Where is she? Spot the women!

Project coordinated by Gabriela Mateescu, June – August 2020

Where is she? was a multidisciplinary educational project developed in Bucharest and Cluj during July–September 2020, focused on making women artists more visible to the general public. Over two months, we organized 8 weekly classes in Bucharest at Atelier 030202, led by Roberta Curcă and Gabriela Mateescu, and 8 in Cluj at Matca space by Edith Lázár. The courses presented basic notions about what modern and contemporary art means, as well as a brief overview of the most important female artists. Alongside the classes, we hosted a series of weekly talks in Bucharest, inviting women professionals from various artistic fields to share their experiences.

The project concluded with a group exhibition hosted by Alert artist-run space in Bucharest, showcasing the outcomes of a week-long collaborative process between six workshop participants, four invited artists, and the organizing team.

Spot women artists in museums! – art history classes

In July–August 2020, during the pandemic, the Nucleu 0000 Association organized a series of free weekly art history courses in Bucharest (in the courtyard of Atelier 030202) and online in Cluj (at Matca space and on Zoom), aimed at introducing the general public to key women artists in modern and contemporary art. Led by artists Roberta Curcă, Gabriela Mateescu, and Edith Lázár, the project encouraged participants to recognize and value women’s contributions in museum collections worldwide.

The project responds to a visible imbalance in art education and museum representation, where male artists dominate permanent collections and public memory. While names like Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo are widely known due to constant repetition, women artists often remain absent from mainstream narratives. Temporary exhibitions alone can’t change this — they’re too sporadic to build lasting recognition.

That’s why Where is she? advocates for the inclusion of women artists in permanent museum collections and for the integration of their work into art history education at all levels.

Where is she? conferences

Alongside the educational courses, Where is she? hosted a weekly public conference series featuring women working across various creative and intellectual fields. Guests included poet Angela Marinescu, actress and activist Mihaela Drăgan, contemporary photographer Virginia Lupu, electroacoustic improviser Diana Miron, theatre director Ioana Păun, filmmaker Andreea Borțun, sociologist Claudia Câmpeanu, and artist/theorist Veda Popovici, who also led two feminist walking tours through central Bucharest. Events took place at independent cultural spaces such as Atelier 030202 and Macaz Autonomous Collective.

Where is she? – Exhibition at Alert Studio

September 2020, Bucharest

The exhibition Where is she? marked the final stage of the multidisciplinary educational project of the same name, held in Bucharest and Cluj during July–August 2020. It brought together six participants from the project’s courses and four invited artists for a one-week collaborative workshop centered on personal experience, gender discrimination, and the role of women in modern and contemporary art. The resulting artworks, produced through dialogue and mutual support, were presented over three weeks at Alert Studio in Bucharest.

Participating artists: Alexandra Cojocaru, Raluca Covaci, Alexandra Ivanciu, Miruna Leru, Kiki Mihuță, Diana Miron, Liviana Andreea Murgoci, Marina Oprea, Andrei Predescu, Ruxandra Maria R.
Curators: Roberta Curcă & Gabriela Mateescu

Corsets Then and Now

Zina Gallery, Cluj — December 11, 2020 – February 7, 2021

As part of the group exhibition Corsets Then and Now, curated by Valentina Iancu at Zina Gallery in Cluj, the Where is she? project presented a mini-installation focused on the representation of women artists in Romanian museums. The installation included documentary materials highlighting the only female artist featured in the Cluj Art Museum’s permanent collection: Elena Popea.

To accompany the presentation, artist Alina Marinescu created a custom illustration, which was printed on pins, tote bags, and postcards. The goal was to raise awareness about the underrepresentation of women artists in public collections and to advocate for greater visibility in institutional spaces.

Article about the exhibition in Revista ARTA 48-49 / 2021