Seven works of mercy – clothe the naked
This series creates seven pieces inspired by Caravaggio’s The seven works of mercy. The one I am presenting in this exhibition is based on the act of clothing the naked. Starting from the anti-European feelings in Eastern Europe and the blocking of Romania's joining the Schengen area, I present the legend of Saint Martin as a critique of the relationship between the European Union and Eastern European countries. Martin the Merciful cut his cloak in half to give it to a beggar dressed in rags during the winter. My interpretation questions if Romanians are seen as people who cling to the European flag, or do we want to be recognized as Europeans who deserve our role in this union. In my work, St. Martin is depicted holding the Romanian flag and handing it to the naked man on the street, in the background waving the flag of the European Union.
Arthur–Cristian Rusznák is a Romanian artist and PhD student who has done two Erasmus mobilities during his studies, in Metz, France, and in UBI (Covilhã, Portugal). His research focuses on appropriation, specifically how Caravaggio’s work and the chiaroscuro technique influenced contemporary artists and how they use it today. In his works, he looks for a subtle way to express the idea of a common consciousness in which we are not alone, where we can find someone to be with us, with no feeling of alienation or estrangement. Starting from childhood memories and influences from cultures, he tends to recognize existing symbols and give them a new form using naivety to create new, colorful, innocent, and exotic meanings. He had group shows in Hungary, Romania, and Portugal. He took part in the InclusiveArt project where he made a cultural intervention in the village of Banloc, Timiș county, Romania.
