The School of Applause by Nona Inescu is a performative intervention/audio initiation that reimagines the ancestral action of clapping/applause as a collective ritual.Inspired by the historical significance of applause as acclamation, validation, and communication, the project explores this universal gesture and its resonance in today's interconnected world. Central to the project are the clappers – ancient chimera-like sculptures reminiscent of Old Kingdom and Middle Kingdom Egypt hand-shaped ivory clappers, used in Hathoric rituals. Crafted from brass and bronze, each pair of clappers is a porto-percussion instrument, emitting distinct sound resonances that evoke primal rhythms and connections.

Nona Inescu (b. 1991) lives and works between Berlin, Germany, and Bucharest, Romania. She completed her studies in the summer of 2016 at the National University of Arts in Bucharest (Photography and Video Department) after studying at the Chelsea College of Art & Design in London (2009-2010) and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp (2010-2011). Her artistic practice is interdisciplinary and includes photography, installation, sculptures, and video works. Based on a theoretical and literary perspective, the works focus on the relationship between the human body and the environment and the redefinition of this subject in a post-humanist key.

Objects, concept, and audio guide: Nona Inescu
Performers: Alexandra Statache, Octavia Varteniuc & Bianca Scarlat.

Join us on 17.05 - 19h30, at Catinca Tabacaru Gallery @ RAD Art fair

This event takes place in the frame of the project Chak-chak-chak! Re-reading rituals, co-financed by AFCN. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not to be held responsible for the content of the project, nor for the ways in which the results of the project might be used. Those are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the grant.

Educational event co-funded by the SHAPE+ platform. SHAPE+ is a three-year initiative co-funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe programme. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.