When Compulsive Hoarding Becomes Art / Photo Gallery

/SAC Berthelot has been transformed into a labyrinth filled with things we may need someday. Nothing has been lost; everything has been preserved and arranged in a blend of artistic research, anthropological inquiry, and theoretical exploration of the tendency to accumulate possessions.

We start with photographs of objects—clothes and plastic bottles, plates and towels—and move on to real objects, hanging from the railing, on the walls, in dark rooms—from curtains and rugs, worn-out dish sponges and electronic circuit boards to jars of pickles, toys, pieces of furniture, and keys, from ceramic tiles to… human hair. Some of these items were loaned for the exhibition under loan agreements.

A room “crammed” with clothes, among which are egg cartons, playing cards featuring singers from the 1980s and 1990s, used ashtrays, and mirrors. Anything one might ever buy, receive, or inherit—but without ever being able to throw them away, because… who knows when you might need a burned-out light bulb or a sticker.

Video projections complement the set design. The anthropological investigation is presented in another room through video recordings featuring testimonies from addicts or about people who compulsively hoard.

This is a collaborative project by 14 emerging artists and researchers, on view at /SAC Berthelot through October 24.

“Who Knows When We’ll Need It”brings together Cătălin Angelescu, Sebastian Antal, Alexandra Baranyi, Diana Dobrovăț, Andreea Drăgan, Iulia Hulea, Sebastian Iosub, Bianca Ivan, Jamal Louis Kareem, Paul Petrar, Ana Popa, Alex Roceanu, Ileana Stanciu Scripcariu, and Cătălina Ungureanu.

These works are the result of workshops with Maria Balabaș, Justin Baroncea, Irina Botea Bucan, Nicolae Comănescu, Maria Ghement, Dumitru Gorzo, Ioana Marchidan, Rucsandra Pop, and Alex Radu, as part of the /ZAC @ Berthelot mentoring program.

The gallery is open to visitors from Thursday through Saturday, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.