MATKA 2016-2022

Who are we?

MATKA is a non-governmental, non-profit association, that combines the empathy for a social environment in urgent need of growth with the energy of the cultural and artistic segment, which is constantly expanding and materialising.?

The aim of the association is to engage in social, educational and cultural activities and to promote culture and arts in general, with a strong focus on contemporary art.?

MATKA's objectives include: supporting contemporary arts and culture, cultural intervention for social benefit, advocating for diversity and social equity, fostering community support, encouraging education, and a healthy and creative social environment and livability.?

Since its beginnings, MATKA works mainly in promoting culturally mediated education and growing collaborative work practices with groups of people in marginalised communities or vulnerable situations.?

At the same time, MATKA's work focuses on publishing, supporting over the years the production of several cultural and art publications.?

As a natural step, MATKA's work expanded to other areas related to its incipient activity, meaning the supporting and the production of contemporary art and culture.?

In its seven years of activity, MATKA has managed to gather an impressive collective of artists and other cultural practitioners around its initiatives. Although still at a micro level, its contribution has quickly become known in the national cultural environment, thus managing to develop relevant partnerships with local public institutions and other independent organisations and collectives.?

Currently, MATKA is: Mihaela C?rjan, Lea Rasovszky, Ana Catina and Anca Dima.??

MATKA believes that art and culturally mediated education have a long lasting impact which generates individuals with open and free mindsets and who are sensitive to society.?

MATKA's ACTIVITIES: 2016-2022 in brief

• contemporary art exhibitions aiming to encourage and promote young and emergent artists and curators ?
• artistic residency programs

Reziden?a21 is a platform for independent and experimental music initiated in 2020. Its program takes the form of research and production residencies for artists or training courses for people at the beginning of their career in music or sound.

• artist studios

MATKA, alongside a heterogeneous community of artists and other cultural workers, has initiated the independent space for artistic production studios located on the 1st floor of the historic Malmaison building in Bucharest, Calea Plevnei 137C, corp B.?

Since December 2020, MATKA manages and administers on a long term basis the space of approx. 800 sq.m. on the 1st floor of Malmaison which hosts 22 studios where 28 artists work, Cazul 101 artist-run space and IVAN Gallery.

• art fairs and freeshops with works, art prints, books, clothes and other objects, in collaboration with artists and designers in order to raise funds for educational projects or for artists
• culturally mediated educational programs, especially aimed to vulnerable groups, in collaboration with public institutions, independent organisations and collectives

Creative Spaces for Education is an ongoing initiative of MATKA that aims to refurbish state institutions involved in the education of minors and to introduce arts and culturally mediated activities into the curriculum.?

• contemporary art and cultural publications