Palimpsest Hourglass - Master's Degree Project
Palimpsest Hourglasses are a visual meditation on transformation and continuity. Two works in silent dialogue, they explore how matter melts, detaches, and is reborn, preserving the traces of every previous layer. What is lost from one is gradually rediscovered in the other — like a shared breath, a flow streaming back and forth between two mirrors. Nothing truly disappears; everything is transformed in an endless cycle of loss and renewal.
Developed over the course of two years as part of my Master’s research project, these works are structured upon the three alchemical stages: Nigredo, Albedo, and Rubedo — Death, Rebirth, and Perfection. The circle, the central element, functions as a portal. It concentrates the gaze and the energy, becoming a space for returning to oneself and symbolizing both ultimate fulfillment and the perpetual cycle of becoming. Many visitors have found themselves standing in the center of this circle, drawn by its hypnotic symmetry — as if they had entered, for a moment, their own inner axis.
The intricate craquelure serves as a poignant reminder of the "shedding" phase, peeling back layers of the psyche and integrating the shadow, in a manner akin to Jungian psychology. Rebirth is subtly evoked through the motif of steps, emerging delicately from beneath the layers.
In a world of noise, these works offer an anchoring point: an invitation to introspection where the viewer becomes a participant, and the space between the gaze and the image becomes a territory of transformation.
The Hourglasses’ surfaces bear the marks of time, like skin that regenerates itself. In areas where the color has thinned, an almost archaeological texture remains — fragile, yet weighted with memory. From this tension between what remains and what is let go, a mature beauty is born — one that does not fear imperfection but embraces it as a natural part of existence.
“Experiments” series
The final realization of this project was preceded by more than 30 small-scale experiments, conducted to master the desired cracking effect. This technical challenge arose from the unique fragility of the three superimposed compositions, where the surface layers — closest to the viewer — possess a higher degree of brittleness than the foundational ones. These preparatory studies eventually coalesced into a distinct collection of their own, titled, simply, "Experiments."
Within this chromatic choice lies a profound historical resonance: the yellow evokes Citrinitas, an ancient alchemical stage between Albedo and Rubedo that largely vanished from hermetic texts after the 14th century. Here, the hue symbolizes both this "lost" transition and the ultimate alchemical gold. Nestled within is a delicate red circle, serving as the work’s "silver lining" — the fil rouge of attainment. As the conventional color of Rubedo, this crimson accent signifies the final state of perfection, a subtle yet potent anchor in the perpetual cycle of transformation.
Completion
This intermediate presentation marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of "Palimpsest Hourglass 2," capturing the work at the threshold of its Completion(Rubedo) stage at the conclusion of the first Master’s year. Displayed alongside a curated selection of the semester's most evocative "Experiments," this iteration centers on the solar expressive power of the yellow circle—a radiant portal of light and gold.
The undeniable tension between the abundance of texture and its absolute absence, framed within a stark chiaroscuro, evokes a state of haunting transition. In this form, the work was featured in the 2022 exhibition "des[COMPUNERI]" at UNAgaleria in Bucharest. In that context, the "unfinished" black void signifies a rather visceral reality of the first alchemical step: the necessary dissolution before any rebirth can occur.
Death
This iteration of "Palimpsest Hourglass 1" captures the work at its most raw and evocative state: the Nigredo or "Death" stage, as presented at the end of the first Master’s semester. Shown alongside its incipient sketch, the contrast reveals a profound evolution of intent. While the initial study was dominantly white, the final work was intentionally left half-black — an aesthetic choice that articulates more powerfully a sense of degradation, disappearance, and irreversible destruction.
Trajectory
Throughout their evolution, both the Palimpsest series and the Experiments have established a significant presence within the national artistic landscape, being featured in prestigious institutional venues and curated showcases such as:
„Graduate Curated”, MARe | Museum of Recent Art, Bucharest (February 9 – May 20, 2024) — Featuring The Palimpsest Series
„National Salon of Contemporary Art” (SNAC), Painting Section, Visual Arts Center (Căminul Artei), Bucharest (October 15 – November 15, 2024) — Featuring The Palimpsest Hourglass 2
„The 24th National Exhibition of Small Scale Art”, Brăila, 2023— Featuring Selected Experiment
„Post-Utopia”, Goethe-Institut Bucharest & Fiți Cuminți Creative Fest (June 5–15, 2025) — Featuring Selected Experiments
„Probable Objects”, Duet Exhibition: Daniel Loagăr & Andreea-Eliza Petrov, „Alexandru Ștefulescu” Gorj County Museum, Târgu-Jiu (October 3–17, 2025) — Featuring The Palimpsest Hourglass 1
„Nuvo Nouveaux / Reality Under Construction”, Celula de Artă, „Prof. Ing. Dimitrie Leonida” National Technical Museum, Bucharest (July 4, 2025) — Featuring The Palimpsest Hourglass 1 and Experiments Assembly 1
„International Art Fair of Bucharest (MoBU)”, 2nd edition, Celula de Artă, RomExpo, Central Pavilion, C12 Stand, 29 May- 2 June, 2024) — Featuring Experiments Assembly 2
„des[COMPUNERI]”, UNAgaleria, Bucharest, 2022— Featuring ”Death” (The Palimpsest Hourglass 1)
„Perpetuum Creation”, Celula de Artă in collaboration with Pod Theatre, part of the „Mondday at the Attic” cultural series, Bucharest (November 2023) — Featuring The Palimpsest Series
„Essence”, Celula de Artă, Kulterra Gallery pop-up window, Bucharest (June 23 – July 22, 2023) — Featuring The Experiments Assembly 1
„Atelier 21+”, Painting Exhibition In Memoriam Cezar Atodiresei, Visual Arts Center (Căminul Artei), Bucharest (March 11–22, 2024) — Featuring Experiments Assembly 2
„Atelier 21+”, Visual Arts Center (Căminul Artei, 2023), Bucharest — Featuring Experiments Assembly 2
Re-„Limited Edition Art Fest” (Re-LEAF), Celula de Artă, Bragadiru Palace, Bucharest, inaugurated during Art Battle Bucharest, 3rd Edition (April 27 – May 19, 2024) — Featuring Selected Experiments
„The Collection of Celula de Artă”, Apolonia Cultural Center, Brașov (September 8 – October 5, 2025) — Featuring Selected Experiment
„Accumulation. Collection #5”, The Private Collection of Daniel Loagăr, Celula de Artă, Bucharest (January 22 – February 19, 2026) — Featuring Selected Experiment
