Confesiuni Congruente was a participatory art installation and show, which I curated with Irina Calu for the Docuart Association. It took place on 9 April 2022 in Ceauru-Bălești, Gorj, and launched a campaign on the emotional needs of children.
About Confesiuni Congruente
The event was part of CONGRUENT, a Docuart project for children, parents, teachers and community members in Ceauru-Bălești, run in 2021 and 2022. Its full title was Confesiuni congruente. Ascultă-mă! Încurajează-mă! Hai să facem lucruri împreună! (Listen to me! Encourage me! Let’s do things together!).
On the playground of the Ceauru stadium, a curtain of yellow paper planes hung in the air. Each plane carried an anonymous message or wish written by a child. A performance inspired by Marina Abramović followed. Children and parents held hands and kept eye contact while they listened to affirmations. The show was prepared with the pupils of the Antonie Mogoș School.
The wider project included anti-bullying workshops with cinematherapy and mentoring, financial education for pupils, an entrepreneurship course for adults, a parenting programme and psychotherapy sessions for children. It was funded by the Active Citizens Fund Romania, through the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021.
At the time, Irina Calu and I were master’s students in Cultural Studies at the Centre of Excellence in Image Studies, University of Bucharest. Another participatory project for young people is Cultural Vandalism.
Children heard adults voices saying things such as „I love you”, „I want to play with you”, „Let’s cook together”, while adults heard things such as „Play with me”, „Walk around with me”, „Love me”, etc.
Press and links
- România Pozitivă, Ascultă-mă! Încurajează-mă! Hai să facem lucruri împreună! Se lansează campania privind nevoile emoționale ale copiilor
Organiser: Asociația Docuart
Funded by: Active Citizens Fund România, EEA and Norway Grants
Partners: Școala Gimnazială Antonie Mogoș, Centrul de Excelență în Studiul Imaginii, IMAGORA CESI, Radio România Cultural, Modernism.ro, Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român, Revista Vertical, Gorjeanul, Emi TV
