Biography

Gabriela Vanga

Born 1977, Romania. Lives and works in Paris, France, and Târgu-Mureș, Romania.

Gabriela Vanga studied at the University of Art and Design in Cluj, Romania, and at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Nantes, France, graduating in 2002. She was invited to participate at Le Pavillon / Palais de Tokyo, laboratoire de création, Paris, in 2002-2003.

Solo Exhibitions

2023
Cosmic strings, Camera K’ARTE, Targu-Mures, RO

2010
On Blind Faith, Plan B, Berlin, DE

2007
Still from an infinite movie, Dvir Gallery, Tel Aviv, IL

2006
Every word I tell you keeps me alive, Plan B, Cluj, RO

2004
m e s b n p e n u l o i s o d, Galerie Public, Paris, FR
Keep it unreal, Miss China, Paris, FR

2003
Keep it unreal, Galerie Yvon Lambert, Project Room, Paris, FR

2001
Beauty Items, Gad Photogallery, Bucharest, RO

1999
Vis vienez, Tranzit Foundation, Cluj, RO

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024
Playground Control, Plastic, Cluj-Napoca, RO

2023
Looking Anew and Beyond, Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, US

2019
Ex-East, past and recent stories of the Romanian Avant-Garde, Espace Niemeyer, Paris, FR

2018
DOUBLE HEADS MATCHES. A selection of contemporary artworks from four Romanian private collections, New Budapest Gallery, Budapest, HU

2016
BERLIN SHOW #4: Inventory, Galeria Plan B, Berlin, DE

2015
Apperance and Essence, ArtEncounters 1st edition, curated by Rainald Schumacher & Nathalie Hoyos, Timisoara, RO
Cluj Connection 3D, Galerie Judin, Berlin, DE

2014
Through the Collector’s Eye. Works of the Generation 2000 from Cluj in Three Romanian Collections, The Office, Cluj, RO

2013
at Mircea Cantor’s Guest Room, Exhibition Q.E.D., National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC), Bucharest, RO

2012
PIF EN ROUMANIE, UN HÉROS DE L’ÂGE D’OR, Dalles Hall, Bucharest, RO
European Travellers: Art From Cluj Today, Mȕcsarnok Kunsthalle, Budapest, HU

2010
Mircea Pinte Collection, Museum of Art, Cluj, RO
Les Elixirs de Panacée, Palais Bénédictine de Fécamp, Fécamp, FR

2009
Lichtzwang, Dvir Gallery, Tel Aviv, IL
Invisible body. Conspicuous Mind, Luckman Gallery, LA
Um Mundo Sem Medidas, Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, BR

2008
Not figments of a madman’s imagination, Romanian Cultural Institute, Madrid, ES Une monde sans mesures, Mac de Sao Paulo, BR
Unreliable Witness, Tramway, Glasgow, UK
The space between, Konsthall Anna Nordlander, SE

2007
Growing Wild, Kontainer Gallery, Los Angeles, US
The Art of Failure, Kunsthaus Basselland, CH
Growing Wild, Andreiana Mihail Gallery, Bucharest, RO

2006
Neteropia, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, FR
Cluj Connection, Haunch of Venison, Zurich, CH
Periferic 7: Focusing Iasi / Why Children?, Iași, RO
Message Personnel, Galerie Yvon Lambert, Paris, FR

2005
Going Public, Amaze Cultural Lab, Modena, IT (with Version)
Modern Times, Museo d’Arte Provincia di Nuoro, Nuoro, IT
Miss China, FIAC, Paris, FR
IASPIS, Open House, Stockholm, SE
Collaborative Practice, Shedhalle, Zürich, CH (with Version)
Radiodays, De Appel Arts Centre, Amsterdam, NL
On Difference, Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart, DE (with Version)
Continental breakfast, Memory (w)hole, Ljubljana, SI
Text ground, Display Gallery, Prague, CZ
The Storyteller (with Mircea Cantor), Galerie Yvon Lambert, Project Room, Paris, FR

2004
Love it or Leave it, 5th Biennale of Cetinje, Montenegro, ME (with Version) The Yugoslav Biennial of Young Artist , Vrsac, YU (with Version)

2003
Launch of the Version 0.4, Bookshop of Galerie Yvon Lambert, Paris, FR
Intervention, Association Entre-Deux, Nantes, FR
In the Gorges of the Balkans, Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Kassel, DE (with Version)
Biennial of Prague, Prague, CZ (with Version)
Stickers /GNS exhibition, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, with Version magazine, FR Incomprehension, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, FR
Preview Kalinderu Medialab /The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest, RO
VERSION conference, Frac Alsace, Sète, FR (with Version)
The map of the world, Lisières, Strasbourg, FR
Workshop in Vietnam, Mekong Delta, Pavillion / Palais de Tokyo, FR

2002
« 00 » Une exposition qui grandit par le millieu, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, FR A9 Forum Transeuropa, Museum Quartier, Vienna, AT (with Version)
Version 0.2, issue launched at Espace En Cours, Paris, FR Photographier, Collection Lambert, Avignon, FR
Rendez-vous roumain, Espace En Cours, Paris, FR
Boundless Borders, Bilboards project in the city of Belgrad, RS Documents 11 young photographers, New Gallery, Bucharest, RO

2001
Version magazine, founded by Gabriela Vanga, Mircea Cantor, Ciprian Muresan, Nicolae Baciu, september 2001
Free show, Sindan Foundation, Cluj, RO,
Artist Poly. Context network, Biennale di Venezia, insert in the Romanian Pavillion, IT (with Version)
Mc Donald’s featuring Brancusi, Project for Periferic 5 Biennial, Iasi, RO (with Version)

2000
Say what?, Eforie Gallery, Bucharest, RO
Voyage d’affaires (with Mircea Cantor), Erban, Nantes, FR

1999
Untitled, Tranzit Foundation, Cluj, RO

Bibliography

Exhibition Catalogues, Artist's Books

• 2015
  Jecza, Sorina (ed.). Art encounters, Appearance and Essence, 1st edition. Timisoara: Art Encounters Foundation, October, 2015, p.103. [catalogue]

  2014
  Pop, Mihai; Bănescu, Răzvan (eds.).Through the Collector’s Eye: Works of the Generation 2000 from Cluj in Three Romanian Collections. Cluj: IDEA Design & Print, 2014, p. 72-73. [catalogue]

  2013
  Angel, Judit; Gulyás, Gábor; Mureșan, Ciprian; Neal, Jane; Raluca,Voinea. European Travellers: Art from Cluj Today. Budapest: Műcsarnok, 2013. [catalogue]

  2012
  Van den Hende, Christophe. Bilan d’étape service educatif frac champagne ardenne 2011-2012, p.112-113. [catalogue]

  2011
  Schmauszer, Christine; Rieper, Michael. ”EAST by SOUTH WEST”. Vienna: VERLAG für MODERNE KUNST, 2011, p. 56. [catalogue]

  2010
  Mircan, Mihnea; Neal, Jane; Radu, Magda; Stegerean, Calin. Mircea Pinte Collection. Edited by Mihai Pop, Cluj: Plan B Cluj / Berlin and The Museum of Art Cluj, 2010. [catalogue]

  2007
  Pratesi, Ludovico; Denegr, Dobrila. INBETWEENESS Balcani: metafore di cambiamento. Torino: hopefulmonster editore, 2007, p. 25-28. [catalogue]

  2006
  Artel, Rahel; Jentjens, Kathrin; Staebler, Claire; Vasic, Jelena; van der Werf, Huib Haye; Wiman, Veronica (eds.). Radiodays. Belgium: Imschoot, 2006.

  2003
  Vanga, Gabriela; Cantor, Mircea; Mureșan, Ciprian. Version-Artist Run Magazine. Cluj-Napoca: IDEA Design & Print, 2003.

Articles and reviews

• 2013
  Nasui, Cosmin. ”Gabriela Vanga in camera de oaspeti @ MNAC Bucuresti,” Modernism.ro, June, 2013.

  2011
  Cooper, Neil. ”Unreliable Witness,” Coffee Table Notes.blogspot.de, May, 2011.
  Fox, Catherine. ”Review: Invisible Body, Conspicuous Mind, Contemporary Romanian art at Kennesaw,” artsatl.com, February, 2011.
  “Kennesaw,” artsatl.com, February, 2011.

  2009
  Banai, Nuit. ”Lichtzwang,” ArtForum, 2009.

  2008
  Mottram, Jack. ”Unreliable Witness,” Jack Mottram.com, December, 2008.
  ”Art review: Unreliable Witness,” Scotsman, November, 2008.

  2007
  Knoll, Valerie. ”Cluj Connection,” ArtForum.com, April, 2007.

  2005
  Nori, Franziska. ”On Difference #1. Local Contexts – Hybrid Spaces,” IDEA art+society, Issue 21, 2005.

  2004
  Staebler, Claire, “L’exposition dont vous êtes le hêros,” IDEA art+society, Issue 19, 2004.
  Keep it unreal, UPstreet magazine, Issue 49, 2004.

  2003
  Poster/Publication for Association Entre-Deux, Nantes, FR
  Tordai-S, Attila. ”Apperto Romania, ”Flash Art International, November-December, Issue 233, 2003.
  ‘Apperto Romania’,” Flash Art International, November-December, Issue 233, 2003.
  Grumberg, Amiel, “What if Tom invented Jerry…,” IDEA art+society, Issue 15-16, 2003.
  “Mirrors,” insert in Balkon, Issue 13, 2003.
  “All or nothing,” Number° F, July Issue, 2003.
  “Mama used to say Number° E,” Information without guarantee, March-April Issue, 2003.

  2002
  Angel, Judit, “Rendez-vous roumain,” in Praesens, 2002.

  2001
  Colard, Jean Max, “Nouvelles frontières,” Inrockuptibles, Issue 312, 2001.
  “11 young photographers,” insert in Balkon, Issue 8, 2001.
  Polgar, Alexandru, “Esthetical operations with the camera,” Balkon, Issue 6, 2001.

Press

• ”Unreliable Witness,” The Scotsman, 2008

• Knoll, Valerie. ”Cluj Connection,” Artforum, 2007

• Grumberg, Amiel. ”Și dacă Tom l-ar fi inventat pe Jerry,” Idea, 2003

• Banai, Nuit. ”Lichtzwang,” Artforum