Ivan Bukarest

Having a shared interest in the scientific study of plants, Thea Lazăr and Adrian Ganea have worked on projects in the Botanical Gardens and Botanical Museums of Cluj-Napoca and Bucharest and have conducted extensive inquires and in other similar institutions such as the Botanical Museum in Berlin, Jardin des Plantes in Paris, the Conservatory and Botanical Garden of Geneva and The Botanical Gardens of the University of Debrecen, just to name a few. Their practices engage the scientific heritage of these spaces. While the spectacular histories and scientific achievements of these institutions are to be commended, the works of both artists draw mainly from the contradictions that appear within this context, emphasising the nature-culture divide. Having cross-disciplinary practices, both artists blur nature-culture boundaries and destabilise the collect-and-categorise model, offering instead an affective documentation of both the scientific process and the subjects that are inquired. Their works articulate a non-hierarchical connection between living systems and culture.

Thea Lazăr (b. 1993, Târgu Mureș) lives and works in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Her artistic practice spans a wide range of mediums, including textiles and embroidery, video, 3D animation, and multimedia installations, weaving together traditional craftsmanship with contemporary technology. Recent exhibitions include Learning from Nature? – Botany at Modem, Debrecen (2024-2025), A Single Root Can Hold the Earth Together at Zina Gallery, Cluj-Napoca (2024), Ars Electronica Gardens Exhibition, Linz (2023), The Bittersweet Chaos of Becoming at Ivan Gallery, Bucharest (2022), Bloom at B5 Studio, Targu Mures (2022).

Adrian Ganea (b.1989, Târgu Mureș) lives and works in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. He was trained as a set designer and his work involves fabricating fictitious worlds, building environments and assembling simulations. His main field of work is performing arts with a specific focus on digital culture.

Selected exhibitions and projects include: Unholy Machine, Salonul de Proiecte (2024); EARTHCAKE Biennial, Targu Ocna (2024); Ghost Trade, Plan B, Berlin (2022); The Bittersweet Chaos of Becoming, Ivan Gallery, Bucharest (2022), Bloom at B5 Studio, Targu Mures (2022).