Biography

Ion Bitzan

Born 1924 in Limanu, Romania, died 1997 in Bucharest, Romania. Lived and worked in Bucharest.

Ion Bitzan graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Bucharest in 1951, where he later started to teach

Solo Exhibitions

2018
Ion Bitzan, Galeria Plan B, Berlin, DE

2017
The Prisoners of the Avant-Garde, a Ion Bitzan Retrospective, The National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC), Bucharest, RO

2006
Exhibition of original works by Ion Bitzan, Romanian Cultural Institute, London, UK

1998
Homage Ion Bitzan, The National Museum of Art, Bucharest, RO
Ion Bitzan, Galeria Bancorex, Galeria Next Graphics, Bucharest, RO

1996
Object, Writings, Artist Books, The National Museum of Art, Bucharest, RO

1994
OBJETS, ECRITURES, Romanian Cultural Institute, Paris, FR
The Cabinet The Song of Songs, HotBath Gallery, Bath, UK

1993
Ion Bitzan, Galeria de Arta universala din Muzeul Tarii Crisurilor, Oradea, RO
OBIECTE, SCRIITURI, Muzeul de grafica contemporana, Bistrita, RO

1992
OBIECTE, SCRIITURI, Galeria Artexpo, Bucharest, RO

1990
A Human Spectacle (books, objects, paintings), Water Gallery, Warrenpoint, IE

1986
A Human Spectacle, Kilkenny Castle, IE

1985
Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast, UK

1981
MoMA P.S. 1, New York, US

1972
Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, UK
Objects, Collages, Drawings, Galeriile Orizont, Bucharest, RO
Espace Gallery, Amsterdam, NL

1970
Panorama Mesdag, The Hague, NL

1967
Ion Bitzan – Exhibition of Collage and Drawings, Sala Dalles, Bucharest, RO

1966
Arsenal Gallery, Sopot, PL

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024
The Twist: Failing Empires, Triumphant Provinces, National Museum of Contemporary Art, MNAC Bucharest, Bucharest, RO

2022
Culturi agricole. Agricultura în arta românească modernă și contemporană, Museum of Recent Art, Bucharest, RO

2021
Secret Wing, Timisoara Art Encounters Biennale 2021, Timisoara, RO

2019
24 Arguments: The Early Years of Romanian Avant-Garde, Institute of the Present, National Museum of Art, Bucharest, RO
La Brique, the Brick, Caramida, La Kunsthalle, Mulhouse, FR

2016
Before & After the Cultural Revolution in Romania: 1971, Postmodernism Museum, Bucharest, RO

2015
Mapping Bucharest, Art, Memory and Revolution 1916-2016, Vienna Biennale, 2015, AT

2014
Between the Lines, Galeria Plan B, Cluj, RO

2011
Four Faces of Modernity: Bitzan, Maitec, Mitroi, Nicodim, Romanian Culture Institute, London, UK
Livres extraordinaires, Caroline Corre Gallery, Paris, FR

1997
Romanian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Venice, IT

1993
Le livre dans tous ses etats Europe 93, Galerie Caroline Corre, Paris, FR and Galway Arts Festival, IE

1981
Romanian Pavilion, Bienal di Sao Paulo, BR

1978
Über die seltsame Natur des Geldes in Kunst, Wissenschaft und Leben, Städtische Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, DE

1969
8 Romanian engravers, Pratt Graphic Center, New York, USA
Romanian Pavilion, Bienal di Sao Paulo, BR

1967
Romanian Pavilion, Bienal di Sao Paulo, BR

1964
Romanian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Venice, IT

Bibliography

Exhibition Catalogues, Artist Books, Monographs

• 2024
  Albritton, Ann; Arghir, Anca; Dan, Călin; Gheorghe, Cătălin; Predescu, Magda. Ion Bitzan, DCV Books, Berlin 2024

  2014
  From the School of Fine Arts to the Academy of Fine Arts. Artists in Bucharest from 1864 to 1948. Bucharest: UNARTE, 2014.

  2009
  Piotrowski, Piotr. In the Shadow of Yalta: Art and the Avant-garde in Eastern Europe 1945 – 1989. London: Reaktion Books, 2009, pp. 47-48.

  1996
  Stiles, Kristine. “Shaved Heads and Marked Bodies” in Talking Gender. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1996, pp. 47-48.

  1994
  Stiles, Kristine. Ion Bitzan’s Desire. The Cabinet.Bath, City of Bath College, 1994.

  1991
  Ion Bitzan Works 1975-1985. Warrenpoint: Narrow Water Gallery, 1991. [catalogue]
  Lawrence, Bruce B.; Karim, Aisha (eds). On violence. USA: Duke University Press, 1991, pp. 533-534.
  Fokkema, Douwe; Ibsch, Elrud. Knowledge and Commitment: A Problem-oriented Approach to Literary Studies. Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1991, p. 171.

  1969
  4 Romanian artists: Ion Bitzan, Paul Neagu, Peter Iacobi, Ritzi Iacobi. Edinburgh: Richard Demarco Gallery, 1969.

•  

Articles and reviews

• 2024
  Nae, Cristian.”Constellational Modernisms “Socialist humanism” and “contextual art” in Ion Bitzan and Wanda Mihuleac’s graphic art of the 1970s”, ARTMargins, June 2024

  2017
  Ghiu, Daria. “Ion Bitzan”, Artforum, 2017
  “The New Exhibition Season”, e-flux.com, November, 2017.
  “45 cărți-obiect create de artistul Ion Bitzan între anii 1979 și 1997”, e-zeppelin.ro, September, 2017.
  “Arte frumoase – 20 de ani de la moartea artistului Ion Bitzan”, Radio România Cultural.ro, March, 2017.

  2012
  “Bitzan Ion”, artindex.ro, May, 2012.

  2008
  Șușară, Pavel. “Ion Bitzan, între creație și mimesis”, România literară, No. 6, 2008.

  2007
  Crișan, Maria-Magdalena. “ARTE VIZUALE. Bitzan, Maitec, Nicodim, Mitroi”, Observatorul cultural, No. 387, August, 2007.
  Imboden, Durant. “Looking back on the 1997 Biennale”, europeforvisitors.com

  2004
  Corbu, Carmen. “Ion Bițan, pictură și obiect. Un experiment pentru piața românească”, graficante.ro, January, 2004.

  2003
  Titu. Alexandra. “Experimentalism in Romanian Art after 1960”, c3.hu, January, 2003.

Press

• Nae, Cristian."Constellational Modernisms “Socialist humanism” and “contextual art” in Ion Bitzan and Wanda Mihuleac’s graphic art of the 1970s", ARTMargins, June 2024

• Ghiu, Daria. "Ion Bitzan", Artforum, 2017

• Șușară, Pavel. "Ion Bitzan, între creaţie şi mimesis", România literară, 2008

• Imboden, Durant. "Looking back on the 1997 Biennale", Venice for Visitors

• Titu, Alexandra. "Experimentalism in Romanian Art after 1960", International Contemporary Art Network, 2003