Liviu Bulea (b. 1989, Turda) is a Romanian artist, curator, and cultural manager currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Arts and Design in Cluj. His artworks have been showcased at various prestigious venues and exhibitions, including the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, Urban Nation Museum in Berlin, Romanian Cultural Institute in Berlin, French Cultural Institute in Cluj, National Museum of Arts in Cluj, Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest, Bucharest Biennale, Parallel Vienna, MUMOK Vienna, Brukenthal Museum in Sibiu, Jurmala City Museum in Latvia, and several other esteemed institutions across Europe.
His art is part of the collections in institutions such as the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest, the Schwules Museum in Berlin, the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, the Queer Museum in Bucharest, the Urban Nation Museum in Berlin, the Universal Museum Joanneum in Graz, and the Tom of Finland Foundation in Los Angeles.
Liviu has been an artist-in-residence at Kultur Kontakt Austria, Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, Urban Nation in Berlin, and St.A.i.R. in Graz, supported by institutions like the European Investment Bank, the Chancellery of Styria, Stiftung Berliner Leben, and the Chancellery of Austria.
As an artist, he has worked with the following curators: Beral Madra, KILOBASE (DragoÈ™ Olea & Sandra Demetrescu), Tatiana Trouvé, Olimpia Lazăr, Răzvan Ion, Eugen Rădescu, Linda Toivio, Katia Hermann, Christiane Kada, and others.
Beyond his artistic efforts, Liviu has shared insights through talks and lectures at the University of Arts and Design in Cluj, the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wroclaw, Höhere Technische Bundeswehr und Versuchsanstalt in Graz, EuroFabrique in Cluj, and more.
He has curated shows, managed Visual Kontakt Gallery, edited Gay45 magazine, and joined diverse cultural endeavors, collaborating with renowned artists such as Miron Zownir, Sașa Bandi, Claudio Pogo, Paul Mureșan, Virginia Lupu, Andreea Chirică, Rada Niță-Josan, George Kanis, and others.
An advocate for migration issues, LGBTQ+ rights, and the relationship between urban settings and well-being, Liviu Bulea is also a prominent speaker on these pressing socio-cultural topics.
In my artistic practice, I explore the relationship between memory, space, and communities. I am fascinated by the power of collective memory and the resonance it holds within the physicality of places. Through my work, I recover untold stories and forgotten objects, weaving them into my art.
The pivotal moment in my creative journey, which laid the foundation for my current initiatives, began when I was diagnosed with cancer during my teenage years. Motivated to understand the reasons behind my affliction, as well as those of many other young individuals in my hometown of Turda, I embarked on an artistic path. I explored the architectural and historical archives of my community, mining information about pollution, abandoned factories, and the correlation between urban environments and well-being.
It is essential to acknowledge my profound interest in advocating for social change, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. Through my art, I engage in promoting and defending the rights of this minority of which I am a part.
To bring my projects to life, I utilize a diverse range of mediums, including text, recording, photography, ready-made objects, and video, to fully document my creative process. These tools enable me to capture the essence of each experience, providing a tangible record of the corresponding relationship between the communities and myself.
In summary, my artwork is closely connected to the urban environment and the issues within it, with a particular focus on challenges affecting minority communities, immigrants, and environmental pollution.