BLOK
Eyewitness
Romania
24 October 2022

‘Incidents of soft care’ by Alexandra Boaru

‘Incidents of soft care’ by Alexandra Boaru

Alexandra Boaru: β€œπΌ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘π‘œπ‘’π‘β„Ž π‘Žπ‘™π‘™ π‘œπ‘“ π‘šπ‘’ π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘Žπ‘™π‘™ π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’. π‘‡π‘œ 𝑏𝑒 π‘ π‘¦π‘›π‘β„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘›π‘–π‘§π‘’π‘‘. 𝐴 π‘‘π‘Žπ‘π‘‘π‘–π‘™π‘’ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘π‘œπ‘’π‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘” 𝑖𝑠 π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘Žπ‘  𝑀𝑒 π‘Žπ‘™π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘π‘¦ π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘‘π‘Žπ‘–π‘› π‘’π‘Žπ‘β„Ž π‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘› π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘œπ‘‘π‘–π‘’π‘  π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑀𝑒 π‘π‘Žπ‘› π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ 𝑏𝑒 π‘ π‘’π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘‘ π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘’π‘‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘’β€™π‘  π‘‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘‘β„Ž. π‘Šπ‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘œπ‘₯𝑦𝑔𝑒𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘‘π‘’π‘π‘’, π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ 𝑒π‘₯π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘šπ‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘’π‘  π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑑𝑒, π‘Žπ‘  π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑖𝑛 π‘šπ‘¦ π‘šπ‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ, π‘šπ‘¦ π‘ π‘–π‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑖𝑛 π‘šπ‘’. π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘™π‘™ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘’π‘›π‘‘, 𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑛, π‘™π‘–π‘˜π‘’ π‘Ž πΊπ‘œπ‘‘. π‘Šβ„Žπ‘–π‘™π‘’ π‘šπ‘¦ 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑠 π‘Žπ‘π‘ π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘œπ‘₯𝑦𝑔𝑒𝑛 π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘£π‘–π‘‘π‘’, π‘€β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ 𝐼 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ 𝑖𝑛 𝑒π‘₯π‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘’? 𝑀𝑦, 𝑒π‘₯β„Žπ‘Žπ‘™π‘’. 𝐼 π‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘π‘œ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘€β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ 𝐼 𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑑 π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘›π‘œ π‘™π‘œπ‘›π‘”π‘’π‘Ÿ 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘˜π‘’ 𝑖𝑑 π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑑 π‘π‘Žπ‘π‘˜ π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘› π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘“π‘–π‘›π‘–π‘ β„Ž π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘ π‘’π‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘šπ‘¦ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘β„Ž.

𝐴𝑙𝑙 π‘œπ‘“ π‘šπ‘’ 𝑖𝑠 β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘›π‘œπ‘€; 𝑏𝑒𝑑 π‘Žπ‘™π‘™ π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ 𝑖𝑠 π‘’π‘£π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘¦π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’, π‘‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘‘, π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘£π‘’ π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘€π‘Žπ‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘”. π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘Ž π‘šπ‘¦π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘Žπ‘”π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘”π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘ β€¦ π‘π‘Žπ‘π‘’π‘Ÿ, π‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘π‘œπ‘Žπ‘™, π‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘–π‘Ÿ, π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘ , π‘“π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘, π‘šπ‘’π‘‘π‘–π‘π‘–π‘›π‘’β€¦ π»π‘œπ‘€ π‘π‘Žπ‘› 𝐼 π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘π‘’π‘‘π‘’ π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 π‘˜π‘›π‘œπ‘€ π‘Žπ‘™π‘™ π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘› π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘™π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘π‘¦, π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘šπ‘¦ π‘œπ‘€π‘› 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙, β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘šπ‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘’π‘”β„Ž π‘šπ‘¦ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘β„Ž?

π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘™π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘Žπ‘–π‘›π‘’π‘ π‘  π‘‘π‘œπ‘’π‘  π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’ π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘š π‘Ž π‘ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘”π‘’π‘‘ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘π‘’π‘ π‘  π‘œπ‘“ π‘’π‘£π‘œπ‘™π‘’π‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› 𝑏𝑒𝑑 π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘š π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘€π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘˜π‘’π‘’π‘ π‘šπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘£π‘’ π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘’π‘‘ π‘’π‘£π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘›π‘›π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘œπ‘’π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘’π‘™π‘“. π‘‡β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑖𝑠 π‘’π‘›π‘œπ‘’π‘”β„Ž π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ 𝑏𝑒𝑑 π‘‘π‘œπ‘œ π‘šπ‘’π‘β„Ž π‘œπ‘“ π‘šπ‘’. 𝐼 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 π‘‘π‘œπ‘œ π‘šπ‘’π‘β„Ž π‘œπ‘“ π‘Ž β„Žπ‘’π‘šπ‘Žπ‘› π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘› π‘™π‘œπ‘œπ‘˜π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘’π‘π‘œπ‘› β„Žπ‘œπ‘€ π‘’π‘›π‘›π‘’π‘π‘’π‘ π‘ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘π‘™π‘–π‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘‘ π‘šπ‘¦ 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠”.

Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara

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In the “Incidents of soft care” exhibition, the artist Alexandra Boaru presents a series of analog photographs, objects and an in situ installation (to be created during the opening event), which has as its central theme the hybridization between plants and female hair, used as a metaphor and as substance for a process necessary for transcendence between different species. Both by its structure and by its functions, hair is a living organ, which arises from a germ. Cells multiply, germs develop, taking the shape of a hollow sphere inside. Inside the plant cell, however, there are numerous organelles, which perform various functions necessary for the survival of the plant.

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Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara

Along the lines of speculative philosophy, which we find in the entire work of Alexandra Boaru, a hybridization of this type – in which the plant cell becomes the germ for the hair follicle – is not only a personal statement, but a neo-alchemical process absolutely necessary for the artistic experiment with which she operates. However absurd this hypothesis may seem, it is, in fact, only a natural consequence of returning to the concept of nature (be it human or non-human), in which the central theme is the relationship between man and the environment, in a moment marked by a fragile balance between forces (social, political, environmental, etc.). It responds, at the same time, to the obsessive β€œclivage” also formulated by the French philosopher and anthropologist Bruno Latour: “Nature/Culture”, in a sensitive and conceptual manner.

Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara

Nature, viewed as a non-social objective reality, is conceptualized, passed through the filter of one’s own artistic experience, internalized and reconstructed in a new, antagonistic vision that contradicts the limiting paradigms of the “man vs. the nature”. The hybridization process is fluid and integrative, we can say that Alexandra “collaborates” with the plants to develop, “together” a new pattern of “being in the world”. Where modernity uses classification and categorization, post-modernity looks for new methods of “unlearning” them, a way to cancel categories and class distance, to identify common features – plants as active agents of the environment, which respond and communicate with stimuli around them – touch, light. Cancelling the paradigm of the human being located at the center of the world, and using similarities, it is more than obvious why the artist chose female hair for this symbiotic hair-plant relationship. And, just as obviously, why her entire oeuvre explores and operates under the auspices of a deeply imaginative experiment oriented toward symbiosis, hybridization, and infinite possibilities of (meta)transformation. (Mirela Stoeac-VlΔƒduΘ›i, curator)

𝐴𝑙𝑒π‘₯π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘Ž π΅π‘œπ‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑖𝑠 π‘Ž π‘šπ‘’π‘™π‘‘π‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘ π‘π‘–π‘π‘™π‘–π‘›π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘–π‘ π‘‘, β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘€π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘˜π‘  𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑑 π‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘‘π‘œπ‘”π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘β„Žπ‘¦, π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π‘π‘’ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘£π‘–π‘‘π‘’π‘œ. π»π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘π‘‘π‘–π‘π‘’ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘£π‘œπ‘˜π‘’π‘  π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘π‘’π‘π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ ”β„Žπ‘’π‘šπ‘Žπ‘›” π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑖𝑑𝑠 π‘–π‘šπ‘π‘Žπ‘π‘‘ π‘œπ‘› π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑒π‘₯π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘œπ‘Ÿ, π‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘  π‘œπ‘Ÿ 𝑖𝑑𝑠 π‘œπ‘€π‘› 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓. 𝑂𝑛𝑒 π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘–π‘› π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘šπ‘’π‘  π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘π‘Žπ‘› 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘’π‘”β„Žπ‘œπ‘’π‘‘ β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘€π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘˜π‘  𝑖𝑠 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑒π‘₯π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› π‘œπ‘“ π‘π‘œπ‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘  𝑏𝑒𝑑𝑀𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 β„Žπ‘’π‘šπ‘Žπ‘› π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘π‘’π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘ π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘” 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒, 𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘œπ‘‘π‘¦ π‘Žπ‘  π‘Ž π‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π‘›π‘’π‘žπ‘’π‘–π‘› π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑦 π‘œπ‘π‘—π‘’π‘π‘‘π‘–π‘“π‘¦π‘–π‘›π‘” β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘’π‘™π‘“. π‘†β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘’π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘  π‘π‘œπ‘‘β„Ž π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘œπ‘π‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘£π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘œπ‘π‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘£π‘’π‘‘. π»π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘Žπ‘β„Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘› π‘œπ‘“π‘‘π‘’π‘› 𝑏𝑒 π‘‘π‘’π‘ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘’π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘  π‘π‘œπ‘’π‘‘π‘–π‘π‘Žπ‘™, 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 20π‘‘β„Ž-π‘π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘™π‘–π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ ’70𝑠 π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘π‘’π‘π‘‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘ π‘š.

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Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara
Alexandra Boaru, Incidents of soft care, exhibition view, META SpaΘ›iu, TimiΘ™oara

Imprint

ArtistAlexandra Boaru
ExhibitionIncidents of soft care
Place / venueMETA SpaΘ›iu
Dates30.09– 12.11.2022
Curated by Mirela Stoeac-Vlăduți
Photosall images copyright and courtesy of the artist and META SpaΘ›iu
Index

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