Ileana Oancea – The Countess

Ileana Oancea won the Copy/ Paste edition of S P A M contemporary art project with her work, entitled “The Countess“.

The idea of the project was simple: In an era dominated by the copy / paste phenomenon, S P A M invited visual artists to explore the dualism of the above mentioned cloned plinths, and to explore the imagination, or lack of it, in Romanian society.

“French porcelain was once a respected craft, carefully mastered by true artists. Unfortunately the industrial revolution changed this once exclusive craft into a kitsch everyday object, with no real artistic value. For the S P A M contest and theme Copy/paste I have decided to replicate a well chosen ‘bibelou’ or ornament that was found in the 70s and 80s in everybody’s home. I have named it ‘The Countess’, just as I used to call it when I was a little girl. I decided to give her a personal feature and stabbed her in the back with a knife. With this artistic gesture I have killed the bad taste and kitsch!“ (Ileana Oancea).

The work is now available at Art Yourself Gallery, in Bucharest.

Photos: The re:art