The Unknown Known (Further Up-Further In)

contemporary art exhibition, Museum of Art, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, July 31 - August 11 2024, group exhibition;

'The Unknown Known', from the 'Further Up-Further In' series, presents a new world of form, colour and concept. The artists' works are based on a shared quest and are infused with personal emotions and the courage to dream beyond ordinary reality.

Through this project, the artists seek to explore the imaginative innocence of childhood, aiming to provide access to feelings and thoughts beyond the everyday. Drawing on unique experiences and inspired by the writer Clive Staples Lewis, Atelier Plus proposes a series of works that explore and discover the personal imagination.

In his writings, the author explores the power of imagination and argues that it is vital for children and adults alike as it enables us to expand our understanding of the world and enrich our lives. In his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, C. S. Lewis also emphasises the importance of imagination in his early years. He views imagination as having two narrative strands: an outer life rooted in realism and reason, and an inner life brimming with fantasy and imagination. For the English writer, these two aspects of discourse — one imaginative, the other rational — were essential in his youth. The Chronicles of Narnia was born from an image of a faun in Lewis's mind, leading to the creation of all seven books in the series. Narnia and its surrounding lands serve as both alternate worlds to reality and alternatives to biblical stories.

The Chronicles of Narnia were a defining influence on the visual approach: these books form a comprehensive cosmos with its own beginning and end. Within this cosmos, Lewis creates an alternative scripture centred on the Christ-like, Dionysian character Aslan, which diverges from the traditional Old and New Testament scriptures. The world of Narnia serves as an alternative universe in which the horrors of the real world are explored and problematised by the inclusion of dystopian elements and scenarios that threaten Aslan's realm. Building on these ideas, each artist in this exhibition has attempted to present themes such as escape from matter, echoes of another world and plunging into the unknown through a variety of mediums. Issues such as suffering, death and the return to the divine are also explored. These quests intersect at the journey towards eternity and the individual responsibility to navigate the known unknown.

This visual exploration not only analyses profound and captivating ideas of the author, C. S. Lewis, but also offers viewers the opportunity to experience and contemplate these ideas personally.

A.L.

The event, organised by a public institution under the authority of the Cluj County Council and held at the Art Museum, showcases the work of thirteen talented Romanian artists who are members of the Atelier Plus artistic collective.

Those presenting their creations include Adi Hunyadi, Amalia Archiudean, Ancuța Limboi Puștea, Andrada Lolu, Bogdan Vaida, Cristina Marian, Eunice Gall, Iulia Rad, Katalin Julia Hajdu, Liviu Mocan, Petru Leahu, Radu Feldiorean and Radu Pop. Each artist brings a unique perspective to the exhibition, expressed through diverse techniques including painting, printmaking, digital art, photography and sculpture, reflecting the richness and depth of contemporary Romanian art.

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Who is Atelier Plus?

Atelier Plus is a group of professional artists based in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. They are dedicated to promoting visual arts and Romanian Christian cultural values.

With almost 30 years of experience in organising exhibitions, workshops and creative camps, Atelier Plus provides spaces where art brings together beauty, faith, culture and community.

Through its work, the association supports artists in developing their talent and invites the public to discover art as a meaningful language of values and inner transformation.

Find out more about Atelier Plus and its projects here.

Graphic design poster: Iulia Rad @rad_grafic