Raluca what, how, why

How many matches (it takes to measure a prison) (2013)

During a collaborative residence in Krems, Austria, we measured the length of its biggest prison by using matches as measuring instruments.

We worked in teams of 2, starting the performance from the two control towers of the prison located on opposing sides of the building. One person lined up the matches, while the person behind collected them. We did this continuously for 9 hours, until one team met the other one. In total, we used 22 500 matches.

Our aim was to ponder the relationship between the two realities –the noticeable walls and what they conceal. The prison, located in the city centre, was hidden behind an old church façade which impeded tourists from actually noticing it. Also, we were not allowed to enter the prison. Thus, the performance was part of an effort to map a space that we did not have access to and to draw attention towards it. The endurance also matched the repetitive dull work that inmates are usually required to do.

The eyes of Nicolae Botgros (2013)

Last summer, on my way to work, I saw daily the same 39 posters of Nicolae Botgros, a traditional Romanian folklore singer. They became so familiar, as opposed to his songs, that I started to imagine these poster personas as being real. One day I stopped and mapped their memory in that particular time and space.

For each of them, I placed the camera viewfinder on his eyes and shot 36 frames for about one minute. Then I recreated filmstrips for each poster to resemble the ones I get when developing 35 mm film.

My attempt was to link my personal memory - selective, subjective and temporary - to the digital one - general, (apparently) objective and ever-lasting. I also wanted to overcome my daily routine by understanding the different kinds of subjectivities that can co-exist in the same place.

AA+: Aerobic meets Artist (2014)

The project involved individual, personalized, approx. one hour long aerobic sessions for artists, developed according to each person’s personality. The sessions were held in a gym in Bucharest and also during Homefest, a festival taking place in people’s houses.

As any artist could book a session, the program was personalized according to the answers provided to an online form that contained questions about their practice, their preferences and everyday struggles as artists. The sessions had a loose script and were mostly based on improvisation, reciprocity, collaboration, exchange and re-interpretation. However, the development of each session was directly influenced by the artist’s approach and his/her level of involvement.

These encounters represented a leave from the comfort zone and a physical interaction between artists, outside the virtual world or the gallery space. They also enforced a positive attitude and more confidence in oneself through direct physical exercise.