Atelier Patru

"Under the Layers" artists: Alexandru Révész Ana Huțanu Andrei Dănescu Mădălina-Ioana Vîrgolici Luiza Alicu Paula Drăgan curator: Sebastian Boca "Under the Layers" starts from the idea that contemporary reality is built from overlapping images, filters, narratives and protection mechanisms that hide what lies beneath. The exhibition investigates the way in which certain tensions, fears, inequalities, conflicts or forms of alienation are covered up both on a personal and collective level, without truly disappearing. The layer thus becomes a metaphor for dissimulation, a surface that masks, but which preserves traces of what continues to persist and act in depth. From the intimate space, the theme extends to the social and political dimension. The layers function as protection, but also as mechanisms of separation and control. Physical and symbolic boundaries, norms, algorithms or surveillance systems create the illusion of order and safety, while hiding certain social realities. In parallel, more subtle forms of cultural camouflage appear. The constant return to the aesthetics of the 80s, 90s or Y2K is not just about nostalgia, but can function as a refuge in a present marked by uncertainty. Instead of projecting the future, we recycle images, styles and symbols of the past, transforming the familiar into an escape mechanism for contemporary anxieties. The exhibition follows not only what remains hidden beneath these layers, but also the moments when they crack or become transparent: gestures of unmasking, interventions that modify perception, images or situations that bring back to attention what had been pushed out of the visible field. "Under the Layers" proposes a space of tension between surface and depth, between what is displayed and what remains latent, inviting artists and the public to reflect on how we build, maintain and, sometimes, dismantle our own mechanisms of concealment. Sebastian Boca The exhibition is part of the Fiți cu-Minți Creative Fest