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The visual poem Abyss explores the enigmatic and charismatic personality of Irinel Liciu, first soloist of the Romanian Opera ballet in Bucharest in the 1950s-’60s. Shot on film and using materials from the National Film Archive, Agerpress News Agency, and 21st Century Magazine archive, Abyss is an essay on the condition of the artist and the relationship with his/her art and life.
Matei Bejenaru is a visual artist and professor of photography and video art at “George Enescu” National University of Arts Iasi. He is the founder and artistic director of Peripheric Biennial for Contemporary Art in Iasi (between 1997 and 2008). In his latest projects, through photographs, video and public performances, he examines the politics of representation in documentary photography and film and methods of generation of hybrid art projects at the confluence between visual arts, poetry, experimental music and scientific research.
Documentarul ABYSS documentary is part of the Creative Crossroads – Art and Humanity, a cultural project, co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund and Life Long Burning – Towards A Sustainable Eco-System for Contemporary Dance in Europe, with the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
The documentary was presented at BOZAR, in Brussels, between December 3rd, 2019 and January 12, 2020, in the frame of Europalia Arts Festival Romania, with the support of Romanian Cultural Institute.
Credits ABYSS
Author: Matei Bejenaru
Interviews with: Adina Cezar, Liana Tugearu, Ioan Tugearu
Music: Jean-Paul Dess
Narrator: Octavian Jighirgiu / Matei Bejenaru
Digital image and sound editing: Mihai-Marian Mina
Colorist: Mihai-Marian Mina
Sound: Vlad Onescu
Sunet: Vlad Onescu
Kodak Vision3 film developed and scanned at Cinelabs Bucharest, Romania
With support of: The Romanian National Opera, Iași and The National Opera Bucharest, Romanian Film Center, The National Film Archive.
Production: 4Culture Association and WASP Studios
Cultural project co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund.
Supported by Life Long Burning – Towards A Sustainable Eco-System for Contemporary Dance, a multi-annual project co-funded by Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
The project does not necessarily represent the position of The Administration of the National Cultural Fund. The Administration of the National Cultural Fund is not responsible for the content of the project or the manner in which the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the funding recipient.
Media partners: Radio România Cultural, Modernism, Zeppelin, Revista ARTA, Designist, feeder.ro, IQads, România Pozitivă
Presentation dates:
16 OCT 2020
The garden of the National Museum of Romanian Literature, Strada Nicolae Crețulescu nr. 8, sector 1, București
ABYSS documentary projection and discussion moderated by Ion Bogdan Lefter, with the participation of Matei Bejenaru, Adina Cezar, Liana Tugearu, Ioan Tugearu in the frame of eXplore festival #15
03 DEC 2019 – 12 JAN 2020
BOZAR, Rue Ravenstein 23 – 1000, Brussels, Projection Room
Europalia Arts Festival Romania, with the support of Romanian Cultural Institute. https://europalia.eu/en/events/matei-bejenaru-abyss-2019
15 NOV 2019
WASP Working Art Space and Production, Str. Ion Minulescu 67-93, corp E, etaj 2
19:30 – 20:00 ABYSS, by Matei Bejenaru, premiere
20:00 – 20:10 poetry moment with actors Octavian Jighirgiu and Andreea Darie (Stefan Augustin Doinas poems)
20:10 – 21:00 Dialogue with Matei Bejenaru, Andreea Capitanescu (curator and producer) and special guests Adina Cezar (choreographer), Liana Tugearu (dance critic), Ioan Tugearu (choreographer), Alina Ledeanu (president of 21st Century Cultural Foundation)
