This-Connected is a project of international residencies and exhibitions where artists with diverse backgrounds explore the cultural contexts of Timișoara, Elefsina, and Veszprém, European Capitals of Culture in 2023.

The first chapter of the project begins in Veszprém and features Gábor Áfrány (HU), Ioana Bartha (RO), Benjamin Bledea (RO), Carmen Burnar (RO), Uliana Gujuman, Máté Györgydeák (HU), Judit Hamerli (HU), Andreea Medar (RO) & Mălina Ionescu (RO), Petrică Ștefan (RO).

Works created by artists in Romania and Hungary will compose this iteration of the This-Connected exhibition, showcasing exchanges of conceptual perspectives and practices in visual arts, photography, analog experiments, or 3D sculpture and animation with A.I. tools.

The conceptual core of the project revolves around the exploration and interpretation of the paradox of "disconnected connections," drawing from various contemporary cultural contexts. We are part of multiple spheres which come together when we find similar concerns, whether creative, reflective, or purely expressive. In This-Connected, we use artistic means to reflect on our societies, establishing dialogue, exchange structures, communication, and interaction through research and creation.

The artists explore natural phenomena on a macro or microscopic scale, material heritage, study traces of art history, or continue their own series of works, seeking inspiration in the specific forms or ideas of a place. In this way, socio-cultural similarities and differences generate an exhibition where art is created through connections that give rise to concepts and aesthetics, parts of the newly created network. Within this framework, we reflect on freedom of choice as a way to create dialogues with others, a de-fragmentation of the (dis)connected sphere. Additionally, the works examine broader cultural themes of the European cities in which we work, attempting new interpretations from the perspective of external visions within the creative frame of the residencies.

This-Connected is curated by Alex Boca and Miruna Robescu.