The Skater

A collective self-portrait of the new generation of artists, the Bucharest skater symbolizes the adaptability and extreme resilience of the urban rat, highlighting the strength of character and perseverance required by the contemporary artist to keep creating art under adverse conditions. Their continuous effort to push boundaries often clashes with societal reactions of marginalization or disgust toward the perceived bohemianism of those who choose art over a more conventional career—much like a rat trying to show off extraordinary skills, the coolest skateboard tricks, to an audience that sees it as a dangerous parasite.

This layered symbolism does not diminish the iconic nature of the sculpture; the duality of the human being has a long-standing tradition in cultural history, both secular and religious. Consider, for instance, depictions of Saint Christopher—the saint with a dog’s head. In Eastern interpretations, he belonged to a tribe of cynocephali who, in rejecting a warrior's path, mutilated themselves to be spared by the conquerors' armies. A narrative not so foreign to contemporary artists, who are used to wearing metaphorical masks just to occasionally reintegrate into society.