La Cave

PALIMPSEST by Vlad Gherman September 3–25, 2026 La Cave, French Institute 22 I.I.C. Brătianu, Cluj-Napoca Hours: Mon–Fri: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Doi Joi extended hours on Thursday, September 10: 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Curator: Casandra Mazur Palimpsest is an exhibition about what remains after time has passed us by. Drawing on the idea of a manuscript whose layers are erased and rewritten, Vlad Ciprian Gherman’s works construct an image of memory as a continuous process of superimposition. Childhood, the body, familiar spaces, and fragments of life appear as fragile traces, over which other images, other times, and other meanings are layered. Nothing truly disappears; what seems erased continues to exist, discreetly, beneath the surface of the present. In his paintings and drawings, time becomes almost tangible. The surfaces bear the traces of the gesture, of erasure, and of return, while the figures seem suspended between presence and absence. The memento mori does not appear as a direct representation of death, but as a constant awareness of transience: of the fact that every memory is, at the same time, a form of loss. The child, a recurring motif in the artist’s universe, thus becomes more than an image of the past. It is memory itself—vulnerable, fragmentary, impossible to recover in its entirety. Looking at these works, we are invited to delve into our own layers of memory and to view time not as a line that erases, but as a surface that preserves. Ultimately, "Palimpsest" speaks about the human condition: about what we try to preserve, what we lose, and what continues to exist within us, even after time has passed over everything. Vlad Gherman (b. 2005) is a visual artist based in Cluj-Napoca. His current artistic practice explores humanity’s relationship with time and memory, as well as how these influence human perception and experience. Working primarily with painting and sculpture, the artist addresses themes such as childhood, nostalgia, memory, and death, constructing compositions in which the image becomes a space for reflection on the human condition. His primary focus is the human figure, and his works serve as investigations into psychological and philosophical aspects of human experience and relationships. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the Department of Painting at the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca, having previously graduated from the Department of Conservation and Restoration at the same university. During his studies, he participated in various artistic, conservation, and restoration projects.