Dan and Lia Perjovschi, whose drawings adorn the walls of MoMA New York, Tate Modern in London, Centre Pompidou in Paris, Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, will have their solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art – Skopje.
This is an exceptionally rare opportunity for Skopje to host world-renowned artists who are pushing the boundaries of contemporary art practices today.
The exhibition of the world-renowned artists Dan Perjovschi, whose principal medium is drawing, and Lia Perjovschi, a researcher, editor, and conceptual artist, will be opened on 26th of September at 8 p.m.
Dan Perjovschi will present his art project “ReNews”, while Lia Perjovschi will showcase “Survival Kit (a selection from Knowledge Museum)”.
The curator of the exhibition is Mira Gаkjina.
The exhibition offers a unique insight into the works of two leading contemporary artists, exploring the cultural, social, and political realities of today.
Dan Perjovschi is known for his minimalist, fast drawings, often filled with irony, humor, and political commentary. He uses various forms of drawing – from wall installations, art books, to activist sketches – criticizing and analyzing contemporary reality. His works address topics such as war conflicts, migration, political systems, and global economic challenges. Perjovschi transforms drawing into a medium for communicating current social issues, and his installations are characterized by spontaneity and immediacy, making them unique and temporary. He mostly creates his drawings in world-renowned museum spaces, like the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where he drew live in front of visitors. Another exhibition is drawn on the walls of a Portuguese bank and consists of comic drawings addressing European issues like Romania’s accession to the EU and the legalization of abortion in Portugal. His work primarily reflects human concerns and social relationships.
Perjovschi has held numerous solo exhibitions at MoMA New York, Tate Modern London, Van Abbemuseum Eindhoven, MACRO Rome, Kiasma Helsinki, and the Ludwig Museum in Cologne. He has also participated in many prestigious group exhibitions and events, such as Documenta 15, the Venice Biennale, and biennials in Istanbul, Lyon, Jakarta, São Paulo, and Sydney. Since 2010, Perjovschi has been producing the drawing in public space project titled “Horizontal Newspaper” in Sibiu, Romania.
Lia Perjovschi is a conceptual artist and researcher who creates connections between art, science, and education through her work. Her project “Knowledge Museum” is a long-term research effort to archive and disseminate information from various fields of knowledge. Her works often challenge the norms of seeing and understanding the world, examining how perception is shaped by social, political, and cultural contexts. She is the founder of several platforms and institutions, including “CCA” – the Archive for Contemporary Art Bucharest, “KM” – the Knowledge Museum, and “TSK” – the Telescopic Space of Knowledge. Lia Perjovschi has held solo exhibitions at the Nasher Museum in Dallas, the Ivan Gallery in Bucharest, the ESPAI Castellón Museum in Spain, as well as numerous group exhibitions, including at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Tate Modern in London, the MACBA Barcelona, and biennials in São Paulo and Sydney.
“This exhibition intertwines their shared approaches while offering a multifaceted vision of how art can serve as a medium for social critique and transformation. Despite working in different mediums, both artists share the common goal of using art as a tool for engagement and change,” says curator Gakjina.
Lia Perjovschi’s project “Survival Kit (a selection from Knowledge Museum)” is part of her broader project known as the “Knowledge Museum,” which explores concepts related to knowledge, education, and social structures through a series of interactive and conceptual works. Survival Kit is an interdisciplinary project that includes various media and formats such as graphics, objects, and documents. This selection was created as an attempt to develop an educational resource which explores and provokes thinking about history, culture, and everyday life through visual art. The project may also include interactive components that encourage viewers to engage and think differently, using visual elements to create new perspectives and critical thinking.
Dan Perjovschi’s project “ReNews” focuses on current social and political events through an original visual perspective. Conceived as a dynamic and evolving visual chronicle reacting to current events and changes in the world, the artist uses various media, often combining graphics, texts, and illustrations to create a creative and critical view of contemporary events. This project often includes components like comics, collages, and images that intensely explore and visualize the complexity of contemporary politics and society. Dan Perjovschi focuses on how media and information shape our understanding of the world, and “ReNews” is his attempt to explore and challenge traditional narratives and reporting styles. By doing so, the artist encourages viewers to think about awareness, propaganda, and the power of the media.
Dan and Lia Perjovschi previously participated in the group exhibition “Small Talk” (Laf Muabet) organized at MoCA – Skopje in 2001. They are also listed as donors to the MoCA-Skopje collection. Last year, they stayed at MoCA-SKopje, where they gave a lecture on “Constant Repositioning, Between the Local and the Global,” and conducted a workshop titled “Drawing, Talking, and Sharing.”
