Ana Lupas & S P A T A R U | On Ritual Time

Spanning seven decades, the exhibition On Ritual Time surveys the multifaceted practice of Ana Lupas (b. 1940, Cluj, Romania)—a pioneer of Eastern European contemporary art—alongside works by artist S P A T A R U (Mircea Spataru, 1937–2011).

Lupas’s work began with textile pieces rooted in inherited techniques like sewing, knotting, and weaving, translated into a contemporary visual lexicon. This foundation informed a broader exploration of ancestral lore, spiritual rituals, and monumental projects created between the 1960s and 1990s. Often executed outside traditional institutions and in close collaboration with local communities, these early projects stand as landmarks of socially engaged art.

Though aligned with neo-avant-garde currents—including Fiber Art, Performance/Actions, Conceptual Art, and Land Art—Lupas’s practice remains grounded in Romania's cultural and historical fabric. Developed amidst the political tensions and censorship of the communist regime, her art directly confronts themes of identity, social transformation, and creative autonomy.

Central to Lupas’s philosophy are time and memory. Her projects frequently span decades, undergoing continuous reinterpretation in response to evolving socio-political contexts. On Ritual Time links these cyclical trajectories to the cadence of the artist’s own life, giving new coherence to rare and iconic works through reflections on mortality, legacy, and continuity. Complemented by selected works from Spataru, her longtime creative interlocutor, the exhibition transcends a conventional historical survey to become a ritual gesture in its own right.