Vernissage “Boys-Girls- Neigborhoods“ Works by Romanian stage director and photographer Radu Afrim

Vernissage “Boys-Girls- Neigborhoods“ Works by Romanian stage director and photographer Radu Afrim and book launch „Radu Afrim, Fabric of Fragility“ by journalist, theatre critic, editor and curator of the exhibition, Dr. Cristina Rusiecki.

Speeches Prof. Catalin N. Constantin, University Bucharest, Romania

Dieter Topp, president EuropeCultureForum, Köln, Germany Sunday Nov. 25 at 16.00 hrs BACC Bangkok, 4th floor Bangkok Art and Culture Centre 939 Rama 1 Road, Wangmai, Pathumwan Bangkok 10330 (BTS National Stadium)

Radu Afrim is not only the favorite director of the Romanian average audience, he is also the favorite director of many theatre critics. In the past years, he “officially” became a recognized value of the Romanian Theatre. His recognition was not limited only to Romania, gradually gaining fame in Europe as well.

In 2008 he was awarded the Coup de Coeur de la Presse Prize at the Avignon Theatre Festival (Off), for the performance Mansarde à Paris ou les détours Cioran directed in Luxemburg. In 2009, the EuropeCultureForum Foundation from Germany awarded him the European Culture Award.

How can Radu Afrim’s success be explained?

In all honesty, he is one of the few theatre directors to change the face of the Romanian theatre of the past decade. Ever since his debut, he has been a creator with a distinct vision. His theatrical universe is always recognizable. The space he creates, with delicate slides outside the real, or “reality supplements”, as the artist likes to call them in his interviews, is unmistakable. His slightly grotesque humor, more often than not, a humor of delay, with infusions of surrealist vapors, is always doubled by the unexpressed vulnerability of the (anti)heroes. His playful theatre, an indeterminate blend of innocence and derision, guarantees an escape from everyday life.

Radu Afrim is also an important visual artist due to his photos. and second, in presenting the volume dedicated to his theatre performances. The book Radu Afrim. The Fabric of Fragility is an album translated in English language, fully illustrated with pictures from the theatrical universe of the director.

CRISTINA RUSIECKI is a theatre critic and arts and culture journalist. She is a graduate of both the Faculty of Letters and the Faculty of Theatre Studies, and in 2007 she was awarded a PhD in Theatre Studies for her thesis entitled “The Theatre of Cruelty and the Romanian Plays of the Last Decade”. She began her career as an arts and culture journalist at the ProTV television channel. In 2001, she began publishing regular theatre reviews. In 2016, together with three colleagues, she founded the cultural magazine B-Critic.

Mr. Promadhattavedi Chatvichai, Founder, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre Foundation Board Member and General Secretary , Mr. Pawit Mahasarinand, Director of BACC.

Speech Dieter Topp at exhibition and book launch in Bangkok:

”Happy Birthday Romania 100! It’s a good day to celebrate the start of Cultural Exchange between South East Asian Thailand and East European Romania here in Bangkok at the exceptional BACC venue. This centre is the hotspot for Asian and international Art presentation in Thailand’s capital. Thus, concerning stage director Radu Afrim’s photographies, the launch of editor Dr. Cristina Rusiecki’s book RADU AFRIM – FABRICS OF FRAGILITY, and in about one week the country of Romania’s 100s anniversary the BACC is the most important place for international art and culture in Thailand.

There hardly is no other place of more effect for a cultural exchange event as the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. Why am I speaking to you? I am a representative of EuropeCultureForum (KFE)? It has initially been invented by the late German minister of Culture, Mr. Hans Dietrich Genscher in 1992 located in Cologne/Köln close to the former German capital Bonn. It is and has still been an European Institution on strictly private basis just as the BACC on its 10th anniversary in 2018. BACC and the KFE have one thing in common. The responsible executives are constantly struggling to maintain the freedom of their institutions, their independence from fashions and political currents. And there is one thing I’m sure off. We will go on further this way. Good luck for the BACC on its way ahead. After nearly two years of talks and negotiations the exhibition on the 100th anniversary of Romania and the cultural presentation of the East European country in Southeast Asia are open to public now.

Photos by Romanian stage director Radu Afrim are to be seen in the frame of the presentation of the latest book of Romanian journalist Dr. Cristina Rusiecki about the artist. It is a must and even more a pleasure to thank Mr. Promadhattavedi Chatvichai for his support in building an East European – South East Asian cultural bridge between Romania and Thailand, Bangkok and Bucharest. Many thanks to director Pawit Mahasarinand for his help in making this idea come true on the 100s anniversary of the country of Romania. Romania is different!!!

This event in South East Asia is again KFE’s contribution to positive images of Romania to the world.

Different from prostitution, street children, robbery, and so many prejudices. Romania is different. Happy 100s anniversary, Romania. Thailand is different. From next year the doors of a wonderful exhibition venue in the heart of the capital of Romania, in Bucharest, are open very wide. Another picture of Thailand is to be shown by an artist or a group, a presentation beyond the common touristic views, because Thailand is different. It might be due to the European Union constructive critical confrontation with recent politics in Romania that there is no appearance/presence of RO Ambassador today. But I’m sure the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to Romania will attend the coming event.

At the time I was asked to write a foreword to the English edition of the book about Radu Afrim a lot of things in Romania, in Europe and around the world were changing in one way or another – more for the worse than the better – and in this I saw a chance for Cristina Rusiecki and her book to raise awareness of the Afrim phenomenon and of Romania among a wider audience and a further opportunity to transmit an interesting, relevant and positive image of the country and one of its leading creative artists.

Today there are others more predestined than me to talk about this. So let me come to an end with a little celebration: Europe Culture Forum wants to express the importance of the efforts of the work of four fantastic personalities in building a cultural bridge between South East Asian country of Thailand and East European country of Romania, as a fine example of cultural ambassadors, removing historical cultural barriers by promoting mutual understanding, tolerance and acceptance.

Therefore EuropeCultureForum is going to award The Medal of Honor (since 1992) to Mr. Promadhattavedi Chatvichai, Founder, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre Foundation Board Member and General Secretary Mr. Pawit Mahasarinand, Director of BACC Prof. Catalin. N. Constantin, University of Bucharest and last not least Dr. Cristina Rusiecki, journalist, curator of the exhibition „Boys, Girls and Neighborhoods“ and editor of the book „Radu Afrim -The Fabrics of Fragility“ You did an important job.

Now, it’s our and my personal wish and your duty not to loose strengths in contributing to the development of this intercultural dialogue. It is – as the economic use to say – the development of a win-win situation.”

* Thank you for transmitting your information, Dieter Topp, friend and president EuropeCultureForum, Köln.

Oana Grigore

”Oamenii ar vrea ca binele să li se întâmple, să li se ofere de-a gata, fără ca ei sa facă ceva pentru el. Ori așa ceva nu se poate! Nimic nu se face fără noi, fără participarea noastră. Starea de bine apare abia după ce am experimentat starea de rău. Abia după ce am văzut ce nu ne place, ce ne doare, ce ne face să suferim, abia atunci înțelegem că nu mai vrem și începem să ne căutam binele. Insă binele îl găsim doar în legatura noastră cu creatorul, cu Dumnezeu.” http://oficialmedia.com/de-ce-au-oamenii-nevoie-de-repere/

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