Tararira by Ovidiu Leuce

An art show that pays tribute to a lost film from 1933.

Named Tararira, Ovidiu Leuce’s solo show at the Divario art gallery in Rome takes inspiration from and pays homage to a lost film with the same name. Romanian and French poet, philosopher, and cultural critic of Jewish origins Benjamin Fundoianu (Fondane) made the film – his only cinematic work – in 1933. 11 years later, he died at the age of 45 in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The eponymous art show pays tribute to the now lost avant-garde musical film that explored the stories of four musicians and their struggle to fit into society. The artworks range from ceramic sculptures to drawings, paintings, and deconstructed images created with a collage technique.

The Rome-based, Romanian artist used fragments of Roman landscapes, plants, and minerals as well as writing to re-imagine the film’s sets and musical themes in his mixed-media works. Both surreal and organic, the artworks propose an imaginary take on the cinema piece’s stage props and atmosphere. The ceramic sculptures give a new dimension to the art show’s concept while also inviting the viewer to come closer to discover finer details. Ovidiu Leuce’s Tararira solo exhibition runs at the Divario art gallery in Rome from June 1 to July 29, 2022. Photographs © Ovidiu Leuce.