Dragoste Gallery

Amor

(ART WORLD FAIRS Marbella, 2026)

Yesterday, I sold my very first Amor t-shirt artwork. It was acquired by an art curator from Ukraine. Connecting and conversing with true contemporary art appreciators was nice. We discussed many aspects of actuality, and then she returned to take home my first piece from the fair.

It all happened right after I displayed my improvised business cards at the booth. I crafted them on the spot, using the raw cardboard boxes I used to carry groceries from Aldi to the car. A cashier looked at me and said, “Smart!” - unaware of the daily Romanian habit of skipping plastic bags. But honestly, who prints traditional business cards anymore? I needed something raw that truly embodied my commitment to recycling and found materials. It brought back memories of winning an art contest years ago with a text written on a scrap piece of cardboard pulled straight from a restaurant’s trash.

In this installation featuring red T-shirts (a tribute to Spain’s “Furia Roja”), set right next to the red neon brought from my home gallery—the core of my space—the red dot now marks the exact spot of the missing T-shirt.
To add to this energy, another tote bag has been reserved since before the opening by the fair’s organizers.
Thank you all for support me, I truly appreciate it. 🙏✨

5 DAYS / 5,000€ (ART WORLD FAIRS Marbella, 2026)

The story behind this work is the transition of all the effort, financial sacrifice, and physical journey into an honest piece of ready-made / installation conceptual art.

This inflatable car mattress served as our bed for 5 consecutive nights in gas stations, driving 3,500 km from Sibiu to Marbella (700 km/day)

Placed directly over the packed artworks inside the car, the all in one Begger/Magician/Creator/Adjudecator manifested his power through heat and pressure, staining the mattress with the gold pigment of his shelf and permanently transferring it onto the bottom right corner.

This piece wasn’t brought from home - it was born right here in Marbella, after the fair organizers offered us an extra exterior wall for our booth. In this setting, surrounded by the sea, the road, golden sand, and opulent wealth, the mattress felt like the ultimate statement.

High-society collectors and Marbella’s elite were visibly shocked by the price tag and intrigued by the installation. Unsure how to perceive it, they found themselves caught in a deliberate state of confusion—a disruption designed to provoke a fundamental question: What is art, truly? And what actually holds value?

That’s where I wrote the price tag: €5,000.

Most people remain completely unaware of the immense effort every artist puts into their work to resist the harsh reality that shatters everyone’s dreams. That is precisely why I wrote the price tag: €5,000. It reflects the exact total cost of making this exhibition happen:
• €1,350 stand fee
• €1,400 borrowed for transport
• €1,200 accommodation (from advanced birthday gift funds)
• + travel & daily expenses.

And today, this installation goes up for auction - right where I sell my personal objects and memorabilia to keep funding my art. Now, while I actually need it - not after I’m gone, just for auction houses to profit off my belongings. Why shouldn’t I sell them myself, right now?

5 days on the road. €5,000 invested. The Magician’s manifestation gold imprinted on the surface we slept on. A true physical & symbolic trace of the journey.

It all started with how I actually managed to get where

Lot 73 🖼️
Title: End

The work is built on a black surface, over which I wrote “The End” using the visual language of a digital clock.

It translates the lyric “You end I… we’ll never be together” from the song In a Glimpse by Grimus, part of the album Unmanageble Species.

The digital clock suggests an irreversible moment - a fixed time that cannot be rewound, only acknowledged.

“The End” is not just an ending, but a timestamp of separation.

Starting price: €1,550
Romania price: €124

Price calculated using the European linear centimeter formula:
(Width + Height) × K

For this work, K = 50 - the standard coefficient recommended by galleries for established artists.

With over 20 years of practice, multiple exhibitions, and works with cultural impact, my coefficient falls within the European professional range (K = 40–60).

This piece holds a special status: it is the original artwork behind an album cover for Grimus - a defining name in Romanian alternative rock.

Estimated market value (11 × 20 cm original): €1,500-€2,000

This valuation reflects:
– the uniqueness of the original work
– its public and cultural exposure
– its role in shaping a musical release

The artwork carries a dual signature: my artistic identity “Dragoste” and the visual identity of Grimus.

Owning this piece means owning a fragment of the visual history of that release.

No gallery commission applies - the full amount goes directly to the artist.

Lotul 24 a fost adjudecat pentru 100 💶🔨
Prețul de pornire a fost 104 Eur.

Am făcut o poză amintre cu cuiul rămas în perete, acolo unde a fost agățată lucrarea.

Acolo eram eu în clasa I, la sfârșitul ciclului 1 de reîncarnare.
Lucrarea e pe suport ceramic: un material de sfârșit. De obicei ajunge pe cruci.

Am realizat-o în cadrul proiectului Mindstream, unde urmăresc migrarea minții dintr-un corp în altul, în cicluri de 7 ani.

Lucrarea a fost cumpărată de un artist român contemporan cunoscut la nivel mondial, care a vrut să-mi susțină demersul.
A preferat să rămână anonim.

S-a vândut anul trecut, la FITS.
A ajuns să o ia abia acum.

Nu mai expun în ediția din acest an pentru că organizatorii nu mai pot suporta costurile. Le-am propus alt demers, gratis, un performance prin care să arăt cm dau jos lucrările de pe perete pentru că nu găsesc susținere în România și le duc să le expun în Spania la Marbella pe 28 iulie- 2 august.
Dar nu au mai răspuns la mail, deși voiam doar să arăt că mă descurc chiar și în lipsa suportului și să transmit un posibil indiciu de ce migrează mințile în alte țări, care primesc și răsplătesc mai bine cultura.
Știu, nu e de datoria lor să susțină arta vizuală.
Ok nu e important ajutorul dar prin ocuparea piaței Huet la sfârșitul acestei luni, indirect opresc și șansa altora de a-și vinde marfa. Din cauza asta s-a anulat Artizan Huet și aveam în plan să vând merch la tarabă direct oamenilor.

Astfel s-au dus două surse de venit pe care mă bazam să plătesc chiria la galerie și drumul/cazarea la Marbella. Mai rămân însă trei posibilități să strâng cei 10.000 necesari:
1. Să primesc banii pe comanda de 50 de tricouri, pentru care m-am împrumutat ca să plătesc furnizorul și la care am muncit ultimele două luni.
2. Să intre banii de la Asigurări Țiriac care mai au să-mi plătească daune la bicicletă după ce o mașină nu s-a asigurat și a virat în mine pe pista de biciclete în timp ce mă deplasam la galerie, chiar în timpul expoziției la Fits de acum doi ani. Tot atunci se termina și ciclul 5 de reîncarnare, deci e firesc cumva sfârșitul colaborării. Și începutul unuia nou, Spania.
3. Să împrumut iar de la tatăl meu.

Lot 70 🖼️ 224 €

Acrylic on bitumen taken from where I found the bracelet, 26 cm × 27 cm × 3 cm, 2016

This work reminds me of the times when I used to see hearts everywhere..
But today, it means something else—a ‘mărțișor’ cast aside, much like how the public domain has trampled over my art. They refused to let me participate with my new mărțișor design on a t-shirt, simply because the Mărțișor Fair on Bălcescu Street doesn’t accept clothing items.

I hit bureaucratic barrier again. It is frustrating when an artist’s vision is limited by rigid rules, especially when you propose something innovative, such as a “mărțișor” worn on a t-shirt (an excellent idea for keeping tradition alive in a modern format).

Since I bring Dragoste to the table as a hybrid brand—gallery + clothing + object, for me, apparel is part of the discourse, not just merchandise.

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For strangers who don’t know “Martisor” is a Romanian Spring Talisman.

This red and white bracelet is traditionally worn on March 1st in Romania.
It symbolizes the arrival of spring, renewal, protection and hope.
It is offered as a small gesture of care and connection.