Neoliberalism, spirituality,
and personal development
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Lecturer Ciprian Bogdan, Faculty of European Studies, Babes-Bolyai University
Lecturer Sorin Gog, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, Babes-Bolyai University
The first series of classes will focus on the concept of neoliberalism. Although conceptually elusive in part because of its vagueness and ubiquitous usage, neoliberalism will be defined not only as an explicit ideological construct combining liberal (the superiority of free markets over state intervention) and conservative ideas (the emphasis put on “law and order”), but also as an implicit one shaping the level of our common-sense beliefs and practices (including our own subjectivity, or our relationship with the outer world). These preliminary conceptual clarifications will, then, be followed by a presentation concerning the way in which neoliberalism has been implemented in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989 by investigating the impact of neoliberal ideas on economic, cultural, and political policies and/or discourses. This case study will be supplemented by an in-depth analysis of the progressive imposition of neoliberalism in Romanian society after the collapse of the communist regime. At the end of this initial series of presentations, we will also discuss the growing signs of a post-neoliberal world (such as state intervention into economy, rising populist movements etc.) in which examples will be provided from both global and European level.
The second series of classes focus on the booming field of personal and spiritual development programs that are becoming very popular within the emerging middle class from Romania. We analyze the various forms of alternative spiritualities and their embedding in different professional fields in relation to the structural transformation of the labor market taking place in Romania after the financial crisis of 2008/2009. We are interested in the transformations taking place in the fitness industry, medicine, psychotherapy and management where we can see the articulation of a new paradigm centered on the inner power of the self. We argue that this generates the proximities for the formation of a radical entrepreneurial subjectivity that is tuned to the recent capitalist transformations of an economic environment centered on competitivity, creative work and flexibility. Special attention will be given to the changes in industrial relations and labor market in Romania during the past two decades and we will explore the neoliberal socialization devices that have emerged after the economic crisis and the way they offer plausibility and legitimacy to the vast economic transformations that took place in this region. By using the 'Varieties of Capitalism' approach we will analyze the specific forms of disembedded neoliberalism that has been institutionalized in Romania and the precarisation of the workforce through labor market de-regulations, short-term contracts and emphasis on flexibility and employability of workers. Our presentations will look at how within these programs innovative technologies of the self are developed that emphasize creativity, wellbeing and a new understanding of subjective interiority that discovers in itself the resources needed to live within a spiritualized ontology of the present. We argue that this produces the required proximities for the formation of a radical neoliberal entrepreneurial subjectivity that is tuned to the recent capitalist transformations of an economic environment centered on competitivity, creative work and enhanced productivity. In this context we will analyze different emancipatory politics and alternatives to neo-liberalism when it comes to socializing the self.
Expanding Artistic Expression
in the Digital Age
Organizer: University of Art and Design of Cluj-Napoca
Thursday, May 23rd 16:00
Prof. dr. habil. Vlad Țoca organized for the participants a visit for exploring the cultural environment of the city and the art galleries and the art museum. Presentation of the concept of the intensive programme, physical component, in order to focus on strengthening the link between education and research and reaching the objectives of the intensive programme.
Program of activities for 24th and 25th of May (exploratory workshop) Friday,
May 24th Workshop King Matthias Corvinus House, str. Matei Corvin nr. 6, The Great Hall.
9.00 Official opening. prof. dr. habil Radu Pulbere, vice rector.
9.15-9.45 prof. dr. habil. Bogdan Iacob, director of UAD doctoral school, keynote speaker; Techne, Technique, Technology: Art as Antidote to Efficiency.
10.00 – 11.30 1st section of the workshop prof.dr.habil Radu Pulbere, moderator.
• Belu Simion Făinaru, professor, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel; Director The Mediterranean Biennale, Haifa Israel Avital Bar-Shy, Technion, Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. Director The Mediterranean Biennale, Haifa, Israel. The Mediterranean Biennale project, Israel. How art can encourage coexistence and peace between communities that live in conflict.
• Inese Dundure, Mg. design, Rēzekne Academy of Technologies, Latvia; Local identity of Latgale in Anna Römer’s Watercolours in the Art Collection of Latgale Culture and History Museum.
• Olesia Szynkarewicz, WIT Academy, Poland; Ukrainian Art in Turbulent Times.
12.00 – 13.30 2nd section of the workshop Zenon Balcer, PhD, moderator.
• Magdalena Furmanik-Kowalska, PhD, WIT Academy, Poland; Perception of art, new forms of communication and the methodology of teaching art history.
• Inta Klasone, Solvita Spirge-Sene, RTU Liepāja, Latvia; Historical background of formation of art education in Latvia.
• Anna Wolska, PhD, WIT Academy, Poland; Processual Art. The process in art as a didactic method.
13.30 – 14.30 Coffee break
15.00 – 17.00 3rd section of the workshop prof. dr. habil. Bogdan Iacob, moderator
• Adrian Grecu, UAD; Digital Art, Expression of Contemporaneity.
• Natālija Brokāne, Mg. Design, Rēzekne Academy of Technologies, Latvia; Street Photography – Permited Art or Data Protection Violation?
• Bartłomiej Solarz-Niesłuchowski, WIT Academy, Poland; The Impact of the University's IT Environment on the Quality of Studying Arts.
Saturday, May 25th WORKSHOP King Matthias Corvinus House, str. Matei Corvin nr. 6, The Great Hall.
9.00 – 11.00 4th section of the workshop prof. dr. habil. Dana Fabini, moderator
• Grzegorz Rogala, WIT Academy, Poland; Art and Code: Creative Synergy of Two Worlds.
• Mihai Grecu, multimedia artist; Artistic Research and AI Imagery.
• Zenon Balcer, PhD, WIT Academy, Poland; From Laboratory to Gallery: The Influence of Science on Visual Art.
• Dana Gagea, Universitatea de Vest din Timișoara, Romania; Visual Communication in the Age of Artificial Inteligence.
11.30 – 13.30 5th section of the workshop Ilze Bodža, Mg. Design, moderator
• Sylwia Caban, WIT Academy, Poland; Creation, Idea, and Technology in Art.
• Larisa Petcuț, UAD; The Significance of Traditional Romanian Textiles – An Analysis.
• Joanna Mankiewicz, WIT Academy, Poland; Technology and human needs: the renaissance of traditional techniques in art and design.
• Roxana Fogaș, UAD; Digital Techniques in Ceramic Art.
13.30 – 14.30 Coffee break
15.00 – 17.00 6th section of the workshop prof. dr. habil. Vlad Țoca, moderator
• Florentina Chiriță, UAD; Contemporary Trends in Art and Textile Design.
• Ilze Bodža, Mg. Design, Rēzekne Academy of Technologies (Latvia); Significance of poster art in Latvian cultural heritage and modern graphic design.
• Dariusz Mlącki, PhD, WIT Academy, Poland; Between tradition and innovation.
• István Havadi-Nagy-Dávid, UAD; Methodological aspects of artistic research in quality of light in photography compared to images generated by artificial intelligence.
Sunday and Monday, May 26th and May 27th, 2024
Documentary visits included in the cultural activities of the participants (visit at Beliș Creation Centre for evaluating the activities of the students and visit at Salina Turda and Rimetea for exploring the cultural environment of Transylvania and get sources of inspiration for art works).
Święta Lipka - the world of nature and
the immaterial world - a forge
of artistic creativity
Organizer: Akademia WIT w Warszawie
type: mixed (students+teachers)
Dates BIP: 2024-07-22 - 2024-07-27
Travel dates: 2024-07-21 and 2024-07-28
Virtual component: 2024-07-30
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The goals of the program are: Improving participants practical painting skills , Increasing participants knowledge of leading trends in art, understanding of art. Getting to know the world of nature (environment) as inspiring source for the creator. Exchange of practical information on teaching painting. Cooperation with students from other countries. Thanks to the Erasmus+ meeting, we will be able to exchange our experiences related to the topic of the meeting, which will allow for a rapid increase in knowledge on this topic.
The program will involve various methods of delivering and discovering information and knowledge. There will be plein-air, presentations, lectures. Learners will be obliged to participate in practical workshop using acrylic paints. Outcomes: Artistic analysis of reality. Comprehensive view on the basics of vision.
Virtual component description: Online meetings with all the participants in order to create and collect necessary informations files for creating catalogue post plein-air.
The Baltic Sea - the world's youngest sea on the planet, as a source of inspiration for creators
Organizer: RTU Liepaja Academy
Erika Lauberga-Sleze & Solvita Spirge-Sene
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Programme
14.08. 2024
Arrival
15.08.2024
11.00 – 16.00 O2, O3, L1, L7 – Lecture
Introduction to art workshops: painting, printmaking, digital art, photography, glass art. Study visits to the workshops. Demonstration of visual techniques.
16.08.2024
10.00 – 13.00 O2, O4, O5, O6, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6
Workshops: screen printing, photography art, glass art, painting, digital graphic art.
14.00-17.00: O1, O3, O7, L1, L7 – Visit the historical part of Liepaja - the historical museum.
17.08.2024
10.00 – 13.00 O2, O4, O5, O6, L2, L3, L4, L5, L 6
Workshops: glass art, screen printing, painting, photography art, digital graphic art.
14.00 -17.00: O1, O3, O7, L1, L7 – Lecture: Restoration of a Historical House in Liepāja
18.08.2024
9.00-16.00: O1, O3, O7, L1, L7 – Study visit: Karosta
19.08.2024
10.00 – 17.00 O2, O4, O5, O6, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6
Workshops: Workshops: glass art, screen printing, painting, photography art, digital graphic art.
20.08.2024
10.00 – 13.00 O2, O4, O5, O6, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6
Workshops: Workshops: glass art, screen printing, painting, photography art, digital graphic art.
14.00 – 16.00 O1, O3, O7, L1, L7
Study visit: 17th-19th century interior museum "Madame Hoyer's Guest House".
21.08.2024
10.00 – 17.00 O2, O4, O5, O6, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6
Workshops: Workshops: glass art, screen printing, painting, photography art, digital graphic art.
22.08.2024
13.00-17.00: O1, O2, O3, O4, O5, O6, O7, O8, O9, L1, L7, L8 Setting up the exhibition. Presenting the works of art in an exhibition.
23.08.2024
Departure
Amber Sunset by Adrian Claudiu Ciobanu
acryl on canvas, 50 cm + 70 cm
Reflections on the Baltic by Cristiana Iannarelli
acryl on canvas, 70 cm + 50 cm
Baltic Vision by Cristiana Iannarelli
acryl on canvas, 50 cm + 70 cm
Rising in Valhalla by Adrian Claudiu Ciobanu
acryl on canvas, 50 cm + 70 cm
Look at the Sea by Loreta Carnevale
acryl on canvas, 70 cm + 50 cm
Shadow and thoughts by Loreta Carnevale
acryl on canvas, 50 cm + 70 cm