The Source of Infection 2008

Curator: Immediately, the first thing that hits me is this feeling of decay—everything is just tinged with this heavy, musty air. Editor: Iurie Matei created "The Source of Infection" in 2008 using oil and gouache. It’s an evocative composition… certainly rich in potential interpretations. Curator: Absolutely! See how the bugs are drawn to Lenin's portrait? The image becomes infested. And juxtapose that with the almost dream-like images beside it; there's a complex conversation being set up. There's a crumbling violin. Do you feel that contrast, how this infection seems to be feeding off beauty, or ideals, or perhaps even… art itself? Editor: The violin's construction is so interesting. It looks old and worn. Is this about highlighting the enduring labor involved in crafting musical instruments? Juxtaposed with mass-produced images, it could be a commentary on value… where it resides, how it shifts. Look, there is also faux bois style painting in here. Matei uses his painterly skill to bring a flat surface, to make wood appear almost real. It highlights material imitation. Curator: Precisely! I notice this “history of the Communist Party” sign next to what seems like drops of blood… almost like a leaking wound, sealed over by a veneer. Symbolically, the artwork grapples with the wounds of history attempting to break free, festering just beneath the surface. Editor: I'm interested in the text, "Open Here" printed along the cabinet. This seems like an act of labor for the viewer, suggesting an interaction through opening the drawer or seeing how materials create deception. It forces you to consider how you will unpack this “still life,” which is in tension with this decaying portrait style of the communist leader, Lenin. Curator: And the padlocks! Such a heavy, outdated thing holding everything captive. They evoke a specific historical weight – that of censorship and oppression. These symbols…the bugs, the lock, the dripping paint, really hammer home a potent critique of a specific historical period. Editor: A potent period realized through such detailed painting and an illusion. The gouache gives it this wonderful flatness and also works with the layers and collage elements behind it, like aged surfaces accumulating detail. It really is masterful. Curator: Yes, an experience far more engaging than it initially suggested! Editor: Indeed, a conversation worth revisiting, again and again.