The Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing organizes, between May 8 and June 11, 2026, the exhibition “Resurrection – Creation and Restoration”, signed by the visual artist Elena Murariu, together with a series of conferences dedicated to the restoration of mural heritage, presented by Elena Murariu and Florian Petrescu at the headquarters of ICR Beijing and at the headquarters of ICOMOS China, on May 9 and respectively May 13, 2026.
The exhibition “Resurrection – Creation and Restoration” will be inaugurated on Friday, May 8, at 18:00, at the headquarters of ICR Beijing in Galaxy SOHO and brings together 44 works, among which 24 icons executed in graphic and watercolor techniques, as well as an extensive selection of documentary photographs capturing fragments from the mural painting restoration activity carried out by Elena Murariu together with her husband, architect Assoc. Prof. Dr. Florian Petrescu, during the last 25 years, on important conservation sites in Romania. The images originating from representative monuments such as the Infirmary Church of Bistrița Monastery, Gura Motrului Monastery, Fundenii Doamnei Church and Viorești Church testify not only to the complexity of the restoration process, but also to the profound connection between the act of heritage conservation and artistic inspiration, restoration becoming, in the artist’s vision, a form of recovering memory and of rebirth through beauty.
The more than twenty graphic works brought together in the exhibition propose, in the spirit of the Byzantine artistic tradition, an ample visual meditation on the theme of the Resurrection, the central nucleus of Christian spirituality. Among the represented iconographic scenes are “The Descent into Hell” — one of the defining images of Orthodox Christianity —, “The Myrrh-bearing Women at the Tomb”, “The Angel Announcing the Resurrection”, “The Supper at Emmaus”, “Christ Appearing to the Apostles at the Sea of Tiberias” or “The Resurrection of the Savior”, a theme originating in the Western tradition but integrated over time into Orthodox iconography as well. Other works, such as “Jonah Emerging from the Whale” and “Daniel Taken out of the Lions’ Den”, evoke Old Testament episodes that symbolically foreshadow the Resurrection of Christ. A special place is occupied by the scene “The Resurrection of Lazarus”, an essential moment of the Paschal cycle, taking place on the eve of Holy Week and considered a prefiguration of the universal resurrection. The entire iconographic ensemble is realized in accordance with the testimonies of the Holy Apostles and with the tradition of the Byzantine Hermeneia, which refined over centuries the narrative, symbolic and spiritual dimension of ecclesiastical art.
Alongside the works dedicated to the theme of the Resurrection, the exhibition also includes representative creations from some of Elena Murariu’s most important artistic cycles, such as “Angel Wings”, “The Burning Bush”, “The Parables of the Savior” and “Constantin Brâncoveanu – The Power of Vision”. Their presence completes the exhibition itinerary through a reflection upon Romanian spiritual and cultural memory, while at the same time evoking the artistic and symbolic universe of the Brâncovenesc era. In this context, it must be recalled that the Holy Brâncoveanu Martyrs occupy a fundamental place in the spirituality of the Romanian Orthodox Church, while the monuments presented in the exhibition preserve direct connections with the Brâncoveanu family or with the artistic influence of the Brâncovenesc style.
Through its thematic structure and visual construction, the exhibition “Resurrection – Creation and Restoration” constitutes a reflection upon memory, continuity and the safeguarding of spiritual heritage, affirming, through the language of art, the values of beauty, faith and hope.
The exhibition will be continued by the conference “The Resurrection in the Restoration of the National Heritage of Mural Painting”, presented by Elena Murariu on Saturday, May 9, at 11:00, at the headquarters of ICR Beijing. The conference will take place in Romanian language, with translation into Chinese.
On May 13, the second conference will take place, “Dialogues on Restoration Themes: Sharing Experiences and Innovative Methods in the Conservation of National Heritage”, presented by Florian Petrescu at the headquarters of ICOMOS China in Beijing.
Elena Murariu is one of the most appreciated and recognized artists of contemporary sacred art in Romania, distinguished both through her artistic creation and through her exceptional contributions in the field of mural heritage restoration. With an activity spanning more than three decades, the artist has organized more than 30 personal exhibitions and participated in more than 50 collective exhibitions in Romania and in important international cultural centers such as Paris, Athens, Barcelona, Lisbon and New York, establishing herself as one of the representative voices of the contemporary reinterpretation of the Romanian Byzantine tradition. Her project dedicated to the Brâncoveanu Martyrs — materialized in the album and documentary film “Constantin Brâncoveanu: The Power of Vision” — is considered one of the most important recent contributions to the visual and spiritual recovery of Romanian historical memory. In parallel, Elena Murariu coordinated and carried out restoration interventions on emblematic monuments of the national heritage, such as Bistrița Monastery, Topolnița Monastery, Dintr-un Lemn Monastery and the Early Christian site of Halmyris, contributing directly to the safeguarding and transmission of mural painting ensembles of exceptional historical value. Her activity was rewarded with the Prize of the Ministry of Culture for the Restoration of Historical Monuments (2008), numerous distinctions of the Union of Fine Artists and the “Holy Brâncoveanu Martyrs” Medal awarded by the Romanian Patriarchate, recognitions that confirm her national prestige and the international relevance of her work in the field of heritage and contemporary sacred art.
Architect Assoc. Prof. Dr. Florian Petrescu is Associate Professor at the Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest and one of the pioneers of the application of GIS technologies, photogrammetry and remote sensing in the documentation and conservation of cultural heritage in Romania. A graduate of the University of Bucharest, specialization Mathematics–Computer Science, and Doctor in Civil Engineering, he contributed decisively to the development of professional GIS infrastructures in Romania and to the introduction of advanced digital methods in the research of historical monuments. He is the author of more than 40 scientific studies and participant in important European projects dedicated to the conservation of built heritage, his activity being recognized also within CIPA–ICOMOS, where he received the Best Poster Award at the International Symposium in Potsdam in 2001.
Participation in the two events takes place on the basis of reservation, by scanning the QR code below.
The Romanian Cultural Institute warmly awaits you to take part in this dialogue dedicated to art, heritage and cultural memory.
