The faces of Ion Grigorescu / photo gallery

“Enjoy the photographers, use them, take photos, take group photos!”, was the artist Ion Grigorescu’s exhortation at the opening of the exhibition “At crime scene” at Galeria Romană.

Ovidiu Ungureanu, the artist who imagined a creative process with photo-video means, led a unique “dialog” through the personal realities of Ion Grigorescu. “On the scene” captures a Ion Grigorescu – subject, creator and performer, in camps, residencies or in the multimedia studio.

Initially “there was no project!” said Ovidiu Ungureanu, who had the courage to ask Ion Grigorescu to take his photo in 2016. “I never had a plan, I just felt accepted around him.”

Biographer-videographer Ovidiu Ungureanu presents a universe of performances, of spontaneous gestures of the artist.

Art critic Erwin Kessler, author of “Ion Grigorescu. Opera pictată: 1963-2022”, characterized him: “Ionica is a Christian! Beyond this Christianity lies a fantastic juggling with masks, because all this confusion he emanates is his creation. Ion Grigorescu has firm ideas and harsh judgments. I wish you many years to accompany Ion Grigorescu on adventures like this.”

The viewer will see photos of a Ion Grigorescu who exposes himself to everything, reading the newspaper, in bed, undressing at the beach, dressing at the beach, listening, watching, walking.

Ion Grigorescu cannot be categorized into an artistic current.

“This is the building of a monument, of a myth. This collaboration was aimed at creating Ion Grigorescu’s monument. 99% of artists have a very clear preoccupation: to say what they do and do what they say. Ionica fumbled, nothing makes any sense. We all try after all these years to put him in a drawer, then take him out: he was an avant-garde, why is he doing this so orthodox?” said Kessler.

“At crime scene” is a perhaps indiscreet look at the moment of fulfillment/creation, an incursion into the space in which the artist consumes himself in the artistic act. In essence, the artist is a doer. Moreover, when he discovers meanings and significance in unexpected places, he becomes a true a-total-all-maker.

The exhibition is open from February 11 to March 1. Gallery hours: Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturday from 10:00 to 15:00.