Art Safari opens its doors again in Bucharest, on Lipscani 18-20, at the Dacia-Romania Palace (the future headquarters of the Bucharest Pinacoteca – Bucharest Municipality Museum), today, March 7. The new edition proposes an exceptional program that does not lack heritage art and great masters alongside artists of the new generation.

Ioan Andreescu. “Truth and imagination”

Once asked what he thinks about Ioan Andreescu, Nicolae Grigorescu replied that “Andreescu is the greatest artist the country has had, even counting me. If he had lived, he would undoubtedly have become our great national artist” (Radu Bogdan, “Ioan Andreescu”, Meridiane Publishing House, 1961). However, he died at the age of 32, before his limited fame could spread – as happened later with Grigorescu.

The Art Safari exhibition, organized 175 years after the birth of the great artist, with a contemporary exhibition architecture signed by Cosmin Florea, assumes the difficult mission of bringing together for the public a good part of the few works signed by Ioan Andreescu, dissipated in museum and private collections, in a selection made by Maria Munteanu. With a limited known oeuvre (which sums up, depending on the monograph, between 150 and 250 works), Andreescu is, as valuable as he is rare, and the organization of a dedicated exhibition is a special opportunity to know and deepen his remarkable creation.

Ion Țuculescu. “The Amateur Genius”

“The Țuculescu Case” (as the last major exhibition dedicated to the artist in 2009, also by the ArtSociety Cultural Center, labeled him) is unique in Romanian art: a renowned scientist and, at the same time, the most innovative and influential postwar painter. Țuculescu’s emergence is part of the unprecedented cultural effervescence of the interwar period. The fate of his work changed posthumously, in 1965, with the country’s political reorientation.

Emancipated from Soviet imperialism, the communist regime in Romania opened two new, complementary ideological construction sites, detached from proletcultism: the internationalist opening towards modern Western culture and the drilling into the local, national, perennial tradition. As a matter of fact, at the crossroads between these two contrasting directions, a single name stood out: Ion Țuculescu, a progressive scientist and creative genius subjectively screwed into the national folklore.

Sixty years after the crucial exhibition in 1965 organized at the Dalles Hall, Art Safari undertakes, under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, a broad revision and, perhaps, reconsideration of the work of the titan of the beginnings of Romanian contemporary art. Over 100 representative works from the country’s most important museums and private collections have been brought together. The exhibition is orchestrated by Cristian Vechiu, accompanied by Erwin Kessler, and with exhibition architecture by Cosmin Florea and the aé02 architecture office (Elena Viziteu and Anda Zota).

Forgotten Romanian Painters.

The exhibition presents over 100 paintings, signed by dozens of artists who had a significant contribution to the history of Romanian art, but whose names were lost (or intentionally omitted) in the post-war half-century, especially for ideological reasons. Ipolit Strâmbu, Nicolae Grant, Elena Popea, Constantin Aricescu, Mihail Simonidy, Nina Arbore, Mina Byck Wepper or Alexandru Țipoia are just a few of the artists.

The project aims to put into an exhibition format and to further the scientific approach of the book, which was a great sensation at the time, written by Tudor Octavian, journalist, writer and art critic (published in 2003 by NOI media print publishing house, under the name “Forgotten Romanian Painters”). Curators: Tudor Octavian and Maria Munteanu

Young Blood 4.0. The New Wave of Contemporary Artists

The exhibition brings together Romanian artists from different regions of the country, exponents of the younger generations, students, graduates and emerging artists in the process of (self)discovery, experimentation and articulation of their visions of contemporary art. The proposed themes – inner space, love, and otherness – are formulated in such a way as to provide a point of support, a reference, and a key to reading for traversing the exhibition landscape. The artists demonstrate that, beyond these themes and/or theoretical landmarks, aesthetic pluralism is directed by contemporary sensibilities, personal histories and a lucid relationship to visual culture and the social dimension of art – “everything that is seen is hypersubjective”.
Curator: Călina Coman
Partner: Romanian Cultural Institute

“with or against the trend. contemporary photographic interventions”. A photography exhibition by ifa in partnership with Art Safari

The exhibition presents the work of two photographers, Viktoria Binschtok (b. 1972) and Michael Schäfer (b. 1964), who use and reflect on media images, exploring the different ways in which they operate. They also address the increasing autonomy of images in an interconnected world that will in the future be dominated by digital algorithms.

In this sense, their works can be seen within a tradition of artistic interest in media that dates back to the 1970s; they also represent a new generation of artists who are expanding the notion of photography and its documentary potential.
Curator: Christin Müller

From Lab to Life. An exhibition dedicated to the history and evolution of pharmacy

From medieval medicines to modern pharmacies, the ”From Lab to Life” exhibition offers a broad perspective on the development of this essential field for everyday life. We explore rare documents, period pharmaceutical instruments and key moments that shaped the evolution of the profession in this area of ​​activity.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of activity in Romania, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) supports the “From Lab to Life” exhibition, reaffirming its commitment to innovation, scientific excellence and improving the lives of patients. Throughout its existence, the company has brought innovative therapies to the market that have changed lives and invested in the development of a more efficient and resilient healthcare system. Exhibition curated by Monica Dumitru, exhibition architecture designed by Diana Nicolaie.

Roots. A visual meditation on immovable heritage

The exhibition curated by curators Ana Maria Crișan and Iulia Gorneanu is a visual ode to immovable material heritage, a meditation on the unchanging world that served as a source of inspiration for Constantin Brâncuși. Symbolically titled “Roots”, the exhibition organized by the National Heritage Institute aims to exhibit a stage preceding Brâncuși’s creation, capturing frames from the world of the Romanian village, those fragments cherished by the great artist, as he probably saw them now, and which formed the basis of his creative vision.

Butterflies

The exhibition explores, through various styles – from expressionism and abstraction to pop art and contemporary interpretations – the symbol of the butterfly as a representation of ephemerality, rebirth and metamorphosis. Over time, numerous artists – both foreign and Romanian – have translated the beauty and symbolism of the butterfly into art. In the 1950s, Andy Warhol experimented with screen printing, creating greeting cards decorated with butterflies. Among others, Warhol’s butterfly, present in the exhibition at Art Safari, illustrates his great attraction to the motif.
Curator: Monica Dumitru

Art lovers can enjoy the exhibitions either through a visit or as part of special events – guided night and day tours (including those dedicated to students and seniors), art workshops for adults and children, and Sunday brunches. The events calendar is available here.