25 YEARS

”25 Years After”, curated by Ioana Ciocan, proposes in the NAG Pop Up Gallery space a marking of the 25 years post December 89. Through exhibitions and performances of young artists born before 1989 and raised after 1989, the 25 years period will be reflected in chapters depicting a possible way for understanding the change: lost places memory; memory of a recounted Revolution, rather than an experienced Revolution; communist vs. capitalist identity; “perfect communist moments” memory and unrealized five year plans utopias. The project will go on in the months of Octomber-November, with Gabriela Mateescu & Marina Oprea’s performance on the Romanian education system, as well as Radu Mocanu’s exhibition „Golden Black”.

The project is hosted by Magheru One – a symbolic building of inter-bellum Romanian architecture -, built in 1936-37, architects Rudolf Fraenkel and Eugen Shimsy, the first being the architect of Scala building, located in front of Magheru One. At that times, the building was known JAWOL Building, after the name of the advertising panel on its roof. The building was built by  Dr. Constantin C. Angelescu (State Minister and President of the Athenaeum for 24 years), alongside of the Lido Hotel, the first European hotel provided with a water waves pool. In April 1950 the building was nationalized and became state owned, the JAWOL advertising being replaced in the 60s and 70s with CEC signing. By the end of the communist period, the building was administrated by SIMCO, thus being known as the SIMCO building.  At the beginning of the 90s, Dr. Constantin C. Angelescu’s heirs have reclaimed it and given back definitively and irrevocably in 2003. Three-four years later, the building was bought by S+B Gruppe, present owner, with the intention of rehabilitating it. A complex process of structural verifications, architectural planning and authorization process followed, under the surveillance of architect Luminița Machedon. Although it isn’t a Historical Monument, the building is located within an architectural protected area, thus making the process longer than the usual construction processes. Its consolidation began in 2010 and ended in 2012. On the occasion of the re-opening, the building was named Magheru One, taking into consideration its address 1-3 Magheru Bd., at Bucharest 0 Kilometer marking point.

NAG Pop Up Gallery is a cultural project of Ephemair Association. Partners: Magheru One, R77, MNAC, Crama Liliac, Zăganu, Fundația OBOS, Consulting Business Alliance. More details soon noapteagaleriilor.ro, facebook.com/pages/Noaptea-Alba-a-Galeriilor. Contact: noaptealba@gmail.com

Project Team: Ioana Ciocan, Suzana Dan, Attila Kim, Silvia Rogozea. Volunteers: Flavia Stamate, Alina Ușurelu, Alexandru Voinescu.