Matei Bejenaru (born 1963) is an artist and founder of Periferic Biennial in Iasi, Romania. Established in 1997 as a performance festival, Periferic transformed into an international artist-run contemporary art biennial defined as a platform for discussions on the historical, socio-political, and cultural contexts of the city. With a group of artists and philosophers from Iasi, Bejenaru founded the Vector Association in 2001, a contemporary art institution that supported the local emerging art scene to become locally and internationally visible. Together with a group of artists and professors he founded in 2015 the Center of Contemporary Photography in Iasi.
Between 2011 and 2012  he was a visiting professor at Université du Québec à Montréal (Canada). 
In his recent artistic projects, he is researching the materiality of the photographic medium and politics of representation in documentaty format. Using the analogue technological platform, he is focussing on photographic process as a witness of the crisis of singularity and artistic commitment.
He is teaching photography and video at "George Enescu" Arts University in Iasi.

Matei Bejenaru collaborates with Anca Poterasu Gallery in Bucharest.

Solo exhibitions (selection)
2021 – "Print", ARTEP Gallery Iași (RO), curator: Cristian Nae
2020 – "Slide/Diapozitiv", SwitchLab Art Space Bucharest (RO), curator: Cristian Nae
2019 – "Same Histories", Spinnerei Galerie Leipzig (D), curator: Cristina Stoenescu
2018 – "Prut", Galerie Arts et essay, Rennes (F), curator: Bruno Elisabeth
2018 – "Prut – Image and Territory", Victoria Gallery Iași (RO), Museum of Romanian Peasant Bucharest (RO), curator: Cristina Stoenescu
2018 – "Reflector", apARTe Gallery Iași (RO), curator: Anca Mihuleț
2016 – "The steps, the words and the usual", Anca Poterasu Gallery, Bucharest, curator: Anca Mihulet
2013 – "Projects 1993/2000", tranzit.iasi, curator: Livia Pancu
2013 – "From A to B", Cupola Gallery Iasi, curator: Livia Pancu 2
2012 - "Art into Life / Life into Art", The Artery Gallery, North Adams (Massachussets, SUA), curator: Izabel Galliera
2011 – "Lupta cu inertia / Battling Inertia", Andreiana Mihail Gallery, Bucharest (RO)
2011 – "Projects 2008-2010", Contemporary Art Gallery of the Brukenthal Museum Sibiu (RO)
2009 – "M3 – Work, Memory, Movement", Cupola Gallery Iaşi (RO)
2009 – "Double Stereo", Galerie ERSEP Tourcoing (F) (with Yves Robuschi), curators: Ivan Polliart and Christelle Manfredi
2007 – "Ghid de calatorie", Galeria Posibila, Bucharest (RO)
2005 – "Travelling Guide", Insert in the IDEA Art Magazine, Cluj (RO)
2005 – "Strawberry Fields Forever", Galeria Noua, Bucharest (RO)
2002 – "Salut / Ave Bachtalo", Offspace Gallery, Vienna (A)
2002 – "Mehr Chancen Fur Unsere Jugend", Kulturkontakt Gastatelier, Vienna (A)
1996 – "9 Days", "Cupola" Gallery, Iasi (RO)

Group Exhibitions (selection)
2021 – "Heartbeat 20", Kunsthalle Bega, curator :Călin Dan
2021 – "The Show that Never Was", Anca Poterașu Bucharest, curator : Cristina Stoenescu
2020 – "Europa Wonderland", Contrasens Associacion Timișoara (RO), curator : Olivia Nitiș
2020 – "In Midst of the Worst, the Best Times", Litost Gallery Praga, curator: Cristina Stoenescu
2019 – "Abis", film premiere, BOZAR Bruxelles, Europalia Festival, curator : Marie-Eve Tesch
2019 – "Domestic Dissidence", Victoria Gallery Iași (RO), curator : Radu Carnariu
2019 – "The principle of Migration", New York Foundation for the Arts, curator: Olivia Nitiș

2018 – "Orient", KIM Riga (Letonia), BOZAR Bruxelles (B), Bunkier Stuki Cracovia (PL), curator: Michal Novotny
2018 – "Memory as Vision", Paintbrush Factory Cluj-Napoca (RO), curator: Horea Avram
2018 – "Din unghiuri diferite / At different angles", MNAC București, curator: Simona Vilău
2017 – "netWorks", MAGMA Sf. Gheorghe, curator: Agnes Evelin Kisspal
2016 – "Clinical architectures for a compositionist future", Camera Plus – Biennial for Contemporary Photography, Iasi, , curator: Catalin Gheorghe
2016 – "Industrisemester", Maskinhuset, Grängesberg, Sweden, curator: Johan Norling
2016 – "Innersound Media Arts Festival", București, curator: Ciprian Ciuclea
2016 – "Factory of facts and other stories", Salonul de proiecte Bucharest, curator: Alina Serban
2016 – "Teatri i Gjelbërimit: A Retrospective of Art about Public Space, Tirana (1998–2016)", FAB Gallery, Tirana, curators: Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei, Stefano Romano, Ardian Isufi
2016 – "In Plain Sight. Social Life in Contemporary Photography from South Africa and Romania", apARTe Gallery, Iași, curator: Cristian Nae
2015 – "Brave New World – Romanian Migrants' Dream Houses", Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Berlin
2015 – "In times of hope and unrest: critical art from Iasi", MNAC Bucharest, curators: Catalin Gheorghe si Cristian Nae
2015 – "Cartographies", McDaniel College, Maryland, SUA, curator : Izabel Galliera 2015 – "Timisoara Art Encounters", curators : Rainald Schumaher & Nathalie Hoyos
2015 – "Pocket Revolutions", Korea Foundation Seul (Coreea de Sud), curator: Simona Nastac
2014 – "Power and Play", Summer of Photography Bruxelles (B), De Markten, curator: Christophe de Jaegger
2014 – "Paralele intersectate / Intersected Parralels : 5 positions in Romanian Contemporary Photography", Galeria Cupola Iasi (RO)
2013 – "AGORA", Athens Biennial (GR), curator: Despina Zefkili
2012 – "2012-2013 Associate Artists", Kettle's Yard, University of Cambridge (UK), curator: Elizabeth Fischer
2012 – One Sixth of the Earth. Ecologies of Image, Museo de arte contemporaneo de Castilla et Leon (ES), curator: Mark Nash
2011 – "Living Today", Glasgow School of Art (UK), curator: Jenny Brownrigg
2011 – "Vector Association at Western Front", Western Front Vancouver (CA), curators: Livia Pancu & Jesse McKee
2011 – Artists' Film Club, ICA London, curator: Cylena Simonds
2011 – "Songs for a better future", PerformIC Festival, Innsbruck (A), curator: Andrei Siclodi
2010 – "The Haifa Mediterranian Biennial", Haifa (IL), curator: Belu Fainaru
2010 – "Over the counter", Mucsarnok Museum Budapest (HU), curators: Eszther Lazar, Zsolt Petranyi
2010 – "Songs for a better future", KNOT project, Bucharest (RO), curator: Raluca Voinea
2010 – "Best Laid Plans", The Drawing Room London (UK), curator: Cylena Simmonds
2010 – "Critical Point", Vector Association participation at Frieze Projects London (UK), curator: Livia Pancu
2010 – "Image at work", INDEX Stockholm and the Romanian Cultural Institute in Stockholm (S), curator: Helena Holmberg
2009 – "Dacia", Lille 3000 series of exhibitions and events, Galerie Comune Tourcoing (F), curator: Christelle Manfredi
2009 – "Performing the East", Salzburger Kunstverein (A), curator: Hemma Schmutz
2008 – "Schengen", Finekost Gallery Berlin, curator: Aaron Moulton
2008 – Taipei Biennial, Taiwan, curators: Manray Shu and Vasif Kortun
2008 – "Spa Port", Banja Luka (Bosnia), curator: Ana Nikitovic
2008 – "Move On", Futura Art Center Prague (CZ), curator: Alberto di Stefano
2007 – "If you find this world bad, you should see some of the others", Prague Biennial 3, curator: Simona Nastac
2007 – " The Irresistible Force", Tate Modern London – Level 2 Gallery, curator: Ben Borthwick
2007 – "Blurrr 6" Performance Festival, Tel Aviv, curator: Sergio Edelsztein
2007 – "Social Cooking Romania", NGBK Berlin (D), curator: Dan Mihaltianu
2006 – "Journey Against the Current – Kuba", Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, Nestroyhof, Vienna
2006 – "Check-in Europe – Reflecting Identities in Contemporary Art", European Pattent Office, München, Germany, curator: Marius Babias
2005 – " Situated Self", Museum for Contemporary Art Belgrade (Serbia); Tennis Art Palace, Helsinki (FI), curators: Branko Dimitrević & Mika Haanula
2005 – "Motion Parade", Fotogalerie Vienna (A), curator: Alina Serban.
2005 – "Just a Doubt", Manhattan Gallery Łodz (PL), curator: Ivan Polliart
2004 – "I Am Here You Are There..", GFZK Leipzig (D), curator: Barbara Steiner
2004 – "The Roma Show", Minoriten Gallery Graz (A), Jana Koniarka Gallery Trnava (SK), Skuc Gallery Ljubljana (SLO)
2003 – "Superbia", Dublin (Ireland), curator: Stephen Brandes
2003 – "U-Topos", Tirana Biennial 2, Albania, curator: Branislava Dimitrevic
2002 – "Mope 02", Performance Festival, Vasa (FI), curator: Markus Lerviks
2002 – "Akt 2" Performance Festival, Brno (CZ), curator: František Kowolowski
2002 – "Personal-Public Space", Cacak (Serbia), curator: Zoran Eric
2002 – "Ebent" Performance Festival, CCCB Barcelona (E), curator: Maria Cosmes
2001 – 49th Venice Biennial, Context Project, Romanian Pavilion, Venice (I), curator: Alexandru Patatics
2001 – Fabs Show, Poznanski Factory, Lodz, Poland, curator: Malgorzata Sidor
2001 – 'Never Stop The Action", Steirischer Herbst Festival, Rotor Graz (A), curators; Margarethe Makovec & Anton Lederer
2000 – "Peripheric Roads", Around the Coyote Gallery, Chicago, curator: Olga Stefan
2000 – "Transferatu", Ifa Gallery, Berlin (D), curator: Dan Mihălţianu

Selected videos:
2020 – “Peripheric Roads”, HD video transfer from Super16 film, 11min.
2019 – “Abis”, HD video transfer from Super16 film, 24min.
2016 – "Moldova", HD video transfer from Super16 film, 10min.
2014 – "The wall of J.H.", HDV, 30min.
2014 – "The band without a name", HDV, 30min 2010 – "Battling Inertia", HDV, 14min.
2010 – "From afar", HDV, 5min.
2009 – "A.S.B.T", HDV, 14min.
2007 – "Maersk Dubai", DVD, 8min.
2003 – "Alexandru cel Bun" – Epilogue, DVD, 6 min.