Duke art history professor Kristine Stiles met artists Dan and Lia Perjovschi during a 1992 trip to Romania. In 1997, she brought the couple to Duke to teach and exhibit their work. Now, a decade later, the Perjovschis are returning to Duke riding a wave of recognition from some of the world's most important museums.
This month, the Nasher Museum of Art will launch the mid-career retrospective of the Perjovschis' art, curated by Stiles. The Aug. 29 opening features the Perjovschis and Andrei Codrescu, the Romanian-American poet and National Public Radio commentator, who will speak on their work. It will be on view through Jan. 6.
The exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, videos, installations and conceptual art from 1980 to the present. In addition, during the week of Aug. 20, Dan will create drawings on the windows of the Nasher and Lia will install a model of her conceptual "Knowledge Museum" on the interior wall leading to the Nasher theater.
This exhibition is the culmination of dozens of shows in museums including the Tate Modern in London, the Moderna Museet in Stockholm and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
"It is gratifying to be able to bring together 27 years of the Perjovschis' art in an exhibition that is accompanied by a beautiful and lavishly illustrated catalogue," Stiles says. "The Nasher leads the world in paying tribute to the Perjovschis' accomplishments, courage and vision."
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Born in 1961 and educated in the Romanian socialist system, Perjovschis belong to the first generation of experimental artists following the 1989 Romanian Revolution. Dan is Romania's foremost political satirist and a commentator on local, national and international cultural and current affairs. He is known for large-scale drawing performance/installations that contain thousands of figures. Until 2005, when she stopped performing, Lia was one of Romania's leading performance artists. She now works primarily as a conceptual artist.
On Aug. 30, the Perjovschis, Codrescu, members of the Romanian art world and several Duke faculty members and students will participate in a panel discussion, "Perspectives on Romanian Culture," moderated by Stiles.
The opening event will be held with Dan and Lia Perjovschi, Andrei Condrescu and Kristine Stiles at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 29, at the Nasher Museum of Art.
A panel discussion involving the artists and Duke faculty and students will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 30, at the Nasher Museum. Both events are free with admission to the museum.