Alina Andrei is an artist, curator, and cultural mediator. Her installations capture fragments of a universal yet intimate reality. Her works often include paper cutouts or are made of cement. She publishes limited-edition fanzines and created the illustrations for the book The Luminous Expectation by Andrei Dósa, published by OMG Publishing. She firmly believes that art is not an elitist field but a universal language that can connect people from different backgrounds.
Why Women Choose the Bear (work in progress) is an art installation series with an explicitly educational purpose. Using symbolic imagery, such as theatrical reenactments of scenes that could — and do — take place in real life, it encourages viewers to reflect on the psychological and social factors behind choices shaped by instinct and gender-based violence.
The idea originated from a viral question circulating on social media: “Imagine you’re alone in the woods. Would you rather meet a bear or a random man?” Most women chose the bear. This shows that many women consider the possibility of being attacked by a wild animal less frightening than what a random man might do. In 2023, about 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed worldwide. Sixty percent of these murders were committed by intimate partners or family members. While the exact numbers may vary, the message remains clear. In comparison, the number of women killed by bears is extremely low. A study based on data from North America and Eurasia recorded 95 deaths caused by bear attacks over 15 years — about 6 per year.
For this installation, I used small plastic figurines and objects commonly found in architectural models or children’s games. This series represents a parallel extension of my photographic installations, continuing to explore layered stories with symbolic meanings.
