Realpolitik: Roman Tolici exhibition opens in Bucharest

Realpolitik, a new exhibition of works by Romanian painter Roman Tolici, is open until September 24th at Combinatul Fondului Plastic in Bucharest, Mobius Gallery announced.

The exhibition “questions the essence of key political systems and influential figures of the past centuries, including from our country.” By exploring political systems and personalities that influenced history, the exhibition offers “an unconventional perspective on global politics.”

The exhibition combines three series of works. The Realpolitik series, which gives the title of the exhibition, covers more than 300 drawings in ink on patterns from magazines, showing global political personalities. The artist (un)masked them by applying a “filter of obscure and provocative sensuality,” resulting in a deliberate blurring of their identity.

The Negative Flags series includes a video installation and one consisting of 240 official flags of various prominent entities of contemporary politics. The exhibition’s third component, Vertigo, covers two video animations, each showcasing “powerful symbols that left an indelible mark on modernity, symbols intertwining in a symbiotic relationship.”

“I have seen the world of politics in negative, both literally and figuratively. It is a landscape shaped by the politicization of history, where negative and positive characters fluctuate, depending on the political power shaping history. In Realpolitik, I have attempted to eliminate any part-pris. No one is spotless; we all carry the historical burden of violence, cruelty and injustice, regardless of whether we take part in the political world passively or actively,” Tolici explained.

(Photo courtesy of Mobius Gallery)