scris de Cosmin Nasui

Gallery Mie Lefever is one of the first north-west European art galleries interested in young Romanian art. Mie Lefever is a real promoter of Romanian contemporary art abroad the country and already has organized seven exhibitions of Romanian artists: Anca Benera, Marius Bercea, Serban Savu, Dumitru Gorzo, Dan Badea, Mircea Suciu.

From the position of a promoter of European art values, Mie Lefever is sharing her point of view, in finding how she sees the potential of the Romanian artists and the local art market in European context.

CN: When did you discover Romanian art and how do you find young Romanian artists?
ML: I’m interested and involved in contemporary art since a long time, so it was natural that I tried to find out the position of Romanian contemporary art, while I was living there for more than one year. I got for the first time in touch with young Romanian art, when I lived in Bucharest.

Of course, I knew some Romanian artists before (Brancusi, Spoerri, etc) and some younger artists living abroad (as Mircea Cantor). But I concentrate on young upcoming artists, who studied after the ’90’s, focusing on the outside world (among other things to overcome the -still-limited possibilities in Romania). And this is where my gallery comes into it.

When I lived in Bucharest -this was in 2002- as far as I know there was only one private gallery (now called ‘Posibila’). I met the first artists through events, organized by the UAP – Uniunea Artistilor Plastici (very often in non-adapted spaces to show art…).

Through different channels and contacts, among others Simona Nastac, I got in touch with more young artists. The very first young artists I met didn’t have any experience abroad. Beside that I experienced a lack of art projects and/or international contacts in Bucharest. That’s why I started a residence program when I returned to Belgium. Later on, I build up more contacts, also in Cluj.

Cluj was standing much further in establishing international contacts. This probably explains why particularly students coming from Cluj are participating in residence programs (supported by the school).

CN: How is your consideration about Romanian Modern art before ’90’s?
ML: I’m not that familiar with art produced before ‘90. Mostly, art produced during communist regimes is not very interesting, since it is restricted by the regime. This being said, today there are more good artists (in the former generation, 40’s/50’s years old), like Dan Perjovschi, just to name one.

CN: Did you notice a special interest for the Romanian art because of how it looks, or because of the “behind the wall” or “new Europe” clichés?
ML: The interest for East-European art happens to coincide with the renewed interest for painting, and especially figurative painting. Apparently the school of Cluj benefits from that. In their works, they use the same alienating, faded, photographic effects as some of the very successful West-European artists.

CN: Can you describe in a few words the style of the school of painting from Cluj?
ML: They speak of a ‘school of Cluj’, but not of a ‘school of Bucharest’….I think the reason for this is due to the fact that Cluj is a provincial town - everyone knows everyone. Apart from that, there is a good art school, with many international contacts. Obviously, these two elements lead to the existence of a ‘scene’. This being said, every advantage has a disadvantage. For Cluj it would be the repeating of itself.

CN: What kind of public like and buy young Romanian art?
ML: It’s true that potential buyers are always looking for new things. There is a special interest for the former Eastern bloc, together with a renewed interest for painting. But at the end of the day, it’s about good art and quality. If this is not the case, the interest would stop. Public buying Romanian artists are not in any way different from those buying art of any other origin.

CN: Which are the prices that you set for selling Romanian artist artworks?
ML: When it comes to prices the same would apply. At the end of the day, setting a price is regulated by the usual market mechanism. When setting the price, the seller will take into account the potential demand, depending –amongst other- from ‘perceived’ quality, and as always also quite depending on marketing elements.

For an artist it’s important to gain credibility while gradually building his oeuvre. This long term requirement would advocate a gradual increase of prices, as the artist moves further in his career. Collectors and almost anyone investing in the acquisition of an art work do not appreciate an artist selling his work at lower prices later on. This is where it becomes tricky, as the international art scene over the past few years became quite speculative. Always in search for the new ‘hype’, the selected networks of galleries would push for the highest prices as soon as they believe that the important collectors are interested.

In my case, I try to set prices in line with my knowledge of the Belgian market and in agreement with the artists and any other obligations. It’s evident that there need to be taken into account the prices applied so far.

CN: Do you think that the Romanian public is open for young Romanian art?
ML: Most art galleries in Romania are concentrating on Romanian art only, which means that we are still in a premature stage. This probably means that the interest from potential Romanian buyers is still insufficient. More art projects (private and government supported), more funds, more international exchange would certainly give a dynamic to the art scene and increase the interest.

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