On Wednesday, July 5, 2023, the opening of Lockout Stereotypes. Counter-cliché took place. in the Prahova Art Museum “Ion Ionescu-Quintus”, in the presence of artists and special guests.

The exhibition included works of art from various artistic environments, from video installation, photography, to sculptural, textile design objects and is put in place by the Art Media Events Studio association.

During the opening event, the public had the opportunity to meet the artists and participate in a dialogue that the artworks cross: the social integration of Roma girls and women & the elimination of double discrimination: discrimination based on ethnic and gender criteria.

Alexandra Grigore, kindergarten and also master’s student in Political Sciences, had interventions during the opening, bringing into discussion details related to the history of the Roma people and the abuses during their slavery times.

Lockout Stereotypes Exhibition. Counter-cliché brought together 6 artists from Romania and Norway whose practices and visual discourse aim to combat stereotypical mentalities and social segregation resulting from prejudices against Roma women, as well as other minority groups. Lockout Stereotypes. Counter-cliché explores issues of equity related to race, ethnicity, and gender, as well as multiculturalism, inclusion, and urban education.

By promoting and exhibiting discussions, the exhibition ai

med to widen the dialogue between the general public and Roma communities, with the aim of educating and forming a safe and inclusive space for cultural expression. Curated by Andreea Căpitănescu, the exhibition presented the creations of artists Denise Lobonț, Margaret Abeshu (Norway), Mihaela Drăgan & Zita Moldovan, Silvia Trăistaru and Mihaela Cîmpeanu.

Evoking the particularities of a neglected minority culture, suppressed by the constant need to reaffirm the adversity of malignant truisms, the exhibition emphasized the belief that we are all the same.

The exhibition could be visited during 05.07. – 25.07.2023, at the Prahova County Art Museum “Ion Ionescu-Quintus”.

Lockout Stereotypes is a Romania-Norway cooperation project, coordinated by the Art Media Events Studio Association (Ploiesti), with the participation of the 4Culture Association (Bucharest) and the Fiksdal Dans Stiftelse Foundation (Oslo), which will take place between September 2022 and April 2024 in the cities of Bucharest and Ploiești. 

Producer: AMES Association – Art Media Events Studio
Partners: 4Culture Association, Fiksdal Dans Stiftelse, Pr

ahova County Art Museum “Ion Ionescu-Quintus”

Educational partners: Technological High School of Services Sf. Apostol Andrei, Secondary School no. 19, Ploiesti.

Media partners: Radio Romania Cultural, Modernism, Zeppelin Magazine, ARTA Magazine, Feeder, IQads, Positive Romania

Local media partners: Radio Prahova, Observatorul Prahovean

The project is financed by the SEE Grants 2014-2021 within the RO-CULTURE Program. The value of the non-refundable funding (85% SEE Grant and 15% the national budget) is 977,013 lei (197,699.87 euros). The SEE grants represent the contribution of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway to the reduction of economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area and to the strengthening of bilateral relations with the 15 beneficiary states in Eastern and Southern Europe and the Baltic states.

These financing mechanisms are established on the basis of t

he Agreement on the European Economic Area, which brings together the EU member states and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as equal partners in the internal market. In total, the three states contributed €3.3 billion between 1994 and 2014 and €1.55 billion for the 2014-2021 funding period. More details are available at: www.eeagrants.org and www.eeagrants.ro.

The RO CULTURA program is implemented by the Ministry of Culture through the Project Management Unit and has as its general objective the consolidation of economic and social development through cultural cooperation, cultural entrepreneurship and cultural heritage management. The Program’s budget is approximately 34 million euros. More details at www.ro-cultura.ro.