Institut Culturel Roumain 1 rue de l'Exposition 75007 Paris France
Mois de la photo 2010 Point information 5,7 rue de Fourcy 75004 Paris France
Coming from much larger “families” of visual research – for instance series as they do investigating the confines of reality and representation – the works in the exhibition “Don’t turn around!” reflect the same principle of incisiveness.
The analytical ability to section the visual field with irony and wit shows the same attitude as the rest of Romanian contemporary art, be it a painting, object, installation or video – despite the fact that some of the photographers have more of a photojournalistic experience.
Quite often, the vocabulary used by the invited artists counts on overthrowing the registers of perception, as the field of illusion overrules the real world. Even though the selection cuts across several generations of artists, one can discern a similar interest for documenting and archiving, whether it is an urban landscape with all its contradictions, or shots of daily life often verging on the hilarious.
Proximity brings out a common denominator: the social consequences of a spatial articulation “adapted” to the new post-totalitarian logic. The sum of “illusory” snapshots selected defines, without being exhaustive, a present time in Romania that is both transfigured and inert, and which possesses a somewhat exotic ambiguity.
Last but not least, “Don’t turn around!” is not just an exhibition. It sends out an invitation to close pay attention to these photographic artists, using individual strategies and intentions, that are relevant to today’s world.