
Time Shift. Before and After
2nd EDITION 2023
1-10 September 2023
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Second Edition: Time Shift. Before & After
The second edition of the International Program in Scenography took place at the Roman Castrum, a recently renovated national archaeological site located in Ovidiu, Constanța. Based on the unique features of the space and its history, the program aimed to create temporary artistic interventions that would highlight this location.
The chosen theme was TIME SHIFT: BEFORE | AFTER, inspired by Dionysius Exiguus (c. 470 - c. 544), a monk born in Scythia Minor who served in the early Christian basilica, the ruins of which can still be seen at the archaeological site in Ovidiu. Dionysius proposed the introduction of the year 0, Anno Domini (AD), thus dividing the chronology of history into before and after.
In a broader artistic context, the theme explored concepts of transformation, rupture, and polarization frequently seen in our surroundings.
Twenty-one artists from countries such as Canada, the USA, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Romania participated alongside seven established mentors.
Mentors 2023
Internationally recognized artists have guided participants through an intense process of creative exploration, providing them with the expertise and inspiration to turn their ideas into reality.
Jean-Guy Lecat, fr
Set designer, architect, and visual artist.
From 1976 to 2000, Jean-Guy was associated with Peter Brook and was responsible for designing and transforming spaces for numerous theatre productions. He worked on more than 200 venues worldwide, including BAM Harvey Majestic Theater and La MaMa in New York, Tramway in Glasgow, Gasværk in Copenhagen, Mercat de les Flors in Barcelona, Boulbon Quarry in Avignon, National Theatre of Strasbourg, and Bockenheimer Depot in Frankfurt. His collaborations with Peter Brook are featured in the publication titled “The Open Circle: The Theater Environment of Peter Brook” by Andrew Todd. Since 2000, Jean-Guy has been actively engaged in collaborating closely with architects in building theatres and conducting workshops for set designers and architects, sharing his expertise worldwide.

Nic Ularu, USa / RO
Author, director, and scenographer.
Dr. Nic Ularu has extensive design credits in the USA and Europe, including theatres in Sweden, Northern Ireland, the UK, and Romania. He was the head of scenography at the National Theatre of Bucharest in Romania and served four years as a board member of The European League of the Institutes of the Arts (ELIA) in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Nic has taught scene and/or costume design in various countries, including Romania, Germany, Sweden, the UK, Italy, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. Before his appointment as the Head of the MFA Program in Design at the University of South Carolina, he taught at institutions such as Smith College, the National Theatre School of Denmark, The National University of Theatre Arts and Cinematography "I.L. Caragiale" in Romania, and the National Arts University "N. Grigorescu" in Romania. In 2003, Nic received an OBIE award for outstanding achievement in Off-Broadway theater. His designs appeared in the USA entries at the Prague Quadrennial International Exhibitions of Scenography in 2007, 2003, and 1998. In 2005, Nic co-designed the exhibit and designed the poster for the World Stage Design Exhibition in Toronto, Canada, and was appointed by the United States Institute of Theatre Technology as the leading designer and curator of the USA National Exhibit at the Prague Quadrennial International Exhibition of 2007.

Marina Raytchinova, bg
Scenographer and educator.
Marina is an Associate Professor of Scenography, specializing in Set and Costume Design, and serves as the Head of the Department at the National Academy of Art in Sofia, Bulgaria. Since graduating from the National Academy of Art in 1985, she has designed over 150 shows for companies in Bulgaria, the USA, Russia, and Macedonia, most frequently for the City Theatre Sofia. Marina has been on the faculty at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and has been a guest lecturer at schools in Europe and the USA. She has also been a guest presenter at the USITT conference in Phoenix in 2006 and the Taipei Theatre Summit in 2011. Marina’s design work has been featured at the Prague Quadrennial of Scenography in multiple years and at the World Stage Design Gallery Exhibits in Toronto and Cardiff. As Chair of the OISTAT Education Commission from 2004 to 2012, Marina organized numerous design conferences and workshops in collaboration with design schools worldwide. In association with Prof. Sun Daquing and Michael Ramsaur, she organized the Beijing International Biennial of Stage Design Schools, a student exhibit and workshop. In March 2016, Marina received the annual award for artistic achievement in scenography, “Ikar.”

Bacchus Lee, HK
Theatre designer and educator.
Bacchus is the Head of Theatre Design at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). He began his career as a set designer for Asia Television Ltd. Afterward, he joined the Chung Ying Theatre Company in 1994 as a resident designer. In 2003, he joined the HKAPA Theatre Design Department. Bacchus graduated in Theatre Set and Costume Design from the HKAPA; earned an MA in Scenography from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London; and an MA in Visual Culture Study from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. To this day, Bacchus continues to work actively with various theatre companies, including Hong Kong Ballet, Hong Kong Dance Company, Chung Ying Theatre Company, Hong Kong Dance Federation, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, Macao Conservatory, and Asian Rib in Japan.

Viorica Petrovici, RO
Scenographer specializing in opera, ballet, theatre, and film.
Viorica Petrovici has collaborated with prestigious musical institutions such as the National Opera in Bucharest, Iași, Cluj, Brașov, the Opera and Ballet Theatre "Oleg Danovski" in Constanța, and more recently, the Comic Opera for Children, as well as with most of the important drama theaters. Her work has been recognized with multiple prestigious distinctions, including the Scenography Award for the play "Politica" (directed by Silviu Purcărete), the UAP Award for Scenography, the Novisad Silver Plaque (2001), and the Music Critics Award. In film, she received collective recognition for "Trahir" (directed by Radu Mihăileanu) at the Montreal Francophone Film Festival (1994), a nomination for the Golden Globe with the creative team of "Le Concert" (directed by Radu Mihăileanu), and a Cesar Awards nomination in the "Best Costume" category for "La source des femmes" (directed by Radu Mihaileanu). Additionally, she received the GOPO Award for "Caravana cinematografică" (directed by Titus Munteanu) and has been honored with the Order of Cultural Merit in the rank of OFFICER and the "Aristizza Romanescu" Award offered by the Romanian Academy.

Paweł Dobrzycki, PL
Theatre scenographer, architect, painter, and educator.
Pawel Dobrzycki has created over 280 scenographies for drama and opera theaters both domestically and abroad, including in England, Germany, Russia, Greece, and Israel. He is the first Polish scenographer to work in prestigious venues such as the Young Vic in London, Deutsches National Theater in Weimar, and the Ancient Theatre in Epidaurus, Greece. One of his notable recent projects is the cycle of performances: "Seven Against Thebes" by Aeschylus and "Antigone" and "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles, directed by Y. Kimoulis, staged at the Ancient Theatre. His scenographies, projects, and drawings are said to represent a theater of authentic visions. Among his most spectacular works in recent years are "Lady Macbeth" by D. Shostakovich at the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Novosibirsk and his original Polish versions of scenography for "The Phantom of the Opera" at the ROMA Theatre in Warsaw and for "Shrek" at the Musical Theatre in Gdynia, which was awarded by the Pomeranian Voivode and the Jan Kiepura Award for "the best scenography and lighting design in musical and opera theater in Poland in 2011".

Billy Chan, HK
Theatre lighting designer.
An alumnus of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Billy Chan has worked for almost thirty years as a theatre lighting designer and is now a Senior Lecturer (Lighting and Media Production) at the School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts, HKAPA. He has collaborated with many theatre groups locally and abroad, including Hong Kong Ballet, Edward Lam Dance Theatre, Shanghai Ran Space, among others. His awarded designs include "What is Sex?" (Edward Lam Dance Theatre, 2017) for Best Stage Art (Lighting Design) at Shanghai Modern Drama Valley One Drama Awards 2017; "Secret of Resurrection" (Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, 2008), "Rashomon" (Chung Ying Theatre, 2019), and "We Are Gay" (Hong Kong Arts Festival, 2023) for Best Lighting Design at the Hong Kong Drama Awards; and Outstanding Lighting Design at the Hong Kong Dance Awards for "Waiting Heart" (Hong Kong Dance Company, 2019). Billy represented Hong Kong in 2007, 2011, and 2015 at the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space with his designs for "Colour Fugue," "My Life As A TV," and "What Is Success?". He also co-curated the Hong Kong Theatre Design Exhibition 2013-15: PARALLEL SPACE and the Hong Kong Exposition in the 13th Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design & Space (2015).

Participants
At the second edition, 21 artists from countries such as Canada, the USA, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Romania participated, specialized in scenography, architecture, costume design, lighting design, sound design, media design, stage management, and performing arts. We thank them for their trust, energy, and dedication in engaging with the program, turning it into an unforgettable experience.





















ARTISTS AT WORK
During the days up to the Gala evening, the artists took part in extensive workshops led by the edition's mentors and transformed their collective ideas into site-specific installation and performances.
Time Shift GALA
The program's culmination was on September 9th 2023 with the closing gala - TIME SHIFT GALA, an extravagant event open to the public where they admired the eight artworks created during the program, alongside a set of guest ones. In addition to the general public and the local community, the gala was attended by renowned artists from the world of theater, as well as public figures and celebrities interested in contemporary art related to scenography and artistic installations. The gala was hosted by the actor Pavel Bartoș and concluded with a concert by Artuditorium by Sebastian Burneci.