera Plus Biennial for Contemporary Photography, Iasi, Romania, curator: Catalin Gheorghe
Timisoara Art Encounters, curators: Nathalie Hoyos & Rainald Schumacher
Pocket Revolutions, Korea Foundation Seul (South Korea), curator: Simona Nastac
In times of Hope and Unrest: Cristical Art from Iasi, National Museum for Contemporary Art Bucharest, curators: Catalin Gheorghe si Cristian Nae
Cartographies, McDaniel College, Maryland, United States of America, curator : Izabel Galliera
Brave New World Romanian Migrants’ Dream Houses , Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Berlin
Showtime, ABC Contemporary Zurich, Switzerland, curator: Olga Stefan
Power and Play, De Markten, Summer of Photography Brussels, Belgium, curator: Christophe de Jaegger
Paralele intersectate / Intersected Parralels : 5 positions in Romanian Contemporary Photography, Cupola Gallery, Iasi, Romania
From the Plastic Arts to the Visual Arts (together with Dumitru Oboroc), Salonul de proiecte Bucharest, Romania, curators: Magda Radu & Alexandra Croitoru
AGORA, 4th Athens Biennial, Greece, curator: Despina Zefkili
One Sixth of the Earth , MUSAC Valladolid, Spain, ZKM Karlsruhe, curator: Mark Nash
Associate Artists, Kettle’s Yard, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, curator: Elizabeth Fischer
Vector Association at Western Front, Western Front Vancouver, Canada, curators: Livia Pancu & Jesse McKee
Songs for a better future, PerformIC Festival, Innsbruck, Austria, curator: Andrei Siclodi
Living Today, Glasgow School of Art, United Kingdom, curator: Jenny Brownrigg
I work. I produce. I control, Galeria ZONA Lodz, Poland, curator: Livia Pancu
Artists’ Film Club, ICA London, curator: Cylena Simonds
The Haifa Mediterranian Biennial, Haifa, Istrael, curator: Belu Fainaru
Songs for a better future, KNOT project, Bucharest, Romania, curator: Raluca Voinea
Over the counter, Mucsarnok Museum Budapest, Hungary, curators: Eszther Lazar, Zsolt Petranyi
Image at work, INDEX Stockholm and the Romanian Cultural Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, curator:Helena Holmberg
Eurovisions, Vasa Konsthall, Finland, curator: Robert Back
Critical Point, Vector Association participation at Frieze Projects London, United Kingdom, curator: Livia Pancu
Best Laid Plans, The Drawing Room London, United Kingdom, curator: Cylena Simmonds
Performing the East, Salzburger Kunstverein, Austria, curator: Hemma Schmutz
De Porc, The National Dance Center Bucharest, Romania, curator Ervin Kessler
Dacia, Lille 3000 series of exhibitions and events, Galerie Comune Tourcoing, France, curator: Christelle Manfredi
Taipei Biennial, Taiwan, curators: Manray Shu and Vasif Kortun
Spa Port, Banja Luka, Bosnia, curator: Ana Nikitovic
Schengen, Finekost Gallery Berlin, curator: Aaron Moulton
Move On, Futura Art Center Prague, Czech Republic, curator: Alberto di Stefan
The Irresistible Force, Tate Modern London Level 2 Gallery, curator: Ben Borthwick
Social Cooking Romania, NGBK Berlin, Germany, curator: Dan Mihaltianu
If you find this world bad, you should see some of the others , Prague Biennial 3, curator: Simona Nastac
Blurrr 6 Performance Festival, Tel Aviv, curator: Sergio Edelsztein
Journey Against the Current Küba , Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, Nestroyhof, Vienna
Cities from Bellow, Fondazione Teseco per l’arte, Pisa, Italia, curator: Marco Scotini
Check-in Europe Reflecting Identities in Contemporary Art , European Pattent Office, München, Germany, curator: Marius Babias
Situated Self , Museum for Contemporary Art Belgrade, Serbia, Tennis Art Palace, Helsinki, Finland, curators: Branko Dimitrević & Mika Haanula
NowHere Europe, Polo Museale Veneziano alla Misericordia, Venice, Italy, MNAC Bucharest, Romania, curator: Bartolomeo Pietromarchi (Fondazione Adriano Olivetti)
Motion Parade, Fotogalerie Vienna, Austria, curator: Alina Serban
Just a Doubt, Manhattan Gallery Łodz, Poland, curator: Ivan Polliart
The Roma Show, Minoriten Gallery Graz, Austria, Jana Koniarka Gallery Trnava, Slovakia, Skuc Gallery Ljubljana, Slovenia
I Am Here You Are There…, GFZK Leipzig, Germany, curator: Barbara Steiner
U-Topos, Tirana Biennial 2, Albania, curator: Branislava Dimitrevič
Superbia, Dublin, Ireland, curator: Stephen Brandes
Palpable Disequilibrium, LIPA Gallery Chicago, curator: Olga Ştefan
Personal-Public Space, Čačak, Serbia, curator: Zoran Erič
Mope 02, Performance Festival, Vasa, Finland, curator: Markus Lerviks
Ebent Performance Festival, CCCB Barcelona, Spain, curator: Maria Cosmes
Akt 2,Performance Festival, Brno, Czech Republic, curator: František Kowolowski
Fabs Show, Poznanski Factory, Łodz, Poland, curator: Malgorzata Sido
Never Stop The Action, Steirischer Herbst Festival, Rotor Graz, Austria, curators: Margarethe Makovec & Anton Ledere
49th Venice Biennial, Context Project, Romanian Pavilion, Venice, Italy, curator: Alexandru Patatics
Via Bucharest, Eforie Gallery, Bucharest, Romania
Transferatu , Ifa Gallery, Berlin, Germany, curator: Dan Mihălţianu
Peripheric Roads, Around the Coyote Gallery, Chicago, curator: Olga Stefan
Jünge Rümänische Kunst , Bayerische Stadtkanzlei, München, Germany
At Home, French Cultural Center Iasi, Romania
Zone 3 Performance Festival, Timisoara, Romania, curator: Ileana Pintilie
Periferic 3, Festival, Iasi, Romania
Annart 10 Performance Festival, St. Ann Lake, Romania, curator: Gusztàv Ütó
Periferic 2, Performance Festival, Iasi, Romania
Gioconda’s Smile , Performance Festival, Kishinew, Republic of Moldova, curator: Octavian Esanu
Contemporary Concepts , Art Museum, Oradea, Romania
Alternatives Experimental Film Festival, Tg. Mures, Romania, curator: Joseph Bartha
Altfest , Alternative Theatre Festival, Iasi, Romania
Soare cu dinti , 35 Studio, 3/4 Floor Gallery, National Theatre, Bucharest, Romania, curator: Erwin Kessle
Periferic 1, French Cultural Centre, Iasi, Romania
Civitas Solis, Civitas Artis , The Soros Center for Contemporary Arts Annual Exhibition, Calnic Castle, Romania, curator: Maria Rus Bojan
Ad-Hoc , Romanian Art of Today, Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Hungary, curator: Erwin Kessler
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
GATA young graduating art students exhibition, 3/4 Floor Gallery, National Theatre, Bucharest
Object- Objective, 35 Studio, Caminul Artei Gallery, Bucharest, Romania, curator: Erwin Kessler
Neotraditionalism & Neoavanguard, 35 Studio, Caminul Artei Gallery, Bucharest, Romania, curator: Erwin Kessler
Inter(N), Art Museum of Arad, Romania, curator: Judit Angel
Art Unlimited Ltd, Art Museum Of Arad, Romania, curator: Judit Angel
Performances
Ode of the Matter, Timisoara Art Encounters, curators: Nathalie Hoyos & Rainald Schumacher
My Head / My Street, AGORA, 4th Athens Biennial, Greece, curator: Despina Zefkili
From A to B (together with Paul Gradinaru), transit Iasi, Romania
ZäuberJackl Quest, Salzburger Kunstverein, Austria, Curator: Hemma Schmutz
ISO, Thessaloniki Biennial 2, Grecia, curators: Demostenes Agrafiotis and Eirini Papakonstantinou
Impreuna / Together, Tate Modern London, curator: Ben Borthwick
Speaking 5, House of Writers Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, GFZK Leipzig, Germania, curator: Barbara Steiner
Zona 4 Festival, Timisoara, Romania
Strawberry Fields Forever, Ebent Festival, CCCB Barcelona, Spania
Sauna Speaking, Mope 02, Vasa, Finland
Salut / Ave Bachtalo, Akt 2 Festival , Brno, Czech Republic
Looking For Caslav, Čačak, Serbia
A Methamorphosys of Speaking, live radio broadcast, ORF Kunstradio, Vienna, Austria, organizer: Jeanette Pacher
Walzer der Dinge, Never Stop The Action Festival, Graz, Austria
Speaking 4, Fabs Show, Łodz, Poland
Personal History, The Zone Performance Festival, Timisoara, Romania
Body Spray, French Cultural Center, Iasi, Romania
13047, Annart 10 Performance Festival, St. Ann Lake, Romania
To The Center, Periferic 2 Festival, Iasi, Romania
Speaking 3, Gioconda’s Smile Performance Festival, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Speaking2, Altfest Festival, Iasi, Romania
Somebody Up There Likes Me, Periferic 1 Festival, French Cultural Centre, Iasi, Romania
Pilotage, French Cultural Centre, Iasi, Romania
Speaking1, Live TV performance, Europa Nova Studio, Iasi, Romania
Alexandru cel Bun, Iasi, Romania
The Mirrors, Piatra Neamt, Romania
Videos
Wall, 16mm b&w film, 3min.
The Wall of J.O., HDV, 30min.
The Band Without a Name, HDV, 30min.
From afar, HDV, 5min.
Battling Inertia, HDV, 14min.
A.S.B.T, HDV, 14min.
Maersk Dubai, DVD, 8min.
1982, DVD, 1min.
Speaking 5, DVD, 11min.
Alexandru cel Bun Epilogue, DVD, 6 min.
Salut / Ave Bachtalo, Hi8, Colour, Sound, 43 Min.
Conversations 15, Vhs, Colour, Sound, 10 Min.
Duo, Svhs, Colour, Sound, 6 Min.
Struggle, Vhs, Colour, Sound, 4 Min.
All, Svhs, Colour, Sound, 4 Min.
Alexander The Good, Colour Sound, 5 Min.
Transience, Vhs, Colour, Sound, 3 Min.
Noncommunication, Vhs, Colour, Sound, 4 Min.
Professional experience
Founder and Artistic Director of Periferic Biennial, Iasi, Romania
Between 2003-2007, director of VECTOR Gallery in Iasi, Romania
Since 2005, editor of Vector visual art magazine, Iasi, Romania
1998-2004 graphic designer of all the Periferic Biennial publications (catalogues, posters, invitations…)
Between 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.
Between 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
Associated artist at Kettle’s Yard Cambridge, United Kingdom
Visiting Professor at the University of Quebec, Montreal, Canada
Artist in residence at Futura Art Center in Prague, Czech Republic
Artist in Residence: Tate Modern London Level 2 Gallery
Kulturkontakt Fellowship Vienna, Austria
Artslink Fellowship (Artist In Residence Around The Coyote Chicago, United States of America
Soros Center For Contemporary Arts First Prize, Bucharest, Romania
British Council Fellowship, Belfast, United Kingdom
Conferences
The Mobile Biennial, National Museum for Contemporary Arts Bucharest
Western Front, (Conference Institutions by Artists), Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
California College of the Arts, San Francisco, United States of America
Université du Québéc à Montréal
Institut National d’Histoire de l’art Paris (Conference „Art contemporain et territoires)
Flaggfabrikke Bergen, Norway
Courtauld Institute Londra
Contemporary Art Center Tel Aviv
Romanian Cultural Institute New York
Moderna Museet Stockholm
Middle South European Meeting, Pristina, Kosovo
Cabaret Voltaire Zurich
Institutul Goethe Bucureşti (Conference After The Happy Nineties)
University of South Florida, Tampa, United States of America
Muzeul de Arta Contemporana Belgrad
Manifesta Cofee Break – Liverpool Biennial