The Codex-Based Painting Installation: Gheorghe Virtosu and the Emergence of Epistemic Painting

This preprint introduces the concept of the Codex-Based Painting Installation, a proposed exhibition methodology in which a monumental central painting is conceived together with one or more companion codex paintings that function as indispensable components of a unified installation. Unlike catalogues, preparatory studies, theoretical publications, or interpretive wall texts, the companion codex painting operates simultaneously as an autonomous artwork and as a structural instrument through which the central painting is interpreted. Through a comparative examination of historical painting traditions, artist-authored theoretical writings, conceptual art, systems-oriented artistic practice, and contemporary artistic research, the study evaluates existing precedents against six analytical characteristics defining the proposed methodology. Within the scope of the literature examined, no documented exhibition methodology satisfying all six characteristics was identified. Using the artistic practice of Gheorghe Virtosu as its principal case study, the article proposes the concept of Epistemic Painting as a methodological framework in which paintings function not only as aesthetic objects but also as instruments of knowledge production, conceptual organization, and interdisciplinary artistic research. The paper positions the Codex-Based Painting Installation as a distinct analytical category within the broader field of artistic research and exhibition studies. This preprint is made available to facilitate scholarly discussion and feedback prior to submission for peer-reviewed publication.