Tag: metal
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Fine artists take a stand against the war in Ukraine
Can art be a weapon used against the war? What happens when fine artists get together to protest against todays events? “Bombs and Humans. Artists united against the war” is the theme of an exhibition held in Bucharest over March 12 and April 3rd. The exhibition brings together works by artists from Romania and Ukraine, who thus conveyed their protest message to everybody. Raluca Ilaria Demetrescu is the curator of the exhibition. Here she is, speaking about how the exhibition came into being and about the dozens of exhibiting artists.
“There are 74 artists, of whom 18 are from Ukraine. The crisis and emergency situations call for reactions, nay, they do not call for, they trigger emergency reactions. So impressed weve all been with what happens in Ukraine that we chose to express how we feel about it the way we, the artists, know how to do it: scratching the surface a little bit, taking a closer look at the citadel, at the citadels drawbacks, at the worlds drawbacks, and we reacted to that. It all happened so fast, in the second day of the war we said, Its about time! Were gonna get this exhibition going! Humanitarian aid was collected at the Art Cell and Carol 53, which is the venue of the exhibition and Daniel Loagar, the one whos the coordinator here, said, Raluca, why dont we put this exhibition together, Bombs and Humans. Easier said than done. And we launched a call to artists, whose unanimous answer was Were all here. Some of them had works on the war theme. Weve got an artist whom I hold most dear, he hails from Bessarabia, he had an exceptional work about the previous conflicts in Ukraine. I invited him with that work, Valeriu Schiau is his name. Otherwise, almost all artists have created dedicated works for this exhibition. Beaver, who also made the poster and the Facebook and the Instagram covers, the emblem of the exhibition. Alexandru Ranga, who created a special object, a sculpture, which is very interesting. Denis Nanciu, Mircea Diaconu, who created special works, in metal, they are sculptors. Ștefan Radu Crețu, who make a graphic work, I have known Ștefan Radu Crețu for a long time now, and his drawings about this conflict, about this war, have been posted on Instagram. We have a war reporter, Alfred Schupler, with some bewildering images. We have snapshots of the protests Romanians staged in Paris, those are photographs, so that is also a photo coverage, Maria Scarlat Malița. Three Ukrainian artists worked with Daniel Loagăr, the one with “The Art cell” and the NeoNlithic project”, where he included artists from the entire Balkan area as well as its adjoining territories. One of those women artists invited artists, people she knew, friends of hers, activists, and all of them answered her call. Of course, we could not have the real-size works, we cannot receive anything from Ukraine, only humanitarian aid is allowed. And they sent texts, images, drawings, everything is tremendously disturbing. And thats how weve reached out to 18 artists form Ukraine.”
Fine artist Daniel Loagăr is the co-organizer of the exhibition. Here he is, also speaking about the endeavor by means of which the project kicked off, and about the complexity of the works that are on display in the exhibition.
“This is an exhibition by means of which we sought to express our solidarity, our support and our sympathy for neighbors and friends. In effect, through the studio I am working in, I have been carrying “Wood Be Nice”, an international project I initiated two years ago with Ukrainian and Romanian artists. It was themed “NeoNlithic 2″. We have stayed friends ever since, me and a couple of artists in Cernauti, and now that the war has knocked at their doors, we rushed in to help them out. Starting from the second or the third day of war, we collected humanitarian aid every day, donations, and once in two days, or thereabouts, we sent a van loaded with food, with medicine, with warm clothes in Cernauti and even farther, I understand the last shipment has reached Kyiv. This exhibition, the Bombs and Humans project, weve jointly staged it with curator Raluca Ilaria Demetrescu. One night, while we were speaking about the actual existing threats, about the nuclear threat, to be more specific, I sent Raluca this idea, made of a couple of projects, themed Sweets and Humans, Flowers and Humans, and she was quick to respond, she contacted artists from Romania who joined in for the projects, part of them I brought myself, as for those from Ukraine, I also brought them, with my colleague at the Wood Be Nice artists studio. There was no limit as regards the techniques. We have sculptures, we have linocut works, we have graphic art, we have installations, we have painting, we have video installations, we have movies. There were no limitations for us. The message we conveyed to the artists was something like: create about what you feel this very moment, about what you think right now. And, of course, all of us are against the war and all of us have been trying to support our neighbours in Ukraine. It is a message of hope, in its initial stage, a message of solidarity, of friendship and I also think theres another message that needs to be conveyed, we cannot go on like that, weve had enough of it. All the works have been put up for sale, 20% of the purchase price goes to Ukraine, all artists have agreed on that.”
Here is Raluca Ilaria Demetrescu once again, this time touching upon the moments weve been experiencing, upon the charity dimension of our project, also touching upon a prospective path, for the future.
“A state of emergency. A local and planetary crisis. The war against Ukraine is the topic that brought these artists together, they all managed to get their work done at such a short notice. It is a protest-exhibition, “Bombs and Humans. Artists united against the war, it is also a charity exhibition. It is venued by an underground area, it is not mounted in an institutional area, weve staged it with the clear purpose of emphasizing the emergency. You dont go to a comfortable place, with white walls, a clean space, when what you have to say is urgent, theres no room for you to do that either. All the seats have been taken. All these people have gathered, they worked especially on this theme, the overwhelming majority worked on that theme of the war waged by Putin. It is a war waged by men, aggressive and strong, against women, against children, against civilians, against a people who did them no harm in any way, save for their wish to get closer to Europe. On the opening day we had some sort of admission ticket, meaning that visitors had to bring aid, like canned food, unperishable foodstuff or hygiene objects, for the victims of the war and for the refugees from Ukraine. We sold various objects created by the artists. We keep on selling them. A little bit of funding has also been raised. With the money we got we shall buy objects the refugees and the victims of this war need. The message is that the war must end, right now. It is a message of peace; it is a protest against the war. Some more artists have turned up even after weve had the opening event. We can continue, it depends on the available premises were going to find. By all means, artists are going to work focusing on this theme. Besides, we should not forget were vulnerable any time. “
(EN)
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Zilele Artelor Focului
Primăvara îndeamnă la plimbări lungi şi la descoperiri
spectaculoase. Astfel, în Bucureşti, la cea de a IV-a ediţie a Zilelor
Artelor Focului, mai mulţi artişti vizuali cu specializările ceramică, sticlă
şi metal vă aşteaptă la adresele atelierelor lor.
O întâlnire cu extraordinarul,
un tur al spaţiilor de creaţie ale artiştilor bucureşteni, ce sunt pregătiţi
pentru a vă dezvălui din tainele Artelor Focului.
David Leonid Olteanu, artist
plastic ceramist şi sticlar, unul dintre artiştii participanţi ne-a spus ce se
întâmplă de fapt în cadrul evenimentului: În funcţie de curiozităţile vizitatorilor încercăm să le explicăm de
unde am pornit şi unde am ajuns, ce am vrut să spunem prin lucrări. Le explicăm
eventual şi partea tehnologică, cum se porneşte de la o idee practic şi care e
finalul. Îi aşteptăm pe toţi care sunt interesaţi: ingineri, avocaţi, medici,
care privesc cu totul şi cu totul altfel. Am avut şi copii mici de grădiniţă,
de şcoală şi oameni de vârsta a treia. E
atelierul personal al artistului, nu e o galerie unde lucrurile sunt aranjate
într-un fel anume. Aici trăim, simţim şi lucrăm.
Maria Paşc, vicepreşedinte al
Asociaţiei proiectului Contemporanii care se află la originea evenimentului,
ne-a povestit despre istoricul Zilelor Artelor Focului: Prima ediţie şi mai cu seamă Artele focului
au început de la un studiu pe care l-am făcut cu ajutorul colegilor care
realizează Barometrul de consum cultural. Aici respondenţii, când au fost
întrebaţi ce arte decorative cunosc, au spus olăritul. Iar olăritul este mai
degrabă un meşteşug decât o artă. Astfel ne-am dat seama că există o imperioasă
necesitate ca publicul să cunoască faptul că avem artişti clar metalişti,
tapiseri, să realizeze că îşi pot cumpăra un obiect cu utilitate chiar din
atelierul artiştilor, că aceştia există şi că mai sunt continuatori ale acestor
arte. Criteriul de selecţie a fost ca artiştii să fie membri ai Uniunii
Artiştilor Plastici. Am realizat un parteneriat cu UAPR (Uniunea Artiştilor
Plastici din România) şi am anunţat filialele de artă decorativă că dorim să
lansăm acest proiect, iar cei mai de seamă artişti au răspuns, pentru că ştiu
cum sunt percepute artele decorative la noi, tocmai într-o solidaritate a
breslei.
Zilele Artelor Focului sunt
menite să pună publicul în legătură cu artistul, cu spaţiile de creaţie ale
acestora, pentru a-şi explica drumul pe care o lucrare îl are din spaţiul de
creaţie până în locul în care este văzută de obicei, într-o expoziţie. Pentru
ineditul experienţei, Maria Paşc a lansat un îndemn: Track: Aş dori să îndemn oamenii să viziteze
atelierele artiştilor, pentru că sunt locuri cu adevărat inedite. Sunt locuri
excepţionale, unde ideea capătă formă. Sunt oameni cu care poţi să intri în
contact. Sunt şanse unice pe care le poţi avea într-o viaţă, de a întâlni
artişti, de a fi faţă în faţă cu artistul şi faţă în faţă cu opera.
O altă invitaţie vine din partea
Mariei Cioată, artist ceramist: Vă invităm practic în spaţiul nostru tainic al atelierului, unde avem
locul de joacă în materialul ceramic şi nu numai. Este zona noastră de
laborator, unde creăm şi unde iau naştere lucrările pe care după aceea le
expunem. Este locul prielnic pentru vizitatori să descopere şi o parte dintre
etapele de lucru, din tot procesul tehnologic de facere a unei lucrări, pentru
că cel puţin în zona ceramicii este un proces foarte complex care porneşte de
la bucata amorfă, ajungând să capete o viaţă, o energie, o formă la final. Dar
tot drumul acesta este un drum spectaculos, pe care, cu această ocazie,
iubitorii de frumos pot să-l descopere.
Ce experienţe îi aşteaptă pe
vizitatorii atelierelor am aflat tot de la Maria Cioată: Practic le arătăm câte puţin din procesul
tehnologic, le arătăm lucrările, îi facem să înţeleagă şi parcursul nostru. Mai
putem arăta şi lucrări care sunt în procesul de creare şi chiar pot încerca şi
vizitatorii să se joace puţin cu materia, să vadă cum e să lucrezi. Este
momentul prielnic de a afla cât mai multe taine ale artistului, să afle tehnici
inedite, pe care sunt convinsă că foarte puţini le cunosc.
Artistul David Leonid Olteanu
ne-a dezvăluit faptul că uneori o greşeală de prelucrare poate căpăta valenţe
artistice. Dar pentru detalii nu vă rămâne decât să vă propuneţi să le vizitaţi
atelierele artiştilor care s-au alăturat proiectului.
David Leonid Olteanu ne-a spus
cum îi farmecă pe vizitatori: Explicându-le
multe lucruri pe care nu le ştiau, cum se prelucrează ceramica sau chiar
sticla, cum se face prin turnat, prin modelare, temperaturile de ardere,
coloranţi. Aflând povestea, tot demersul artistic, tot procesul tehnologic, văd
cu totul alţi ochi.
Pentru a afla ce ateliere puteţi vizita nu trebuie
decât să intraţi pe internet pe ateliere.ro. În plus, există şi Aplicaţia
Ateliere pentru smartphone, ce vă poate fi şi tovarăş de drum – prin sistemul
GPS, ce vă va duce până-n pragul atelierelor. -
La métallurgie roumaine
Cest vers lan 6.000 av.J.Ch. que lhomme commence à utiliser les métaux, tout dabord lor, le platine, le cuivre et largent. Au début, ils étaient un signe de la position quoccupait au sein de la collectivité la personne qui commandait les différents objets dusage personnel. A lâge du métal, le cuivre et le bronze ont joué un rôle de premier rang. La découverte du fer marque la première grande révolution de lhistoire.
Plus tard, la métallurgie et la sidérurgie, en tant que science et technologie de transformation des métaux, ont connu un essor soutenu. Les premiers fourneaux font leur apparition aux 14e–15e siècles, tandis quau 19e siècle, dans le contexte de la révolution industrielle, on assiste à laccroissement du poids de la métallurgie dans lensemble de la richesse nationale.
Les fouilles archéologiques ont mis au jour bien des vestiges attestant le fait que la métallurgie était pratiquée depuis la nuit des temps en terre roumaine. Parmi ceux-ci figurent des fours, bien des outils, des restes de fonte et différents alliages. Malgré la politique dencouragement de la métallurgie menée par lEtat roumain moderne, fondé en 1859, les résultats nont pas été des plus notables.
Toutefois, dans les provinces à population majoritairement roumaine, occupées par lEmpire des Habsbourg, existaient déjà des fourneaux produisant de lacier et de la fonte. Les plus anciens et les plus connus sont ceux de Reşiţa, dans le sud-ouest du territoire actuel de la Roumanie. Datés de 1769, ils sont situés à proximité des exploitations minières des Monts du Banat. Citée florissante au cours du 19e siècle, Reşiţa devient un véritable emblème de la métallurgie sous lEmpire austro-hongrois.
La réussite la plus remarquable de lindustrie lourde de Reşiţa à cette époque-là a sans doute été la fabrication de lacier dont fut construite la Tour Eiffel de Paris. Après 1918, année de lUnion des trois provinces historiques roumaines et de la création de la Grande Roumanie, lacier et les produits issus de la sidérurgie de Reşiţa allaient compter parmi les piliers de léconomie nationale.
Construites en 1882 et inaugurées en 1884, sous ladministration austro- hongroise, les usines sidérurgiques de Hunedoara constituent un autre repère important de la métallurgie roumaine. Pour la fabrication des principaux produits, destinés à doter larmée de lEmpire des Habsbourg, les usines de Hunedoara collaboraient avec celles de Cugir, en Roumanie, de Diósgyőr, de Hongrie ou de Podbrezová, en Slovaquie. A linstar des usines de Reşiţa, celles de Hunedoara ne deviendront possession de lEtat roumain quaprès 1918. Véritable poids-lourds de lindustrie roumaine, les deux combinats sidérurgiques allaient fournir du matériel pour la fabrication darmement, de locomotives et de wagons, de rails pour les voies ferrées et de matériel roulant, de structures métalliques, doutillages et déquipements industriels divers.
Après 1945, la sidérurgie roumaine, tout comme la majeure partie des autres branches de léconomie nationale, se retrouve sous linfluence soviétique. Cest ce qui explique lapparition des célèbres sociétés déconomie mixte roumano-soviétiques Sovrom, une trouvaille, en fait, permettant aux Soviétiques de faire main basse sur les matières premières et différents matériels. Deux des entreprises de ce type ont été Sovrommetal, basées à Reşiţa, et Sovrom Métaux non ferreux. Les deux allaient disparaître entre 1953, date du début de la déstalinisation et 1958, année où larmée soviétique quitte le sol roumain.
Vers le milieu des années 1960, la direction politique de la Roumanie communiste, qui ambitionnait de développer lindustrie sidérurgique nationale, soppose ouvertement au plan Valev. Selon ce plan, conçu par les Soviétiques dans le but de mettre en place des économies spécialisées au sein du bloc socialiste, le rôle industriel revenait à des pays tels la Tchécoslovaquie ou la République démocratique allemande, léconomie roumaine devant rester essentiellement agricole.
La politique dindustrialisation allait donner un coup de pouce à la métallurgie roumaine. Cest sur cette toile de fond que lon voit naître, en 1966, le site sidérurgique de Galaţi, ville-port sur le Bas-Danube. Entre 1976 et 1979, fut construit à Călăraşi, autre ville – port danubienne, le plus grand combinat sidérurgique de Roumanie. En dépit des visées des dirigeants communistes de lépoque, il a fallu attendre lan 1989 avant de voir sachever les travaux de construction. Un autre combinat, de métaux non ferreux, allait voir le jour en 1966, à Slatina, dans le sud du pays.
Enfin, on ne saurait oublier de mentionner que la Roumanie communiste a investi environ 1 milliard de dollars américains dans les usines sidérurgiques de Krivoi Rog, localité située, de nos jours, en Ukraine. Malheureusement, cet investissement na pas porté ses fruits. Non seulement il na pas généré de bénéfices, mais largent investi na jamais pu être récupéré.
Après 1989, les différentes réformes économiques, notamment celles du secteur minier, ainsi que labsence dinvestissements dans le domaine, ont amené le rétrécissement considérable de lactivité métallurgique en Roumanie. Pour subsister sur les marchés spécialisés, il a fallu procéder à des licenciements massifs et aux privatisations. (trad.: Mariana Tudose)