Visual Arts

  A new exhibition at NTB The Romanian Union of Architects invites you to visit the exhibition of the projects of the 5 sections of the National Architecture Biennial awarded on October 18th, 2021 in the foyer of the Studio Hall of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest: - Individual dwellings- Interior architecture- Green, sustainable architecture- Diplomas - Architects in affirmation- Viewing Projects The National Architecture Biennale is the most important professional event of the architects' guild and has been organised continuously since 1994. The Biennale is composed of 15 sections and this year it is held in 8 cities in the country - Bucharest, Cluj, Iași, Sibiu, Sf. Gheorghe, Târgoviște, Târgu-Mureș, Timișoara. The Biennial has a concept for each edition, proposed by the management of the Romanian Architects Union and the curatorial team. The concept is structured as a cultural programme, with a complex and interesting content, both for the architects' guild, the participants, and for the users and inhabitants to whom the architectural production is addressed, the general public. The exhibition of projects of the 2021 edition of the National Biennial of Architecture can be visited from 11.00 to 18.00 in the foyer of the Studio Hall of NTB. Public access can be made through the security post at the entrance to the Media foyer. The exhibition will be open until the end of October 2021. More details about the sections on: www.uar-bna.ro   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu  

  The Liszt Institute - Hungarian Cultural Centre Bucharest, together with the Hungarian Academy of Arts and the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest (institutional partner) will present from 13 October to 14 November 2021, in the Rotunda of the Small Hall of the National Theatre of Bucharest, the exhibition created on the occasion of the Harag György commemorative year, evoking the personality of this Transylvanian director, an epoch-making figure of the Hungarian and Romanian theatre arts. The exhibition will also be available virtually on www.fnt.ro from 6 to 14 November 2021. Detailed information about the exhibition is provided by Mr. Kósa András László, Director of the Hungarian Cultural Centre in Bucharest: The travelling exhibition on the director's work consists of 45 panels with about 200 photographs accompanied by commentaries and evocations of colleagues, theatre-makers and critics, as well as Harag's texts in three languages: Hungarian, Romanian and English. The exhibition is provided by the Hungarian Academy of Arts. Thanks to the collaboration with Romanian public television, we will screen three performances directed by Harag as part of the exhibition: The Cherry Orchard, recorded in 1985 from the Romanian-language production of the Târgu Mureș National Theatre - Harag György's last directorial work; A Star on the Stake / Csillag a máglyán, a 1977 recording from the Hungarian State Theatre in Cluj (subtitled in Romanian) and the 1975 television production of Chekhov's Bear, with actors Csorba András, Széles Anna and Tarr László, also subtitled in Romanian. On Tuesday, 19 October 2021, at 7.00 p.m., we invite the press to the National Theatre of Bucharest, Small Hall Rotunda (direct access from Bd. Carol), for an encounter with Kovács Örs Levente, the curator of the exhibition, and Huszár Orsi, a theatrology expert, who will present the exhibition in detail. Translation into Romanian will be provided. The Gyorgy Harag exhibition will remain open until 14 November 2021 and can be visited every day, except Mondays, from 14.00 - 22.00, observing the rules imposed by the pandemic: wearing a mask, keeping social distance.  * * * "In memory of Harag György (1925-1985), the former main director of the Hungarian State Theatre in Cluj, an epochal creator in the art and history of theatre in Transylvania, Hungary and Romania, the Hungarian Academy of Arts (MMA) has organised a memorial year in 2020. The series of manifold programmes evokes the theatrical events of the sixties, seventies and eighties, drawing on all accessible original documents, reports, photographs, films, testimonies and personal evocations that constitute an exceptional collection for historians researching the theatre's past, but also a worthy reminder for theatre lovers. Finally, it presents a human example from the artistic milieu that can be followed by younger generations. We hope that those who come to the opening of the exhibitions will watch the documentary film about the life of Harag György and browse through the lavish volumes that will be part of the evocation of the memorable past of theatre art. I would like to express my gratitude to Harag Ilona, Harag György's widow, for honouring us with her trust and providing us with a valuable legacy, beyond personal stories and experiences." - writes Vashegyi György, President of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, in the exhibition programme. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

With the onset of the new theatrical season 2021-2022, the season of exhibitions hosted in the foyers of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre reopens, within the NTB Paratheatrical - Visual Arts programme, launched since 2012, with the commissioning of the first remodeled spaces of NTB. Wednesday, September 15th, 2021, at 7.00 p.m., the Media foyer (wing from the Intercontinental Hotel) will host the opening of the second edition of the National Watercolour Painting Exhibitionunder the name Romania in Watercolour, organized by the Painters’ Association of Romania, structure affiliated to the International Watercolour Society (IWS) in partnership with NTB. Special guest at the opening: soprano Felicia Filip, who will give a vocal recital on this occasion. The exhibition will host 133 works signed by 98 watercolour painters, professional or amateur, young or less young, reunited for the second time, still in the NTB spaces. The project proposes a broad and complex approach to the technique of watercolour painting. The International Watercolour Society (International Watercolour Society) is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 by Turkish artist, resident in Canada, Atanur Dogan, and since 2016 also exists in Romania under the name of International Watercolour Society Romania (IWS Romania), chaired by the architect Ovidiu Iovănel. IWS was created to promote the world's oldest painting technique, Watercolour. The goal of IWS is to promote respect, peace and harmony through the use of art - the common language of the whole world. The company's activities involve bringing together watercolour painters and art and watercolour lovers. Watercolour painting has long been neglected and even despised, to the detriment of other techniques. Festivals and exhibitions, national or international, are effective means to promote watercolour painting, presenting exceptional works of art to the world. These events also become points of interaction between artists, collectors and art specialists from different countries. The exhibition will be open for visits until October 15th, 2021, from Monday to Sunday between 10.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m. Access is free. We remind you that in closed spaces, the wearing of a protective mask and the observance of the distance remain in force. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

The exhibitions in the lobbies of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre will be open to visitors on Museum Night on June 12th, 2021. Becoming traditional, the event Museum Night takes place this year on June 12th, 2021, ensuring free access to the public in various museums, collections and temporary exhibitions until late at night…. In this context, the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre invites you to visit the two exhibitions that are open to visit currently in its exhibition spaces: - Exhibition Instants of Life of the scenographer-painter Ion Olaru in the Media Foyer of NTB (wing towards the Intercontinental Hotel) - with direct access from the esplanade where you also enter the Painting and Media Halls. On display is a wide selection of works by Ion Olaru, the scenographer - painter, author of dozens of television sets, set props, but also scenography for animated films, also a painter, creator of icons or surprising "micro-monuments of harmony",made of an unusual material… gourd! - The exhibition Retroversible, of the Fashion Department from UNArte, in the Rotonda and in the Foyer of the NTB Small Hall - with direct access from Carol Blvd. The exhibition Retroversible is, first of all, a desperate cry to find a space for Adina Nanu's costume collection. It is, then, an opportunity to show the connection between this collection of old clothes with the most recent productions of future fashion designers in Romania. The partnership between the Collection and UNArte is, in fact, an old relationship, since the establishment of the Fashion Department, which has always functioned in all the 50 years that UnArte celebrates this year (1971 - 2021). Access (with mask and observing the distance between visitors) will be allowed in the above exhibitions on June 12th, 2021 between 16.00 - 24.00. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

NTB is partnering with We are Phoenix in Romanian Design Week / Design Go, with the Phoenix Experience project We are Phoenix, in partnership with the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theatreof Bucharest, proposes an immersive installation that blends product with art by presenting a proof-of-concept, the launch of a series of NFTs and a dialogue about creativity and experiential economics.The event, organized by We Are Phoenix, Ada Galeș and Aureliana Popa takes placeon Friday, June 11th, 2021, starting with 8.30 p.m., in the Foyer on the 1st floor of the NTB Studio Hall, access from 2 Bălcescu Blvd.Phoenix Experience combines the product with representative art (through illustrations created by a Romanian artist - Animalenas) and experience design (through video installation and quad sound system).Participants will have the opportunity to be immersed in the transformation process that the business communicates through exposure to the art installation.To support the complementarity between business and art, within RDW, Ada Galeș will launch the NFTs created after the videos that make up the immersive experience.On June 11th, 2021, participants will have the opportunity to participate in a dialogue between artists, businesspeople and We are Phoenix - about creativity and the importance of experiential economics. The speakers of the event are:- Ada Galeș, actress and entrepreneur, co-founder We Are Phoenix- Aureliana Popa, co-founder We Are Phoenix- Anca Prisăcariu (Animalenas) - illustrator- Adrian Posteucă, CEO Stakeborg NFT & CEO ConceptFactory- Ionuț Țața, CEO Iceberg+- Sorin Anagnoste, Lecturer and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration with teaching in foreign languages ​​(FABIZ), within ASE- Gabriel Păunescu, CEO Naologic The event is part of Design Go, the official Romanian Design Week circuit, June 3rd - 14th, 2021. Wearing the mask and observing the social distance within the space where the event takes place are mandatory. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

An exceptional exhibition opens for visits in the Rotunda and in the Foyer of the NTB Small Hall. On Tuesday, June 8th, 2021, starting at 6.30 pm, we invite you to  the Rotonda and in the Foyer of the NTB Small Hall to the opening of the Retroversible exhibition of the UNArte Fashion Department. A superb tribute exhibition, dedicated to the memory of an exceptional personality, art historian and critic Adina Nanu, an exhibition - demonstration of exemplary artistic pedagogy, created by the UNArte Fashion Department on the 50th anniversary of its founding. "The Retroversible exhibition is, first of all, a desperate cry to find a space for Adina Nanu's costume collection. It is, then, an opportunity to show the connection between this collection of old clothes with the most topical productions of future fashion designers in Romania. The partnership between the Collection and UNArte is, in fact, an old relationship, since the establishment of the Fashion Department, which has always functioned in all the 50 years that UnArte celebrates this year (1971-2021) ”. Presented by the historian Georgeta Filitti PhD and Univ. Prof. Unda Popp PhD, Fashion Department, UNArte (curator of the exhibition). The opening will take place in the presence of the UNArte rector, Univ. Prof. Cătălin Bălescu PhD and Ion Caramitru, NTB manager. Unda Popp, some explanations about the exhibition: The exhibitiondeparts from the costumes of the collection, only 20 outfits, chosen from three distinct moments (1900s, 1920s and 1960s) and reaches the current unconventional experiments made by students. In the twentieth century, democratization attenuated differences in image between people. Gradually, the clothes no longer signaled the nationality, religion and occupation, the social status was no longer communicated through the costume image and the fortune was no longer displayed (the display of expensive jewelry and fur clothes are now considered in bad taste), then the clothes erased as much as possible, age differences. Today, the last barrier is being raised, the one between the masculine and the feminine gender. The disappearance of the gender marking by the costume was the starting point of the workshop themes (of MA students and PhD students coordinated by Unda Popp) exhibited in the second room (the foyer of the NTB Small Hall). SOS (Sexi Office Suits) and Hermes and Aphrodite. It started from the fact that from the middle of the 19th century, men entered the uniform of the respectable man, which has remained largely unchanged even today. The frock coat / tuxedo / tailcoat are mandatory pieces in the men's wardrobe. (In Romania, communism broke the tradition and brutally imposed the workers' overalls). Then, the fashion of the last years of the twentieth century underlined the rise of women in the professional world still dominated by men. Women's clothes try to copy men's clothes, reminiscent of the story of St. George, who, in order to defeat the dragon, wore a shirt with scales (like the skin of a dragon). Women's suits for office work are still made of the same garments as those of men in large corporations, copying both the shape and colour of these garments. For the SOS theme, students cut on the back of a used men's jacket a neckline as provocative as possible, using inserts with unconventional materials. Recycling and reuse of clothes were considered. For the theme Hermes and Aphrodite, the students had to create an outfit half masculine, half feminine, observing the current convention (the man wears a suit with pants and the woman a dress). The geometric shape of the silhouettes was established (he triangle with the base up - she triangle with the base down), thus marking the differences still allowed today between the two constitutional types, he with broad shoulders and she with a thin waist. Conclusion: What is left for the garment to communicate is the personality and fantasy of the individual and possibly the mood. This requires minimal cultural landmarks, an educated taste and mastery of the means to transpose into the image the desired ideas and, last but not least, the sense of humour. P.S. Also in the second room are exhibited the works of PhD student Mihaela Grădinaru, who adapts the same men's clothes for the stage. In the gallery on the foyer floor, works from the PhD researches of the young teachers are exhibited: Oana Roșca, Alina Gurguță and Antoaneta Tică. Short films will be displayed in both spaces. Public access is made from Carol Blvd., daily between 11.00 - 18.00. Wearing a mask inside the exhibition space is mandatory. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

After a long break, we invite you to the opening! With the resumption of theatrical activities in all its performance halls (at 50% capacity for the time being), starting May 15th, 2021, the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre reopens the exhibition spaces in the foyer for visits. In this context, we invite you on Thursday, May 27th, 2021 at 6.00 p.m., in the NTB Media Foyer (wing facing Intercontinental), to an encounter with the artist Ion Olaru and the art critic Virgil Mocanu, during the opening of the exhibition Instants of Life, an opening postponed by more than two months since the actual opening of the exhibition! On display is a wide selection of works by Ion Olaru, the scenographer - painter, author of dozens of television and theatre scenographies, as well as scenographies for animated films, painter, creator of icons or surprising "micro-monuments of universal harmony" (according to Corneliu Antim, art critic), elaborated from an unusual material... gourd! The selection was put together by the curator of the exhibition, Ioana Alexandru, the artist's daughter. Ion Olaru graduated in 1971 from the Nicolae Grigorescu Art Institute (scenography section), where he later became a lecturer himself and is one of the most creative and prolific television set designers, where he worked for almost four decades (between 1971 and 2008), and was awarded the APTR Prize for lifetime achievement in 2005.  He is a member of UAP, Bucharest branch, scenography section. Attending the opening, entering the exhibition, and visiting it still requires wearing the mask inside and observing the social distancing rules imposed by the current epidemiological situation. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

NTB actors tell the stories of the works damaged by shots in December 1989 In December 2020, after more than three decades of concern, the National Museum of Art of Romania and the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest are bringing into discussion the restoration of the paintings shot at the 1989 Revolution, by means of a unique project. The two cultural institutions will publicly launch a series of 11 videos through which NTB actors talk about 11 paintings from the NMAR Modern Romanian Art collection, which were severely damaged during those days. The project is inspired by the temporary exhibition Laboratory II - 1989. restoration of shot paintings, open at NMAR until June 2021 and featuring 20 restored paintings. Shot full-frontal, in bursts, the paintings then underwent a long restoration process, through which they were subjected to a series of rescue, recomposition and restoration actions, thanks to the efforts of the museum restorers. Interesting for experts was not only the restoration process itself, but also to be aware of the "traumas" to which these works were subjected and to see the deep traces drawn into the destinies of the works. The project (R)estoration of paintings. NTB actors tell the stories of the works shot in December 1989, presenting the case of some paintings saved and rendered back to the exhibition circuit, enjoying together 11 happy destinies. The actors of the I.L. Caragiale National Theatreof Bucharest transpose themselves and become the voices of these paintings. Through their voices, the project draws attention to the effects of the actions of that time, imprinted among the layers of colour. Face to face with the restored paintings, the actors narrate, feel and convey the load of artworks. Through their voices, the stories of the 11 paintings are heard by today's generations. The recollection of the tragic events, the reanalysis of each work and even the simple viewing of the stages before and after the restoration, transforms the present project into a true historical manifesto, appealing to conscience and civic spirit. The videos are made available to the audience through the communication platforms of NMAR and NTB, respectively the YouTube accounts and the Facebook pages of the institutions, in an attempt to make these unique stories accessible. We start with the series of videos presenting the works signed by Ioan Andreescu (1850 - 1882) and you can find out the stories of the four works shot and restored with the participation of actors Ileana Olteanu, Lari Georgescu, Alexandru Potocean and Mircea Rusu. The restorers of the paintings are Sorina Gheorghiță, Ioan Sfrijan and Horațiu Costin. The project is achieved by the National Museum of Art of Romania and the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest, with the participation of the group of the Easel Painting Restoration Laboratory and the actors: Emilia Popescu, Amalia Ciolan, Monica Davidescu, Ileana Olteanu, Cosmina Olariu, Ion Caramitru , Alexandru Potocean, Lari Georgescu, Richard Bovnoczki and Daniel Badale. The presentation videos are completed by a dedicated exhibition, arranged right on the NMAR fence in Calea Victoriei. Passers-by can admire the 11 paintings, along with the 11 actors and can access the videos via the QR codes that accompany the exhibited photos. Practically, the space that could not contain the events of 1989 now becomes the landmark of the three decades of cultural recovery. The exhibition is created by photographer Florin Ghioca. We invite you to watch the project online, at the addresses: https://www.facebook.com/MuzeulNationalDeArtaAlRomaniei https://www.facebook.com/TNB.Ro https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCG9s0kj4p2AJvUZ76tVDog https: //www.mnar.arts.ro The project is produced with the support of Banca Transilvania. Partner: Visual Exploration Centre Association Translated by Simona Nichiteanu    Media Partners:  

Starting with October 21st, 2020, the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre hosts, for the 3rd consecutive year, the National Photography Salon "Photogeographica".  In the special context determined by the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, the works shortlisted from a number of over 1,500 photos entered in the contest by the over 200 participants from all over the country, can be viewed only from outside the NTB building, these being displayed in the windows of the Media Foyer towards Tudor Arghezi Street and towards Intercontinental. Photogeographica is the most important event at national level in the field of photography competitions for young people, with the aim of promoting the values ​​of nature, culture and Romanian traditions, winner of the Youth Gala in Romania. The project is coordinated by Paul Bordaș, with the special support of the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre of Bucharest. On Tuesday, October 20th, 2020, starting at 6:30 p.m., the Photogeographica 2020 award ceremony will take place online and streamed live on the Facebook page of Photogeographica. On this occasion, the Photogeographica 2020 catalogue will be launched, which will contain, in addition to the awarded photos within the three sections: cultural heritage, natural landscape and wildlife, also the most successful works from the photo gallery of the contest (online exhibition www.fotogeografica.ro 2020). "Photogeographica has become an institution that discovers young and passionate photographers, many of whom are already becoming top photographers. Their talent rendered it possible to publish articles about wild nature, remarkable species, surprising landscapes, the still almost untouched charm of the mountain village world. Such photographers have become known internationally as ambassadors of a charming Romania”. Cristian Lascu, senior editor of National Geographic Romania, president of the Photogeographica jury Traditional partners: National Geographic Romania, Zitec, University of Bucharest-Faculty of Geography, DJST Hunedoara, Student Club of Photographic Art, Radio Bucharest Fm, UNESCO ProNatura, Wild Romania, Artographic, Orizont Sibiu Photoclub, Hunedoara Association of Photographic Artists, Sphinx Speleological Association, GO4FUN, Photo Course, Association for the Conservation of Biological Diversity, Life Wolf, Focul Viu Speleological Association, Orizont Photoclub, Foto4ever, Exclus Prod, Centre for Environmental Research and Impact Studies, Scouts of Romania - St. Nicholas Local Centre Details on the Photogeographica 2020 programme on www.fotogeografica.ro, https://www.facebook.com    Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

  It is a disturbing tribute-exhibition, organized by the National Council for the Study of Securitate Archives (CNSAS) in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), dedicated to those Romanians whose gestures of conscience and civic courage prefaced and facilitated the Revolution of December 1989. With very few exceptions, the documents selected from the files of the former Securitate speak about cases unknown to the general audience - authors of manifestos and letters of protest, founders of clandestine unions or people who, following anti-totalitarian actions, ended up in psychiatric asylums. 80 cases are exposed, accompanied by bilingual explanations (Romanian and English). The exhibition retrospectively describes the last decade of Nicolae Ceaușescu's dictatorship, by unveiling the civic mobilization and actions that anticipated the fall of the communist regime in December 1989. (Curator: Cristina Mohan. Concept: Carmen Iovițu) Admission is free, but wearing a mask remains mandatory throughout the visit of the exhibition. The cultural events presented in the White Night of the Galleries will take place, for the first time, for three days, with the provision of measures to prevent contamination with COVID-19.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu