White Cuib

George Roşu | I hate flags 12.11 - 4.12/ White Cuib “Tell me which politicians you believe in, and I’ll figure out what kind of person you are. It’s not (or no longer) rude to ask people about their political sympathies. Or what they think about uncomfortable subjects like poverty, feminism, abortion, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, racism, war and so on. Or maybe it still is rude, but since we live in troubled times, I think that kind of rudeness is much healthier than a possible social hypocrisy that could take society from bad to even worse. So what does art have to do with what I just said? Everything, even though it doesn’t look that way at first. I’ve never been passionate about flags, but I understand why people need them, as a symbol of unity and belonging to a nation, a community or an idea. If I were to hang flags on the building where I live, I would choose one by George Roșu. Roșu’s flags seem absurd (but they aren’t). Funny (maybe they are, but not only that). Intelligent (they are). And above all, poetic (they are). When I say poetic, I don’t mean the sentimental lyricism of the 19th century, of course. To nationalists anywhere, they may seem impertinent (maybe they are, but who cares). They question the absolute authority of a state or an ideology, they symbolize individual freedom and freedom of expression, and they challenge the almost sacred character of the object itself. Roșu’s style is recognizable in these flags too, perhaps because of his sad humor, perhaps because of his poetic absurdity. We need something like this in galleries, on the streets, in our lives. The works in this exhibition are part of the group show “Now Is the Time to Understand More”, which took place this summer at the For Mat space in Trenčín, Slovakia, and was organized by the Un Concept Luna Association“, Alina Andrei.