(b. 1989, Târgu Mureș) is an artist and set designer, who studied at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK Berlin) and the University of Arts Târgu Mureș, and works in Cluj, Romania. His practice ranges from sculptures and 3D animations to extensive work in scenography for theatre and performance projects.
Adrian Ganea’s practice varies from theater scenography to sculpture, digital simulations and 3D animations. He is particularly interested in forms of fiction that can materialize through the subjectivity of technologies. His works are often described as liminal spaces, where the boundary between the intangible and the material becomes ambiguous.
His recent sculptural installations and wood reliefs modelled from digital assets, act
as haunting fragments of a virtual forest architecture. Taking a cue from the high-end graphics industry use of 3D scanned nature to fabricate fictional wilderness in films or video games, Ganea’s sculptural works draw from such models to cast embodied views of the natural environment. These works critically reflect on romantical aspirations in virtual landscape design and on politics of the fantasy-historical worlds they create, by conjuring up characters that conspire to re-enchant nature and our relationship to our environment.
Wood, acrylic resin, solenoids, computer
188 x 125 x 60 cm
Acrylic resin, galvanized steel, wood, recycled inkjet printer components, electric guitar components
variable dimensions
Acrylic resin
Video
Video
Video
Acrylic resin
Seeds, wood, acrylic resin
Variable dimensions
3D animation video
Polyurethane resin
10 x 20 cm
Polyurethane resin
10 x 20 cm
Figure Study for Cadmus (III), 2020
Acrylic resin
60 x 38 cm
Figure Study for Cadmus (VI), 2020
Acrylic resin and wood
47 x 47 x 177 cm
Figure Study for Cadmus (V), 2020
Polyurethane resin
10 x 13 cm
Trees Are More Than a Surface, 2020
Acrylic resin
variable dimensions
Figure Study for Cadmus (IV), 2020
Acrylic resin, wood
47 x 47 x 188 cm
Set design, costumes, video for theatre performance
Exhibition View, “Millions Ruins”, Quadro Gallery, Cluj, Romania
Figure Study for Cadmus (I), 2019
Plaster
30.5 x 30.5 cm
Real-time 3D simulation, performance
in collaboration with Maria Guta
Real-time 3D simulation, performance in collaboration with Maria Guta
- Education
- 2013–2016 MA set design, Universität der Künste Berlin
- 2008–2011 BA set design, Universitatea de Arte Tg-Mureș
- Solo exhibitions
- 2022
- Dance of the Butterflies, Lateral Art Space, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 2021
- Ghost Trade, Plan B Gallery, Berlin, Germany
- Selected Group Exhibitions:
- 2024
- Edges of the graph paper, Zina Project Space, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Unholy Machine, Salonul de proiecte, Bucharest, Romania
- 2023
- My Rhino is Not a Myth, Art Encounters Biennal, Timisoara, Romania
- Garden, Bucharest, Romania
- Gems for the Garden, curated by Living Content/Adriana Blidariu, Botanical
- 2021
- Bird Food, Research Station – Tranzit.ro, curated by Raluca Voinea & Vlad Basalici
- Off World Colonies, Indecis Gallery, curated by Sergiu Sas & Mimi Ciora, Timișoara, Romania
- mafa8, Kinema Ikon – Arad Art Museum, curated by Călin Man & Ileana Selejan, Arad, Romana
- Under Pressure, Mobius Gallery, curated by Adriana Blidaru, Tatiana Moise commissioned by Living Content, Bucharest, Romania
- Seen, Gallery Leilei, curated by Gabriela Mateescu, Bucharest, Romania
- The sex lives of fruit flies, Low Gallery, curated by Valentinas Klimašauskas, Riga, Latvia
- “2121” time capsule, Goodbuy Gallery, curated by Christian Roncea, Bucharest, Romania
- Millions of Ruins, Quadro Gallery, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Cyberia, 3D simulation, performance, in collaboration with Maria Guță, HEK Basel, curated by Sabine Himmelsbach, Basel, Switzerland
- Tanznacht Berlin Vertigo (Part Two), Uferstudios Berlin, curated by Julian Weber, Berlin, Germany
- 2020
- My bacterial self helps me sleep, Quote-Unquote Video Station & Suprainfinit, in collaboration with MIhaela Vasiliu, curated by Infinite Conversation, Bucharest, Romania
- The Bloodless Shades Shed Tears, Botanical Garden Cluj-Napoca, as part of the residency programme “Open Access”, curated by Thea Lazăr, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Sidequests, Zina Gallery, curated by Flaviu Rogojan
- mafa7, Kinema Ikon – online, curated by Calin Man & Ileana Selejan
- Basic Worries of Empty Seats, as part of the residency programme “Colaboratory”, German Cultural Center Cluj-Napoca – Reflex Gallery in collaboration with Jasmina Al-Qaisi, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 2019
- Cyberia, 3D simulation, performance, as part of the residency programme “Impossible spaces” in collaboration with Maria Guță, Gessnerallee, Zürich, Germany
- mafa6, Kinema Ikon – Arad Art Museum, curated by Călin Man & Ileana Selejan, Arad, Romania
- SUB, Gallery Suprainfinit – Saltmine, curated by Cristina Vasilescu & Mar Negrescu
- 2018
- Sense Navigation System, Atelier 35, curated by Carmen Casiuc, Bucharest, Romania
- If a Tree Were to Fall, 3D simulation, performance, as part of the residency programme “Reciproc performativ”, Fabrica de Pensule, in collaboration with Ötvös Kinga, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- ppm#3, Aici Acolo, curated by Aici Acolo, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- mafa5, Kinema Ikon – Museum of Natural Sciences, curated by Călin Man & Ileana Selejan, Arad, Romania
- Performing Arts (selection):
- 2020
- Elfriede Jelinek: Schatten, set design, video and costume, Trafó Budapesta, directed by Porogi Dorka, Budapest, Hungary
- Apocalypse Never, set design and video, Fleetstreet Theater Hamburg, in collaboration with virtuellestheater, Hamburg, Germany
- 2019
- Susan Sontag: Alice in Bed, set design and costume, Hungarian National Theater Cluj, directed by Porogi Dorka, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Elfriede Jelinek: Wut, video, Theater Freiburg, directed by Hermann Schmidt-Rahmer, Freiburg, Germany
- 2018
- Volksverräter!! nach Henrik Ibsen, video, Volksbühne Berlin & Schauspielhaus Bochum, directed by Hermann Schmidt-Rahmer, Germany
- Beethoven: Fidelio – Sturm, set design, Sophiensaele Berlin, in collaboration with Hauen und Stechen, Germany
- 2011–2017
- Elfriede Jelinek: Am Königsweg, set design, video and costume, ETA Hoffmann Theater Bamberg, directed by Daniel Kunze, Germany
- Bertolt Brecht: In the Jungle of Cities, set design, video and costume, Tamáand Áron Színház – Sepsiszentgyörgy, directed by Porogi Dorka Data Observation Center, set design and video, Treibstoff Theatertage Basel & Ballhaus Ost Berlin, in collaboration with virtuellestheater, Sfântu-Gheorghe, Romania
- Elfride Jelinek: Schutzbefohlenen, video, Schauspielhaus Bochum, directed by Hermann Schmidt-Rahmer, Germany
- Q3D, video, Ballhaus Ost Berlin, in collaboration with virtuellestheater, Germany
- Fjodor M. Dostojewski: Verbrechen und Strafe video, Schauspielhaus Bochum, directed by Jan Klata, Germany
- Mark Ravenhill: Shoot / Get Treasure / Repeat, Wir sind die guten, set design and video, Schauspiel Essen, directed by Hermann Schmidt-Rahmer, Germany
- Völuspá, video, HFS Berlin, in collaboration with virtuellestheater, Germany
- Horror Vacui, set design, Galerina Steiner Berlin, in collaboration with Hauen und Stechen
- Nis-Momme Stockmann: Tod und wiederauferstehung der Welt meiner Eltern in mir, set design and video, Unit Theater der UdK Berlin, directed by Hermann Schmidt-Rahmer, Germany
- Gotthold Ephraim Lessing: Nathan der Weise, set design, Teatrul National Tg-Mureș, directed by Harsányi Zsolt
- Roland Schimmelpfennig: Push-Up, set design, National Theater Tg-Mureș, directed by Harsányi Zsolt, Romania
- A.P. Cehov: Platonov, set design, TNational Theater Tg-Mureș, directed by Harsányi Zsolt, Romania