@interim.Space, Iasi (2026)
This work
takes the form of a public warning sign mounted on a metal pole,
following the familiar visual language of emergency signage. Instead of
indicating an “assembly point” in case of emergency, however, the sign
marks the opposite.
Through this
minimal linguistic shift, the work reverses the logic of collective
gathering typically associated with such signs. Rather than directing
people toward a place of coordination and solidarity, it points to a site of separation.
The piece
comments on the growing social fragmentation that has become
increasingly visible in recent years, particularly in the context of the
tensions surrounding the COVID period and the political polarization
intensified during the Romanian presidential elections.
Installed in
public space on a pedestrian street in Iași as part of the group exhibition XYZ:
Back to The Future, curated by Cristiana Ursache and Lorena
Marciuc, the sign blends partially into the visual grammar of urban
infrastructure. Its familiarity initially suggests an official instruction,
yet the altered message introduces a paradox: a point designed not for assembly,
but for dispersal.
At the same time, the sign does not necessarily refer
to a spatial location, but rather to a temporal condition, suggesting a
moment of dispersion rather than a place where it occurs.
Formally, the
sign was installed slightly inclined rather than perfectly vertical, a small
displacement subtly mirroring the instability suggested by its message, as if
everyone had dispersed in a hurry.
