UNARTE Erasmus student exhibition

The Erasmus student exhibition: the concept 

The National University of Arts alongside with its awesome Erasmus office creates every year a much needed opportunity for their both incoming and outgoing students by organizing an exhibition where such students are involve in an aim of showcasing the works they did during an exchange mobility.

Thus, the concept of the event, as the coordinators say, is to highlight the different artistic directions of the over 60 young Romanian and foreign artists, found at the beginning of their career and who have benefited from an international cultural experience.

Where is the Erasmus exhbition taking place?

This time, the current exhibition takes place, of course, in Bucharest at the art university’s gallery named UNAgaleria situated on Băiculesti street, number 29 in a location known also as "Combinatul Fondului Plastic".

The opening of the exhibition happened on 20th January, but it can be also visited until Sunday, the 26th of January, so if people missed the vernissage, they can still take a look at the artworks until this date. The visiting hours are from Monday to Saturday, but the oral range varies, most of the time being open from 7:30 AM to 16.00 PM. On Sunday, according with the program, the gallery is closed. 

Should you apply for an Erasmus exchange at UNARTE Bucharest?

Last night I have been to the opening and I am here to share with you the different aspects and features of the exhibition. The article, together with the photographs, might be an interesting material for those who are thinking about having an Erasmus exchange at The National University of Arts, Bucharest and they need a glimpse or more information about what’s happening and going on in this school institution.

On the other hand, the following linked article might give you other considerations about the university: Should you apply for an Erasmus exchange at The National University of Arts Bucharest?

What are the students putting on display?

The tall, large and rough exhibition space of the gallery is filled with artworks of any kind and technique, starting with the fine arts field such as painting, sculpture, graphic, photography, new media and completing with the decorative and design arts like textile, fashion, glass, ceramics and graphic design.

There is a wide variety of works, concepts and ideas translated in material as acrylic, oil and mixed media paintings, drawings, plaster cast sculptures, ceramics, printed photographs, posters, mosaics, videos, sounds, books and sketchbooks, clothes collection, decorative panels, tapestries and so on.

Almost every department that the university has is represented by an artwork, thus the exhibition is an interdisciplinary one which is a very interesting thing because diversity makes the art better and greater. The connection between all of the art fields should always be taken in consideration and, especially in our school, this aspect should be improved and even more encouraged.

Prior to my last Erasmus mobility in the city of Saarbrucken, Germany, I am participating in the exhibition with a number of 3 paintings which I have created throughout the studio workshop course during my exchange experience at Hochschule der Bildenden Kunste Saar.

The works are a part from my project called "Layers, movements and missing pieces" and I am happy for the opportunity to showcase each of it for the first time here.

Small compliments and congratulations for the Erasmus students 

When the exhibition is opened officially by the organizers, the Erasmus students, again, both incoming and outgoing, are awarded beautifully with a diploma of participation and are given a very nice and cool poster representing the image of the exhibition.

Because the students are invited to help with all of the little things and points needed for putting together such an event, for example, the friendly poster was made by an incoming student who did a very good job with it creating maybe the clumsy feeling of each Erasmus student has in the beginning of its mobility.

A successful event: so many people are joining the opening 

After the exhibition is opened, people keep coming in. I’ve been to same such events here before, but this is the first time when I actually see so much public – consisted of students, teachers, friends of students, strangers and just usual folks that I don’t know from where to take – coming in to join the artistic manifestation.

Usually, because the UNAgaleria is placed kind of far away from the university and also from the central area of Bucharest, there are not as many visitors as they should always be, but now, the space of the gallery is full packed with people.

A friendly and welcoming atmosphere

The overall atmosphere is doubtlessly influence by the above circumstance. A pleasant murmur is going around the large gallery. As they are walking through the exhibited artworks, people are socializing with each other, changing opinions, meeting the young artists, taking photos or getting inspired by the multitude of creations they are encountering with.

Every corner of the space has something curious to look at. The shapes of the works are not conventional or equal, but either very little or extensive, making the exhibition to appear uneven in the sense in which, it cannot be contained at a glance, but rather discovered slowly angle by angle.

The food table offers a variance of sweet and salty snacks and drinks. In this regard, the Erasmus students were invited to bring something more or less traditional from their countries. My friend Ligia, for example, brought our Romanian “zacusca”, "the food of the poor student" as we often call it, served on fresh homemade bread, what a tasty goodie! 

A big "thank you" to the Erasmus coordinatores 

I spend a pleasurable and constructive time at the night opening of the exhibition and I really wish for many such appealing and full of nice people events in the upcoming periods. Many words of appreciation go to the erasmus coordinators and trainers we have at the international office in Bucharest, who are doing their best not only in organizing this particular exhibition by gathering all of the romanian and foreign students together, but they come in handy all the time, being opened and kind. 

During my past exchange mobility experiences, I had came across let's say not so great erasmus coordinators and, after that, I realised how important their support and positive involvement matter in having an equitable and appropiate mobility. 

"A different perspective"

When we get out of UNAgaleria, on the opposite side of it, another transformed exhibition space attracts our attention due to the high clear transparent windows through which is seen the wide strongly illuminated space of the gallery with its huge colorful paintings.

As far as I know, this space is freshly opened and because the friends I am with and I haven't yet got the chance to discover it, we decide to take a look inside here as well, even if, from the outside, people can really see the entire surface of the place. 

The current exhibition is called "A different perspective" and all of the paintings belong to the romanian female artist Ilinca Gruia. Each abstract composition is defined by sharp and visible brush strokes or material traces, rough stains of a multitude of colors and as the painter says, the works are opened to interpretation being inspired by a place she travelled to or the emotion of it. 

We can look at the paintings from up close to see the details or from a long distance, the huge space of the gallery offering such possibility. We should keep an eye of this art space because it defenitely has a lot of potential.