A dismal new trend has emerged in the past few months in the US and other developed Western countries: tearing down and defacing the statues of historical figures. Observing the trend is not enough: how about understanding why these people are deliberately destroying icons of cultural heritage? This is the topic of a discussion and exhibition entitled “To tear down or not to tear down?” at the Mimesis Contemporary Art Festival in Kolozsvár/Cluj Napoca.
For the eighth time in a row at Kolozsvár Hungarian Days, the Origo Cultural Association has organized a contemporary art exhibition. After noticing the new “trend,” the organizers decided to thematize it and seek some answers: Do we need to erase the past for the present to become valid and the future imaginable? Or, is it impossible to understand the present and imagine the future without the past? The roundtable talk on the timely topic will feature art historian Ágota Zakariás, historian Attila Iakob, and János Szántai on Wednesday, August 19, at 6:00 p.m. in the courtyard of the Museum of Arts.
The works selected for this specific gallery are signed by the following artists: Andrei Budescu, Alex Rădulescu, Benedek Levente, Berze Imre, Bob József, Diana Drăgan-Chirilă, Dorel Găină, Hideg Margit, Horváth Levente, Kusztos Attila, László Hajnalka, Lőrincz Gyula, Mihai Nuțu, Mira Marincaș, Rizmayer Péter, Sipos Sándor, Szabó András and Szentes Zágon.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, only 50 people are allowed to attend the opening event, and registration is required, while the gallery can be visited by no more than 20 people at a time. For more information, visit the Kolozsvár Hungarian Days festival website.
Title image: The Mimesis Contemporary Art Festival’s banner. Image source: Facebook
