2015 » Romania » Student Section
Curator: | STEFANIA CENEAN |
Authors of Theme: | STEFANIA CENEAN |
Designer / Architect of exhibition: | STEFANIA CENEAN |
Freedom
Culture and art can be salvation and freedom. Art that makes young people better and brighter. Not any kind of art. Only by discerning between true culture and pseudo-culture can give long-term reliability. Freedom is therefore discerning.
From the challenges launched by PQ'15 organizers – Music Weather Politics – Romanian students have chosen 'Freedom' as the theme of their exhibition.
Freedom is what the youngsters of today are looking for- today as ever. Complete freedom. But what is freedom? Being yourself, be part of a group with which you identify, or being different? In the maze of the search of freedom, the youth often confuses liberty with libertinism. But, over time they realize that, actually, their responsibilities are multiplying and there’s no way back to childhood. Freedom does not mean living as you want. Being a rebel is not an expression of freedom.
For the young people who protested on the streets of Romania in 1989, for those who started the Romanian revolution, freedom was a political and social goal. They did not claim anything material (services, wages, food), they were fighting for freedom. Not only did they chant "we will die and we will be free", they died, in front of the eyes of the world, live on television. Thanks to them, we are all free. The young people who claimed freedom in 1989 set the tone of a music almost incomprehensible today. Their fight was a further sequel to the ideal of freedom as expressed decades ago, in the early 1940s, by other young people when Romania forcibly entered the Communist era. Those who boldly opposed Communism were warned: ”understand that you do not go to kill, but to be killed”. But the victory was important as they were fighting for their country, for the truth. These were their goals. The young people who died in 1989 had no idea of the sacrifices made in the Communist years and mass graves. All these things came to light much later; as always, the truth emerges from the lies. Some of those who survived the harsh tortures were released from jail in 1989.
One could say that, today, young people have no ideals. They live chaotic lives to the rhythms of music and the flashy images of music videos. Life and liberty are perceived only as pleasure, fun and entertainment. As a result, most of them want success quickly, comfortably and effortlessly. But this is not a sustainable result; life proves it. In the midst of this whirlwind of desires and feelings, culture and art can represent salvation and freedom, as a safe way to increase your personal autonomy without burning bridges or losing yourself. Art that makes young people better and brighter.
Not all kinds of art do this, however. It is only by discerning between true culture and pseudo-culture that we can achieve long-term safety, and this is achieved only through lengthy practice. Only true art and real culture can elevate one straight up, like towering trees, impossible to be toppled by bad weather.
Do not forget that, if today we are free to create, it is due to the sacrifices made in 1989!
Young Romanian artists with degrees in stage design have complete freedom to express their inner world. However, this inner world is uninteresting if it has no goal, because without ideals, one cannot dream the different worlds of the stage. We hope that the projects coming to Prague will talk about freedom with different, but melodic voices.