ARTMANIA THROUGH VOLUNTEER EYES
We are joined every year by close to 100 volunteers who share our passion for heavy guitars, fancy drum set-ups and bringing joy to thousands of people through really loud speakers. Take a look at this year’s edition through their eyes.
Photo credit: Ruxandra Secară
Photo Credit: Cristi Bogati
DAY 1, DAY OF MYTHS. SOME TRUE, SOME BUSTED.
Bianca Barbu
The beginning. True myth
How do you think ARTmania 2023 started? The first chords came from a collective ritual, establishing connections between man, art, and nature. The show Folket Bortafor Nordavinden put up was anything but conventional and it even went beyond the stage’s limits. The artists carved their own sacred space in front of it, and the spectators who had gathered curiously, simply resembled a group of believers, who were naturally attending the ceremony.
The drumming gave birth to an interactive circuit. Totem, sage, leaf branches, fire and beer: these are a few of the elements that turned the atmosphere solemn.
Curiosity reigned and it dominated the audience initially, but the people didn’t stay intimidated by the wooden totem or by how bizarre the entire context seemed, and stepped into the circle one by one, to “honor” the sculpture. Surprisingly, a sense of unity vibrated throughout the entire crowd who had spontaneously gathered around the band. The unusual will bring people together, it would seem.
Opening band. Busted myth
If you were ever under the impression that the opening bands never have a large audience, Samael came to ARTmania to bust this myth. Successfully. The front of the stage was buzzing with people’s enthusiasm even before they played their first note, and the energy between audience and the artists got better and harder with every song. From the first chords, the people in the first rows became one, their movement together looking more like the sea on a stormy day. Shouting, jumping, hair flailing about, fun – Samael’s fans came in ready for total madness.
Photo Credit: Ruxandra Secară
Photo Credit: Ruxandra Secară
Photo Credit: Tudor Călin Morariu
DAY 2. REPORTING FOR DUTY. OPENING BANDS ARE GREAT.
BIANCA BARBU
Vulture Industries
What I love seeing every time at ARTmania, is the diversity of artists who go up on stage. I didn’t need too much to figure out Vulture Industries have that little “something” that sets them apart from all the acts I’ve seen so far. The band managed to tell an entire story through their gaze and movement, though clearly, the music was the show’s heavy weight. The visual backdrop tied everything together into a prog metal music, which I hadn’t even considered was actually possible. And the audience played along. While the soloist kept the beat using a tambourine and drum stick, the crowd used the instrument they use best, their own palms, and called together with the singer. This entire scene made Bjørnar E. Nilsen look like an energy conductor. He went beyond music.
Photo Credit: Larisa Panțiru
Photo Credit: Larisa Panțiru
Koikoi
No matter how hard I may have tried to imagine, I couldn’t have come up with the things KOIKOI had prepared for ARTmania, and I’m fairly certain I could call them Saturday night’s “dessert”. The moment they stepped out on stage, their energy was so contagious I had to wonder what had been slipped into their food before the show. Their sound was colorful, scintillating, innovative and the band’s chemistry was magnetic to the audience. Even so, the stage proved to be barely enough for Marko Grabež, who took one step on the speaker, another on the pavement, and crossed the fence to eventually break down the barrier (metaphorically) between himself and his public. And he didn’t stop there. He encouraged everyone to be part of the show, even offering up his guitar, and the guy who joined the madness knew exactly what to do. That’s how the improv moment put together by KOIKOI featured a new guitar player, none other than Andrei, himself a volunteer within ARTmania. When their show was over, people stayed euphoric, some even exclaiming “I haven’t seen anything like this before!”
KALEIDOSCOPE OF PEOPLE. DAY 3
Ionela Pleșan
Rain caught us on the final day, and the blue capes took over the main square. Meanwhile, I talked to the volunteers. 🙂
I tried the backstage first. There was a lot of work, but with enormous satisfaction. “Seeing your favorite band right in front of your eyes was…wow.” I heard lovely stories about artists, their wishes, and how much effort was put into making them happy. The conclusion after the discussion was that it was all worth it, and networking backstage at ARTmania really matters if you know how to make use of it.
The access area had all the funny stories. From someone who couldn’t understand why they had to wait in line for so long, and started swearing at the volunteers in Hungarian, to the superpower displayed by the volunteers when they dissolved a queue in 15 minutes. Yes, ARTmania volunteers have their superpowers.
For the photographers, everything was like a “dream come true.”
I asked my colleagues how they ended up at the festival. I heard stories like “last year I was by the gate and wished I had participated, I loved the vibe” or “I had the courage and volunteered” or “I didn’t have money for a ticket, but I wanted to come.” Some said the best thing was when they looked through the photos and saw how happy people were. ”I liked the people who stopped me to take their pictures.”
“There was a guy from another country who saw me focusing a bit and told me to wait for a moment while he took out the flag of Mexico.” That picture turned out great.
“I sent pictures of people on social media, started conversations, gave restaurant recommendations, and things to do in Sibiu. In Huet, an American let us take pictures from his balcony above the stage, it was cool.“
Photo Credit: Ruxandra Secară
Photo Credit: Ruxandra Secară
Photo Credit: Ruxandra Secară
