Actual

 

Europe one hour before, or after, the sunrise frontier, is that which tried real socialism, a failed political regime, and which still cannot find its definition. It was a frenzy against the past, that the regime wished to destroy, but were limited to distort it and then made from the past a cause for nationalism.

 

Artists were highly involved in ideological propaganda, but, as they are supposed to be, imposed their independence, defended their individuality and realized what liberty could mean. Some of them emigrating got their liberty.

 

An honest artist keeps his way despite all the political changes. The same is for those who remained at home. All have kept the habit to question the differences between the political regimes and to gather documents that are defining events.

 

Socialism impoverished the peasants and the people living in the outskirts and focused its efforts to “renew” the towns. The marks of the past persist in the non-favoured zones that remain fragile and jeopardized today by the haste of those who “increase living standards”. The people are saying that it is easier and cheaper to make new than to restore something.

 

The believing artist is not an innovator as one could detect the sacred in the vanguard and modernism. The term “orthodox”, not accidentally placed in the Eastern part of the continent, reveals the steadiness, and we must not mix up art with icons. The religious attitude is as natural as that of the graffiti makers, being one of the simplest ways to say their credo.

 

There are a lot of artists here, but they haven't a promotion system, no institutions, and no galleries. They have been working since long ago for a very restrained audience, only enjoying being free, and independent of fashion, for their quotation.

 

The East has very present in its imaginary frontiers – political, ethnic or religious, and frequently passing through them. The friends and the parents are oscillating between commuting and emigration meanwhile the artists, spread throughout the whole Europe, are feeling free as much as their art is of actual interest.

 

 

Ion Grigorescu