Mihai Iepure-Górski

A prophet in exile
In a scenario where art is a religion with history of art being the doctrine/dogma, artists become interpreters, teachers and performers of the law and "congregations" gather in awe for their sermons with the occasion of shows and exhibits. In every generation there are those that are particularly gifted, specially blessed and favored in the eyes of the Gods, those that have a special ease in understanding and practicing that which is difficult and it often happens that these are the ones chosen to be leaders, forebearers and prophets. For the sake of an exercise, we will assume that me, Mihai Iepure-Górski, were such artist, or a prophet so to speak.
During the time of my stay there, the apartment space in Vienna will become a place of seclusion, isolation and solitude where traces and signs of heavens shall be searched for and recorded for the purpose of writing a NEW (you got that right) sermon. It will also work as a shelter away from my detractors, accusers and opponents from my own locality and country. As it often happens in the case of revealed doctrine, it is not clear what the end of my secluded effort shall be, what I have clear at this point is that I will be documenting in writing, drawing, photographs and/or video every effort and step taken during my exile.

Premise:
As previously stated, during the time of my stay there, the apartment space in Vienna was seen as a place of seclusion, isolation and solitude where traces and signs of heavens were to be searched for and recorded for the purpose of writing a sermon – this in the frames of an exercise where art was to be taken as organized religion with history of art being the doctrine/dogma and artists as interpreters, teachers and performers of the law with some specially skilled becoming leaders and prophets. The O2 apartment was taken also as a shelter away from my detractors, accusers and opponents from my own locality and country.
The type of exile I practiced in the frames of my residence was something quite common for some of the most emblematic Romanian figures from the last few centuries, who, upon their return home from their seclusion (in Vienna, Paris or other important European metropolises) would become catalysts for important social, political or cultural changes. It was the case of great revolutionaries from the 19th century, important artists from early 20th century and others.

Development:
Contrary to how things unfolded for my forebearers, like those revolutionaries and important artistic figures, where the place of seclusion became a place of infusion with foreign wisdom and understanding that would serve to shift (improve?) mind set and positioning, I wanted to keep myself away from being influenced. Soon after my arrival this has become the main goal of my stay. I decided that instead of being influenced myself, as I would see that as a way of mind and positioning and strategies and work modalities conquest by what I see as remnants of the Austrian Empire culture and logic, I would become the conqueror and attempt to make a decisive impact, imprint on the city of Vienna. Instead of being marked by the city, I would mark the city with my presence.

The Space of The Mind
The space inhabited by the mind is perfectly circular. It is sized just a tip larger than the maximum length one's hands and legs can reach, outstretched. It is the space defined by one’s presence and that defines one’s presence. The space of the mind is empty and dark as it has no color. (fragments of notes taken during the residence)
Thus, my mind space or my presence so to speak would have to mark the city and become a factor of disturbance, perturbance, influence and transformation.

Ways I marked the city during my stay:
1. Daily walks around a certain perimeter and on a certain path in the city that was set to become my path or the path of my presence, and that would become clearer in time, the same way a path becomes clear in a forest from repeated footsteps along the same lines.
2. Takeaways from my outside excursions. I decided to take something away from the city, the same way a foreign culture makes space in the space of one’s mind when it infuses it with its own logic. Where something new comes in, it removes what is already there. As I walked along my path, my presence would make space for itself by removing/capturing pieces of the city (wooden sticks that were taken to and inhabited the studio with me for the time of my stay).
3. Conversations – talking to my peers (people in the artworld, my hosts in MQ, friends, others) became a way to infuse and influence so that my presence would not be limited to the time of my stay but would gain a more permanent character.

Conclusion:
My viennese contact was temporarily interrupted by my flight back home on the 30th of October. The space of my mind though has left an impact and has become a permanent influence on the European Capital. As I exercised my powers and work modalities, my prophetic stance, the city has grown anew.