Marius Bercea (n. 1979) is known for large-scale paintings, brightly colored albeit with dark undertones, that depict the banalities and uncertainties of life in early-capitalist Romania after the fall of Communism. Drawing on his own archive of memory and on his immediate surroundings, the imagery is fragmented, collaged, and amalgamated, offering an inside look into Bercea’s expansive world that holds past, present, and future, finely wavering between reality and imagination. Bercea’s recent solo exhibitions include This Side of Paradise, Art Encounters Foundation (Timisoara, 2024); Blue Silk, François Ghebaly (New York, 2022); The Far Sound of Cities, MAKI Gallery (Tokyo, 2021); Thieves of Time, François Ghebaly (Los Angeles, 2020).
The art series Untitled [Thoughts Safari]presents an imaginative and fictional space, meticulously crafted from the artist's vivid memories and experiences of various places ranging from California to Transylvania. This thought-provoking series delves deeply into the cultural narratives of and historical parallels between these two seemingly disparate locations, establishing a sense of familiarity and unity, thus creating a common ground that he shares with his viewers. The artist lays immense importance on the act of archiving spaces and preserving moments to create a tapestry of personal memories. Despite the space depicted being utopian and existing outside the realm of reality, viewers often find it surprisingly familiar.
(Gia Țidorescu)