Press Release in English: Roman Cotoșman Solo Show EN

Press Release in Romanian: Roman Cotoșman Solo Show  RO

Ivan Gallery is pleased to invite you on Thursday, October 9, between 7:00 and 9:00 PM, to the opening
of the solo exhibition of Roman Cotoșman (b. 1935, Jimbolia – d. 2006, Philadelphia), showcasing works
by the artist from the 1980s–1990s, organized in collaboration with The Paul Neagu Estate UK & RO.
Roman Cotoșman is a key figure of experimental, minimalist, and conceptual art, and a defining presence within the neo-avant-garde. A founding member of the group 1.1.1., Roman Cotoșman was a
promoter of interdisciplinary visual thinking, situated at the intersection of art, science, and technology.
Some of the works on display have been previously exhibited in 1996 by Galeria 3/4, in Bucharest.
At the beginning of the 1960s, the Romanian art scene was still anchored in a closed discourse, focused
on the dynamics of socialist society. However, by the mid-decade, a gradual opening toward the West
became visible, including in the pages of the official magazine of the Union of Plastic Artists, which
slowly reduced the number of articles dedicated to Soviet art and introduced references to international
artists, as well as to the Bauhaus School.
In this context, Roman Cotoșman and his colleagues began experimenting with various techniques and
artistic formulas, exploring new directions in contemporary art. By investigating geometric language,
visual perception, and modular structures, Roman Cotoșman developed a systematic and analytical approach. His interdisciplinary practice combines the exact sciences with the visual arts and is expressed
in works related to the kinetic tradition, op-art, constructivism, and minimalism. He also showed an
early interest in conceptualism, where idea, process, and structure become essential components of
artistic expression.
Roman Cotoșman was born in 1935 in Jimbolia, in the family of the priest Gheorghe Cotoșman. He pursued theological studies and graduated in 1963 from the Theological Institute of the University of
Sibiu. Regarding his artistic education, between 1957 and 1960, he studied from nature in a renowned workshop in 1960s Timișoara, which belonged to the painter Iulius Podlipny (1898–1991), the first
president of the U.A.P. branch in the city and a teacher at the Art High School. Beyond formal studies,
the workshop served as a meeting place for Roman Cotoșman, Dietrich Sayler, and Paul Neagu.
His friendship with Dietrich Sayler, who at the time had a solo exhibition and participated in regional
shows, as well as their shared interests in constructivism and integrating the arts into architectural
spaces, moved Roman Cotoșman away from Byzantine and Cubist art. In 1962, he definitively abandoned figurative painting, turning toward experimentation with abstract and geometric forms.
In 1963, Roman Cotoșman went to Paris for a surgical procedure, where he stayed for six months.
During this period, he came into direct contact with Western art, and upon returning to Romania, he
shared his experiences with his fellow artists. Three years later, in 1966, he co-founded, together with
Constantin Flondor and Ștefan Bertalan, the group 1.1.1., which preceded the Sigma group. The group
1.1.1. functioned more as a collective of shared interests, with members exhibiting together rather than
as a formal organization. It disbanded in 1969, after participating in the Nürnberg Biennale für konstruktive Kunst. Following this event, Roman Cotoșman left the country, initially moving to Germany, then settling permanently in Philadelphia, where he passed away in 2006.
Although active abroad, Roman Cotoșman was almost unknown to the local art scene in the 1990s. His
work was later rediscovered, especially in the context of reassessing the Timișoara neo-avant-garde.
Today, his creation is recognized as an important part of the history of Romanian experimental art.

The exhibition will remain open until November 3 and can be visited Tuesday to Sunday between 3- 8
PM, or by appointment outside the visiting hours.