In her installation Comfort (2022) Simona Mihaela Stoia represents the inevitable but starkly different forces of man and forces of nature that conquer a space, resulting in continuous reconstruction.

Nestled in the quaint village of Saint-Cirq Lapopie, Stoia draws upon not only its rich history but also its transformation. This year, Stoia utilizes both artificial objects and nature found throughout the village in the making of Comfort (2022). Objects such as earplugs portray the significance of the Second World War particularly in reference to the Surrealist movement. Alternatively, the scattering of vibrant m&m’s at the base of the piece reveals a certain absurdity. Stoia sees the texture and the relationships between colors as means of construction. In the artist’s own words, “I built this as a painting in my head.

The silent apparition of a brute confusion’

2022 , Simona Mihaela Stoia

The subconscious, which was an important source of inspiration for surrealist artists, plays a crucial part

in Simona Mihaela Stoia’s artistic process. She combines memory and composition with intuitive

gestures. Rather than being inspired by surrealism, however, many of the participating artists respond to

the specificity of the village, especially the contrast between the urge to preserve its historical heritage and

the contemporary reality of the many second residencies and tourism-oriented characte

Simona Mihaela Stoia

For this last edition of Radicale 1924 , Simona Mihaela Stoia made 2 paintings in echo with the village of Saint Cirq Lapopie

'I go outside, I see things they generate something else. I don’t know why. And then I have to go back out in the real world, and search for subject matter, to actually put on the canvas. That’s the challenging part. The idea is so pure, but when you put it out, it starts to diminish. How do I keep it as sharp, as vivid, as it was in my mind? There is a transparency, an abstraction in my work that is connected to the subconscious. The experience in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie made me see this clearer. I didn’t fully grasp this before. For my art practice, and my awareness of what I’m doing, being there has been extremely important.' Simona Mihaela Stoia in conversation with Tamara Beheydt , January 2024