Art Safari Love Edition Grand Opening: June 30th!
Masterpieces depicting love from the National Portrait Gallery, London, first show in Bucharest
- The hottest event of the summer, Art Safari Love Edition, presents Love Stories, featuring over 100 masterpieces by Andy Warhol, Man Ray, Van Dyck, and David Hockney;
- The exhibition is an exploration of the intimacy of the most famous couples from 16th century to present times: Victoria and David Beckham, Yoko Ono and John Lennon, Harry and Meghan Markle, Princess Diana and Prince Charles, Linda and Paul McCartney, Salvador and Gala Dalí, and many more;
- Art Safari continues the series of rediscoveries of great Romanian artists with the painter Constantin Artachino (1870-1954), in an exhibition organized in collaboration with the Bucharest City Museum, featuring a surprising scenography by Cosmin Florea;
- Andrei Pleșu signs the curatorial text of the exhibition dedicated to Ion Alin Gheorghiu (1929-2001), one of Romania’s most important postmodernist artists;
- A fairytale world versus a sci-fi scene with zombies! Art Safari also presents a contemporary Romanian art exhibition, curated by Ruth Hibbard (Victoria and Albert Museum, London): “Nymphs and Zombies: Ondine’s Hope and Baraka’s Despair”.
“Strong emotions, butterflies in the stomach, platonic love or long-lasting relationships? The full spectacle of love can be seen at Art Safari Love Edition. Love stories have fascinated humanity since forever, and art has offered touching testimonies of love throughout time. From National Portrait Gallery, London, now in the heart of Bucharest, Love Stories is an exhibition that will captivate all generations.” – Ioana Ciocan, CEO of Art Safari and Romania’s commissioner at the Venice Biennale.
“Love Stories,” curator: Lucy Peltz, exhibition in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery, London
The portraits exhibited in Bucharest trace the ever-changing face of love through a series of real-life stories dominated by passion and tragedy. “Love Stories” is an exhibition like an ode dedicated to love. From the idea that love was a dangerous illness to its contemporary celebration as a means of finding fulfillment in life, love has been a constant and defining feature of humanity.
“Love Stories” also includes a Romanian section with works signed by Romanian artists, including the great painter Nicolae Grigorescu, as well as the love correspondence between Constantin Brâncuși and one of his great loves, Florence Meyer, a much younger American dancer.
Constantin Artachino (1870 – 1954), curator: Elena Olariu, exhibition in partnership with the Bucharest City Museum, scenography: Cosmin Florea
Artachino is considered a master of portraiture and landscape in the history of local art. He was drawn to the oriental and Balkan world, which he painted with silk touches. He stood out for his elegant, balanced creations, with clear lines and perfectly harmonized contours. An important and sophisticated artist, Artachino was admitted at School of Fine Arts, where he was one of Theodor Aman’s students, as well as in Paris, at the Julian Academy, where he was a colleague of Nicolae Vermont and Ştefan Luchian. In fact, he becomes their friend and forms artistic groups together. For his exceptional merits as a painter and teacher, he was decorated by King Ferdinand in 1915 and by King Carol II in 1931.
The exhibition’s scenography is signed by Cosmin Florea, one of Romania’s most highly regarded theater scenographers. He has collaborated with important directors from Romania and France, and in 2022, he won the Uniter Award for Best Scenography. “Forest of the Hanged” (directed by Radu Afrim), “Exile” (directed by Alexandra Badea) are some of the representative plays in his universe.
Ion Alin Gheorghiu (1929-2001), the artist of the Hanging Gardens, exhibition curated by: Anamaria Smigelschi, curatorial text by Andrei Pleșu
Art Safari exhibits large-scale abstract canvases by one of Romania’s most important postmodern painters, Ion Alin Gheorghiu.
“Each image is a synthesis of sensuality and discipline, authentic spontaneity and sober ‘classicism,’ with discreet baroque undertones… Alin Gheorghiu possesses all the qualities of a master of great stature, a model of professionalism and inspiration. Unfortunately, I sometimes have the feeling that the need for models is diminished today, in a crisis of criteria and culture. A plausible solution to this hopefully passing crisis is the exhibition at Art Safari” – excerpt from the curatorial text written by Andrei Pleșu.
“Nymphs and Zombies: Ondine’s Hope and Baraka’s Despair,” curator: Ruth Hibbard, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Two contemporary artists with diametrically opposed visions united in an unconventional exhibition.
Ruth Hibbard, curator: “An exhibition with two different entrances! The works of both artists are brought together in the middle of the exhibition space, in a single room that can be accessed from both sides. Here, you can compare the different visions of Ondine and Baraka and decide whether you are part of the Nymphs team or the Zombies team.”
Ondine Slimovschi (b. 1982) is an artist of serene mythology and the fairytale bestiary. She uses the female portrait as a tool to suggest strong emotions, while Paul Baraka (b. 1994) is an artist who focuses on shocking and provocative subjects. His approach is also critical, highlighting the banality of evil through sarcasm and irony.
In addition to the 4 exhibitions, Art Safari will exhibit a series of installations. Children are also welcome to participate in art workshops and personalized guided tours as part of Art Safari Kinder.
Art Safari Schedule (June 30th – September 10th, 2023)
- Thursday to Sunday – 12:00-21:00; Night Tours – every Friday and Saturday, 22:00-1:00 (special guided visits to all exhibitions with prosecco)
- Tickets: artsafari.ro or directly at the entrance
- Dacia-Romania Palace, Lipscani Street, No. 18-20, Bucharest
About Art Safari Bucharest: Art Safari, supported by Glo, Lidl, BCR, Porsche, Schweppes, Kinder, Garanti BBVA, Rose Verite, Yamaha, Asus, is specialized in creating exhibition pavilions. The annual organizer of the Bucharest Art Pavilion – the largest conglomerate of art exhibitions in Romania – now in its 12th edition, collaborates with art Romanian and international museums as well as with private collectors, to create extensive retrospective exhibitions aimed to recovery of heritage values. With a strong educational side, its mission is to bring art closer to the public and educate new generations through art workshops for children, guided tours, and contemporary art exhibitions in unconventional spaces such as Henri Coandă Airport or the Bucharest metro. Art Safari is a nationally strategic cultural project supported by the Ministry of Culture and it is realized in partnership with the Bucharest Municipality Museum, the National Museum of Art of Romania, and the Romanian Cultural Institute. The official partner of Art Safari is BCR. In the last 11 previous editions it has attracted over 400,000 visitors. For more details, visit artsafari.ro.
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29.06.2023 / Andreea Dragan, Deputy-Editor-in-Chief
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