In the heart of Bucharest, from May 29th to June 2nd, 2024, the second edition of the MoBU Contemporary Art Fair opened its doors. Following the success of its inaugural edition, MoBU 2024 drew over 30,000 visitors eager to immerse themselves in contemporary art. This year’s event promised and delivered a dynamic mix of guided tours, concerts, workshops, and interactive installations.
Building on the positive reception of its first edition, MoBU 2024 has expanded and relocated closer to the city center, enhancing accessibility and convenience for its diverse audience. This year, the fair features a more extensive and restructured layout that ensures seamless navigation and optimal lighting for each exhibit. Notably, MoBU has maintained its commitment to inclusivity by improving accessibility for differently-abled individuals, incorporating ramps and other necessary facilities.
One of the standout aspects of MoBU 2024 is its broadened artist representation, showcasing talents from China, Japan, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, and the UK. This diverse lineup underscores MoBU’s dedication to presenting a wide array of contemporary art practices. Demetra Arapu, MoBU’s director, emphasized, “Participants highlighted the importance of engaging younger audiences and fostering an appreciation for contemporary art among new generations, so we are supporting the new generation of artists (art students in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi, and Timisoara) counting on them to speak the Gen Z speak.” MoBU 2024 also celebrates the vibrant Romanian art scene, bringing together works from heritage artists like Nicolae Tonitza and Alexandru Ciucurencu, as well as contemporary and independent artists such as Ion Grigorescu and Anca Boeriu. The inclusion of street artists like AEUL and RAID further enriches the diversity of the exhibition.
MoBU ART FAIR 2024. In conversation with Demetra Arapu – the director of the Second Edition of the MoBU Art Fair in Bucharest.
This year, the second edition of the MoBU contemporary art fair will open its doors in the capital of Romania between May 29th and June 2nd 2024.
The event will be packed with guided tours, concerts and various cultural activities. We sat down with Demetra Arapu, MoBU’s director, to talk about what we can expect to see at the fair.
“We are happy to reunite works by Romanian artists across various categories: heritage artists known for their historical significance, contemporary artists both established and independent, young contemporary artists who are early in their careers, and street artists – to fully illustrate the diversity and richness of Romanian art from recent past to present.” – Demetra Arapu, Director of MoBU
A significant addition to this year’s fair is the collaboration with ALIAJ, Bucharest’s Artist-Run Spaces Alliance. This partnership brings grassroots creativity and diverse artistic voices to the forefront, amplifying the richness and dynamism of Bucharest’s booming art scene.
“MOBU is, as we already know, the place where collectors, experts, and of course, the general public encounter the most diverse expressions of contemporary art, from traditional approaches, to visual experiments and artistic research. Remarkably, MOBU has the openness and flexibility to include in its program artist-run spaces, art faculties, a series of round tables and artist talks, as well as video screenings and performative activities. All these make MOBU an unmissable event!” – Horea AVRAM, art critic, curator
As MoBU continues to grow and evolve, its impact on the contemporary art landscape becomes increasingly profound. MoBU 2024 is a celebration of creativity, diversity, and the transformative power of art, promising an unforgettable experience for all who attend. Through our photoreportage, we invite you to explore the highlights, witness the vibrant exchanges, and experience the dynamic energy that made MoBU 2024 an unforgettable event in the world of contemporary art.
Artist-Run Spaces and Other Independent Initiatives in Post-Communist Romania. A Non-Existent History.
Artist-run spaces in Romania have only a very brief history. Given the authoritarian regime in late 20th-century Romania, the existence of such “alternative spaces”, the opening of clandestine exhibitions for a small audience (let alone for the general public), would have been impossible. Therefore, before 1989, we can only speak of isolated initiatives, in apartments or in the form of “alternative” exhibitions where obtaining approval presented great difficulty. “Subversive” actions took place in fields, in forests, or in the privacy of one’s own house, and by no means repeatedly…
