ARTeast Foundation
In Târgu-Mureș, the experimental, progressive artistic initiatives date back to the ’70s. The activity and later, the local demise of the Apollo Circle (1975-1978) and the MAMŰ Group (1978-1984)mobilized young artists who wanted to catch up with contemporary European artistic aspirations. The emigration of most of MAMŰ’s membership led to its dissolution in 1984. A group of young artists started organizing exhibitions of progressive vision after the change of the regime. Their activity encompassed installation, environment, assemblage, performance art, happenings and other, experimental practices, with a particular openness and inclination towards new media as well. In this period, up until starting the ARTeast Foundation, József Bartha organised events in different formations, together with Erdei Gy Zoltán, Novotny Tihamér or Adrian Șerban Chira. These took place in both conventional and less conventional spaces.
The ARTeast Foundation was started in 1999 in order to provide a framework for projects and as a solution for the total lack of institutional support (progressive contemporary art outgrew the system of institutions inherited from the previous regime).
Beginning with 2007, a new chapter started in the history of the foundation. After the art events organized in other exhibition spaces, artist studios and other, alternative locations, Bartha József (following a studio swap with the artist Pál Péter) transformed his own studio into an artist-run space of contemporary art, suitable for exhibitions, artistic creation, and artist residency programs as well. The space – the B5 Studio is named after its location in the artists’ studio building at no. 5 Bolyai Square. The ARTeast archive, encompassing more than 30 years of artistic activity is also moved into the new space.
The specificity of the ARTeast Foundation lies in a strong conceptual footing and a responsiveness to the cultural and social phenomena found in the local environment, in East-European society and in international contexts. On an ideatic level, the Târgu-Mureș reality provides an important source of inspiration for the cultural activity of the institution. This environment, with its unique complexity, leads to topics like the problematics of national identity (in view of the relationship between the two ethnic communities – Romanian and Hungarian –, of approximately equal populations in the town), the power relations of public space, activating vernacular phenomena and parallel histories, as well as the situation of art, with regard to all of these factors. The foundation’s main objective is to connect the local art scene to the international and European cultural landscape, with a specific attention to keeping contact with expat artists, and addressing topics of local society. The activity of the ARTeast Foundation consists of organizing solo and group exhibitions, media art shows, events with artistic interventions, symposiums.
LOCATION OF B5 STUDIO
The old County Hall Building in Târgu Mureș is a two-storey baroque building in Bolyai Square nr. 5, which served as the official administrative location for the seat of Maros County. At present, it hosts the studios of the local filial of the Romanian Artists’ Union.
