The real me is the voice inside my head

Bogdan Ciocodeică's first solo exhibition explores the relationship between inner experience and physical form, examining the idea of being seen in our purest, most honest form. About The Real Me Is the Voice Inside My Head is a series of objects that examines the idea of "being seen" and "allowing oneself to be seen." It explores the inherently human need to be seen in our purest, most honest form, in contrast with the fear of not being accepted for who we are at our core. The title stems from the idea of the inner monologue, the inner voice that narrates thoughts, weighs decisions and responds to conversations, all before we have even uttered a sound. Some people may experience it as a constant flow, others only occasionally, while some do not experience it at all, thinking instead through images, abstract concepts or various emotions that simply emerge. Whatever the case and whatever the way in which the external world is processed, the personal inner universe is the place closest to the true self, the place of greatest sincerity. The Real Me Is the Voice Inside My Head is the premise of Bogdan Ciocodeică's first solo exhibition, tracing his journey from designer to visual artist as part of processes of self-assessment, dialogue and formal expansion. At first glance, The Real Me Is the Voice Inside My Head is the statement of a self that recognizes itself only through interiority and that, precisely for this reason, remains impossible to show. The works unfold in the space between transparency and opacity, testing how much of that self that "thinks thoughts" can be made visible without being betrayed in the very same gesture. Within this framework, the artist's transition from design to art—a transgression with a long history that began in the middle of the twentieth century—becomes part of the argument. Design measures the object through its function, whereas art frees it from this obligation and allows it to have an existence of its own, often outside immediate reality. Bogdan Ciocodeică is a Romanian architect and designer whose multidisciplinary practice moves fluidly between interior space and furniture. Trained as an architect, his practice has gradually shifted from the built environment towards the object, developing, alongside his interior architecture work, a series of collectible pieces and objects. The two fields are not treated as separate disciplines, but rather as complementary forms of expression, both stemming from a sustained interest in material, form and the physical presence an object acquires. In his recent work, these concerns have become increasingly personal and introspective, exploring the relationship between inner experience and the ways in which it can take physical form. Objects become carriers of narratives, emotional states and processes of transformation, often speaking of identity, vulnerability, protection and the tension between what we choose to reveal and what remains hidden. Function does not necessarily disappear, but becomes ambiguous: at times present, at times merely suggested, placing the objects in a territory between functionality and autonomous sculptural form. Processes of material experimentation and making occupy a central place in his practice. Working closely with specialised craftspeople and manufacturers, Ciocodeică approaches the making of an object not simply as the execution of a predetermined design, but as a continuation of the creative process. It is a collaboration in which material, technique and the experience of the person bringing the work into being also contribute to its final form. Funded by the Municipality of Timișoara through the Timișoara Project Centre. Partners: Union of Romanian Architects (UAR), Romanian Order of Architects (OAR) – Timiș Territorial Branch, Stage Tech, RIDL, THE INSTITUTE, Insula 42, Unicat, Zeppelin. Read more Toggle Sculpture Installation Mixed media