THE HOUSE OF THE PEOPLE

This imposing communist edifice, recalls the megalomaniacal obsessions of the dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. The irony of the building’s name is well known among Romanians, being rather a communist pretext to mask the truth: ‘The House of The People’ is not meant for ordinary people, mostly serving the political power (current Palace of the Parliament). Any grand construction involves sacrifice: in 1983, the dictator commanded the eradication of Bucharest’s Uranus neighbourhood in order to begin the construction of “THE HOUSE OF THE PEOPLE”.

This video is meant to project its ‘visitors’ into the geometrized interior of the palace, in which the human presence seems to be lost in the setting. It is an attempt to enliven a cold, impersonal space through a series of playful gestures and distorted perspectives (as in a ritual). In the end, the questions remain: Is it a waste of space? Does it deserve its reputation? Was it worth sacrificing the old neighbourhood? How long will this “patched” construction last?

Dora Huiban, born 2000, is an emerging artist, who lives in Bucharest, Romania. She graduated from the National University of Arts Bucharest. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree in Visual Arts (Photography and Dynamic Image). Her projects explore the connections between habitats and inhabitants (how do they influence each other?), focusing on metamorphosis and contamination. Since childhood, she has been intrigued by fantasy realms, which serves as a main source of inspiration. Her artistic practice involves large-scale installations with found objects, photographs, experimental films or recorded performances.