Virus diary

Group exhibition initiated by Dan Perjovschi and produced by the White Cuib Gallery (Cluj, RO) and the Satu Mare Art Museum (Satu Mare, RO). Curated by Alina Andrei and Gloria Luca. Virus Diary emerged with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic when the planned solo exhibition of Romanian artist Dan Perjovschi at the White Cuib Gallery had to be postponed. Subsequently, a revised version of the exhibition was made accessible through the gallery's social media channels. In a short time, the artist transformed it into a platform showcasing a variety of artistic perspectives on the lockdown. Virus Diary became an experimental project presenting daily postings across the White Cuib Gallery's social media channels during the first wave of the pandemic. Initially, Perjovschi and the gallery invited more artists to participate, rapidly turning it into a collective endeavor to overcome imposed physical distance. Over 25 Romanian and international artists were actively involved, supported by numerous guest contributors. For nine weeks, from morning to evening, the online presence of the White Cuib Gallery offered a diverse range of interpretations to its audience while providing artists affected by the pandemic with an opportunity to engage in a visual dialogue with distant voices, alleviating fears and uncertainties. From the outset, Virus Diary functioned as an informal art network. Following the online phase, it evolved into a traveling group exhibition with international presence. Despite the uncertainty triggered by the pandemic in the art scene, Virus Diary quickly transformed into a physical exhibition project, engaging with numerous art spaces in Romania and abroad, actively interacting and dialoguing with them. Various formal and informal invitations received by the project from numerous cultural actors illustrate the significant demand for transcultural cooperation. Furthermore, the project emphasizes the need to share responsibility and resources within one's own community. ​ The Virus Diary exhibition has been presented at the following locations: Satu Mare Art Museum/Satu Mare, ABM Confecciones Art Space/Madrid, Borderline Art Space/Iaşi, Multicultural Center of the Transylvania University/Brașov, at the Greek Consulate in New York and the French Consulate in New York as part of the Occupy Art Project #3 – Networks, B5 Studio/Tg. Mureș, Arts House/Timișoara, at the Polytechnic Library/Timișoara, at the Natural History Museum of Crete as part of Nuit blanche Heraklion 2022/Crete, Mountainous Banat Museum/Reșița.