Ziua Brâncuși la ICR Londra

RCI London is celebrating the most influential Romanian artist, sculptor Constantin Brâncuși, on his birthday - 19 February, with two homage events: a filmed tour of Brâncuși’s permanent collection hosted by the Museum of Art in the city of Craiova, his “second birthplace" as the artist himself once acknowledged, and a film about the Museum of Comparative Art from Sângeorz-Băi, a spectacular space curated by Maxim Dumitraș, contemporary sculptor tracing his artistic lineage to Brâncuși.

The Museum of Art Craiova’s filmed tour presents some of Brâncuși’s first works, including the sculptures „The Kiss”, „Pride” and „Child's Head” executed in bronze. The Craiova Art Museum is one of the first museums in the world to have a collection of Brâncuși. In 1943, a large-scale event took place in Jean Mihail Palace following the model of universal exhibitions, “Oltenia Week”, where three impressive works by Constantin Brâncuși have been exhibited: “Pride”, “Child's Head”, and “The Kiss”. This collection reflects a very interesting stage in the definition of Brâncuși’s art, in which the artist followed his direct inspiration from Rodin and showcasing the quintessence of modern art. The film tour is presented by museographer Lucian Rogneanu (in Romanian with English subtitles, 25’).

Friday 19 February 2021, 15.00 | free, on RCI London’s Facebook page and Youtube channel

The film about the Museum of Comparative Art from Sângeorz-Băi(Baia Mare, northwestern Romania) is entitled „Muzeul cântat”/"The Sung Museum" and is based on a text by art historian Pavel Șușară. With an impressive and highly emotional music, the film presents fascinating information about an unique curatorial space, exhibiting both traditional objects and contemporary art organized around the vision of the Romanian sculptor Maxim Dumitraș, an artist highly influenced by Constantin Brâncuși.
Maxim Dumitraș was born in Sângeorz-Bai. Apart from his impressive artistic work, he is also the director of the Museum of Comparative Art, a spectacular and effervescent place which is exhibiting both traditional and contemporary art organized around his curatorial vision.

The film is directed by Sorin Ceauș, with music by Radu Șeu and editing by Claudiu Trif (in Romanian with English subtitles, 30’).

Friday 19 February 2021, 19.00 | free, on RCI London’s Facebook page and Youtube channel

Constantin Brâncuși was a Romanian sculptor, painter and photographer considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th-century and a pioneer of modernism. His art emphasizes clean geometrical lines and his inspiration is to be found in non-European cultures as a source of primitive exoticism, as did Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso and André Derain. Other influences emerge from Romanian folk.

Brâncuși grew up in area known for its rich tradition of folk crafts, the village of Hobiţa, Gorj. Between 1894 - 1898 he attended the Craiova School of Arts and Crafts. He enrolled in the Bucharest School of Fine Arts, where he received academic training in sculpture. In 1903, Brâncuși left to Munich, and from there to Paris where he worked for two years in the workshop of Antonin Mercié of the École des Beaux-Arts, and was invited to enter the workshop of Auguste Rodin. After leaving Rodin's workshop, Brâncuși began developing the revolutionary style for which he is so well-known.

Virtual Tours:
The Museum of Art Craiova: please click here
The Museum of Comparative Art Sângeorz-Băi: please click here

When: Friday, 19 February 2021, 15.00 and 19.00
Where: live stream on RCI London’s Facebook page and Youtube channel