“Critical social realism or the resistance of the image” – a public talk by Răzvan Ion in dialogue with Andrei Pandele

On the 13th of June, 2013, PAVILION center held a public talk with Răzvan Ion and Andrei Pandele under the title of “Critical social realism or the resistance of the image”.

The mechanical arts stimulate a historically change of artistic paradigm and a new relation between art and its subjects (Walter Benjamin). We must, though, see the things from an opposite perspective. For the mechanical arts to be able to give visibility to the masses, or more so, to the anonymous person, they have to be, first of all, handed and perceived as something other than technics of reproduction or emission. Only then the photography can be regarded as art (Jacques Rancière). The aesthetic and political configuration of Andrei Pandele’s images creates a place for interesting discussions regarding the critical social realism, the aesthetic persistence and the implicit strategy.

The dialogue took place during a unique projection of the images created by Andrei Pandele before 1989.

Andrei Pandele is an architect. From 1968 he started to work in projection institutes, agencies and companies of architecture. During the years 1998 – 2001 he was adjunct chief-architect of Bucharest. Being passionate about photography, Pandele has caught on film thousands of images of the communist regime and he has created photos that have become symbols. In 1975 he traveled with Henri Cartier-Bresson through his journey in Romania. He published several books among which “ Surprise – Witness” and “The House of the People. The end in marble.” His photos participated in several exhibitions, published almost all over the world. Currently, he is still working as an architect in Bucharest.

Razvan Ion is theoretician, curator, cultural manager and political activist. He is the co-editor of PAVILION – Journal for politics and culture, co-director of BUCHAREST BIENNALE – Bucharest International Biennale of contemporary art (with Eugen Rădescu). He was appointed associate professor at University of California, Berkeley, University of Lisbon, Central University of New York, University of London, etc. He has held conferences and talks at a large number of art institutions like Witte de With, Rotterdam; Kunsthalle Vienna; Art In General, New York; rum46, Aarhus; Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisabona; La Casa Encedida, Madrid; New Langton, San Francisco; CCA, Tbilisi, etc. Currently he is professor at University of Bucharest where he teaches curatorial studies and a class of critical thinking.

Photo: Bianca Soare

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