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2015 » Romania » Section of Countries and Regions
| Curator: | STEFANIA CENEAN |
| Authors of Theme: | Stefania Cenean |
| Designer / Architect of exhibition: | Stefania Cenean |
| Institution: | ICR PRAQUE |
Roots
When we look at an old tree we admire his rich, imposing crown, its leaves blown by the wind. Inevitably, we see the sky, because we are called to look up to the light and be intoxicated by the sad music of the loneliness that covers the tree. ... We imagine the twisted roots of the tree, hundreds of years in the making, like the innards of the earth. If the roots were not as large as the crown the tree could hardly stand against the weather. Weak roots would make the tree collapse from the slightest gust of wind. Well-fed by the sap gathered in his hidden roots, the old tree will stand straight and strong against bad weather. Well-anchored in time and space, an old tree teaches us lessons about life and invites us to meditate. The mysterious vibration of timber (known as a living element), the rustle or soft music are elements that often are not perceived as a genuine natural show.
The tree is an ideal component of the set design due to its power to send powerful, theatrical messages; it almost becomes a symbol of the lost paradise.
One could compare the rings one sees in the cross-sections of old tree trunks to the generations of an old family through which the sap flows, feeding all of them. In the center, the smallest ring is like a sketch of the youngest in the family. The bark, with all its wrinkles, represents the oldest.
The roots of the tree, its unseen force, inspired the theme for the exhibition and became for us a leitmotif. We present a series of tree-stars, using each one's historical identity, archived, shot and filmed by a team of artists (designer, light designer, photographer) and using theatrical methods over a period of two years and at different times, day and night. In this way we intend to respond to the challenge of PQ 2015 Shared Space: Music Weather Politics, with a project of living elements – trees – exposed for centuries in Romanian space as witnesses of historic, social and artistic events.
Images are accompanied by stories, legends and documented facts connecting trees. The performativity of these images is obtained both through the surprising theatricality of the reality that surrounds them, the proposed theme for this edition of PQ and the possibility of triggering all possible personal stories in the viewer's imagination. In time the network, in which trees are captured both visually and in audio, will include people's portraits too – trees, as steadfast and well anchored in our space with enduring roots will help them stand the test of time.