CultMin Gheorghiu: Romania has a unique ambassador in the world in the artist Constantin Brancusi

Romania has a unique ambassador in the world in the artist Constantin Brancusi, who continues to represent us with great honour even after his passing away, Minister of Culture Bogdan Gheorghiu says in a message on February 19, Constantin Brancusi National Day. "Today, February 19, marks the 145th birth anniversary of the great sculptor Constantin Brancusi. It is a good time to stop for a moment and admire his creations and be grateful for what he left to humanity. Constantin Brancusi is much closer to us than we would expect. We find some of his works at the National Museum of Romania's Arts, in Targu Jiu, on social media, where photos and films of his works are posted, and books about his life and other documentaries are available to anyone," says the minister. Gheorghiu says that "any person who wants to prioritise the importance of knowledge will find behind every work of Constantin Brancusi a beautiful story," despite the fact that "Brancusi's recognition from the Romanian state came late." "The universality of his works, his artistic vision, the new language brought in visual arts have inspired many generations. To use a common word of today's young people, we can say that Brancusi was an influencer in his time, and also for future generations. Romania recognising Brancusi came late, and the consequence can be seen in the limited number of his works at Romanian museums, but we will not repeat such mistakes," says Gheorghiu. The minister of culture mentions that three years ago the nomination file of Brancusi's Monumental Ensemble in Targu Jiu was submitted to get the site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. "It is the only monumental ensemble of public forum of the sculptor Constantin Brancusi, and the efforts for it to become a UNESCO heritage site will continue under my term. This year's committee discusses the issue of war monuments, more numerous, for which there are files drawn up for their inclusion on the world heritage list. Among them is the Monumental Ensemble made by Brancusi, dedicated to the supreme sacrifice of soldiers, gendarmes, scouts and civilians from Targu Jiu who died heroically defending the city, in the Jiu Bridge Battle of October 14, 1916 during WWI. Romania and other countries with such issues are waiting for guidance from the World Heritage Committee on the continuation of the inscription procedure and the transition to the next stage, that of evaluation. The monumental ensemble 'Calea Eroilor' (Heroes' Path) remains a reference for cultural heritage due to the works that define it: the Table of Silence, the Alley of Chairs, the Gate of the Kiss, the Endless Column, along with his most famous creations: 'The Wisdom of the Earth,' Maiastra,' 'Miss Pogany,' and 'The Prayer,'" says Gheorghiu. He adds that "Brancusi remains unique and incomparable." "He was a complex artist who made Romanian and foreign specialists delve deeper in his art, the so-called Brancusiologists. In gratitude for his creative genius, the famous sculptor Ion Irimescu made two statues, which we can see in Herastrau Park in Bucharest and in Targu Jiu," says the minister. He adds that "Romania has a unique ambassador in the world in the artist Constantin Brancusi, who continues to represent us with great honour, even after his passing away." "Because we have to learn from past experiences, we encourage and support contemporary artists, and last year the Ministry of Culture started, for the first time in 12 years, a programme to acquire contemporary art worth 2 million lei. It took place through the National Museum of Contemporary Art and resulted in the acquisition of 167 works signed by 100 contemporary Romanian artists. We intend to resume this process this year and in the years to come, as this way we ensure a correct representation of contemporary Romanian currents in the museum space, while at the same time rewarding the artists for their work. In addition to the art acquisition programme, the Ministry of Culture will finance creative scholarships for the training of the next generation of young visual artists, and also for a correct representation of the contemporary Romanian currents in the museum space. It will increase the market share of creators, including internationally, and also the heritage of the Romanian state. Moreover, that is a certification of the quality of the works through their acquisition and a guarantee is offered also for foreign investors," Bogdan Gheorghiu also said. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Popescu, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)