Ion Bitzan
23 Nov 2017 - 01 Apr 2018
ION BITZAN
The Prisoners Of The Avant-Garde. A Ion Bitzan Retrospective
23 November 2017 – 01 April 2018
Curator: Călin Dan
Ion Bitzan (1924-1997) belongs to a Romanian generation of great talents, manifest in the brief period of détente (between 1962-1974 approximately), who developed a body of work that can be ascribed to international conceptualism and minimalism. His career was highlighted by participations in the most important international biennials of the time and his works are in the collections of prestigious institutions like the MoMA, Kunsthalle Hamburg, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
In contrast to other colleagues who later either emigrated, or isolated themselves from the ever more aggressive politcal context, Ion Bitzan devised a different strategy – both original and risky. Parallel to his research on the history of international experimental art (which resulted in an impressive number of works), Bitzan also produced works commissioned by and dedicated to the Communist Party and its leader. Looking at the oeuvre of Ion Bitzan, the exhibition tries to shed light on a period full of nuances and shadows, when artistic innovation and political art co-existed in a complicated relation.
The Prisoners Of The Avant-Garde. A Ion Bitzan Retrospective
23 November 2017 – 01 April 2018
Curator: Călin Dan
Ion Bitzan (1924-1997) belongs to a Romanian generation of great talents, manifest in the brief period of détente (between 1962-1974 approximately), who developed a body of work that can be ascribed to international conceptualism and minimalism. His career was highlighted by participations in the most important international biennials of the time and his works are in the collections of prestigious institutions like the MoMA, Kunsthalle Hamburg, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
In contrast to other colleagues who later either emigrated, or isolated themselves from the ever more aggressive politcal context, Ion Bitzan devised a different strategy – both original and risky. Parallel to his research on the history of international experimental art (which resulted in an impressive number of works), Bitzan also produced works commissioned by and dedicated to the Communist Party and its leader. Looking at the oeuvre of Ion Bitzan, the exhibition tries to shed light on a period full of nuances and shadows, when artistic innovation and political art co-existed in a complicated relation.