Top 5 street art in Bucharest
Street art has always been a reflection of the society and culture of a certain country. The artworks are typical works that depict social, political, or cultural commentary. In this way, they have the power to change the society into which they are embedded. This applies especially to street art from developing countries which reflects current events and social issues being faced by its people.
In the past few years, street artists have started to turn their attention towards recent developments in politics and society. Instead of creating paintings or murals that directly address these issues, the artists have adopted a different approach – using graffiti as a medium for their artwork.
Are you planning a vacation to Bucharest and interested in seeing street art? Then Bucharest will not let you down, since street art can be seen in nearly every major Romanian city. Bucharest tops the list with over 50 street art installations.
This article will guide you to the most amazing street art that will blow you away!
1. ARTHUR VERONA STREET
This is a wonderful location to start because you can check off around ten pieces of street art in one street. Begin at the Carturesti Verona bookshop (which is a must-see in and of itself) and walk down the street. This is without a doubt one of the most gorgeous spots in Bucharest. The walls are covered in pure art, and you can’t help but fall in love with it. Everyone comes here to snap pictures with graffiti art and to simply enjoy the lovely scenery.
2. POINT
Continue along with Strada Arthur Verona, through Park Gradina Icoanei (on your right), and turn left onto Strada General Eremia Grigorescu. Stop at number 10 to admire the Sweet Damage Crew’s amazing mural, called Make a Point. The setting is ideal, as this is a cultural event venue named Point.
3. FOOD HOOD
We are all seeing an artistic revolution. The most-watched and acclaimed art is not found in museums or galleries, but rather on the streets, where people can engage with it, take photographs, and speak about it with their friends. Another location for street art is Graffiti Urban, on Calea Griviței 13. IRLO, KERO, and OCU (NOM Crew) have produced a huge mural in collaboration with ERPS, MSER, KRIPS, WHYZ, WEZO, BIEX, NEON, APS – WANE, BERER, 7CLICK – CES, SKENY, ROPER, CEIL, OHBOY, POER, SCORE21, and JULAY that portrays various local tales blended in one image utilizing calligraphy, zoomorphic symbols. While you are eating you will have a beautiful view of an amazing piece of work.
4. Movie Garden / Lahovary Square
“The Film Garden – Cinema & More” is a creative initiative aimed at film fans and those that wish to highlight classics as well as modern cinematographic projections in a calm environment in a key neighborhood of Bucharest. The Film Garden, located at 7 Lahovari Street near Roman Square, is the ideal place to spend a quiet afternoon outside with your closest friends and family.
In 2014, Sweet Damage Crew created a piece of art in this place. There, on a wall 16 meters high, they made a guy sitting on the bottom of a TV and watching the moon. The message is simple: he doesn’t keep his eyes on the small screen and contemplates what’s around him.
5. Transformer Stations and Substations
People are happier when they see art on the street; it brightens their day and makes their commute more exciting. It lends personality to what would otherwise be drab and uninteresting.
People are reminded to be alive through art. It jolts people awake. It motivates. Motivates. And it may occasionally make folks think. Street art transforms the mundane into something a thousand times more intriguing.
In a residential neighbourhood, on these maintenance points, artists created amazing street art illustrating a vintage car, cartoons in colorful shades.
We hope you enjoyed our top 5 street art in Bucharest. Be sure you see them all and take great pictures!
- Published in Top Bucharest
Summer Well – a festival like a holiday
Summer Well is an amazing music festival where you have the opportunity to see your favorite artists and dance to their music. The music festival will provide you with positive energy which will last for weeks.
The Stirbey Domain is located in Buftea, 15 km away from Bucharest. It is one of the most beautiful and well-preserved aristocratic domains around Bucharest and it proved to be the perfect location for Summer Well.
Artists like Balthazar, Fatouma Diawara, Woodkid or Lola Marsch entertained the festival lovers for 4 days. People had the chance to dance on reggae, pop-up vibes and see their dearest artists at a low price. The vibes that the crowd will carry will give you enough strength to go through this.
Summer Well festival
At the Summer Well festival were two stages: Main Stage and Wiings Stage. There are many great things you could do while waiting for your favorite artist to perform. It was also a disco roller-skate area, where people could skate and enjoy their favourite music. It was like the ’80s were back! Summer Well was a choice for many people according to the high attendance at the festival.
Food courts were everywhere, where you could choose anything literally, from pizza to traditional cuisine. Everything was well organized and people enjoyed this. You can spend an enjoyable time at these events, without having one second wasted.
At music festivals, you have the chance to take great pictures and show your best outfits. You can dress with whatever you want because no one will judge at these events. You can be yourself and shine in your greatest outfits.
After a long period when we couldn’t go to music festivals, Summer Well welcomed us with open arms and offered four days full of music, fun and happiness. People relived those moments and an overwhelming sense of belonging, positivity, wonder and possibility could be felt in those days.
- Published in Top Bucharest
Day trip to Horezu
When in Bucharest, do not miss a Day Trip to Horezu! The town of Horezu is known as an ethnographic, folkloric center and as an old center of popular ceramics – is considered the “capital” of Romanian ceramics.
Pottery is an old occupation that has been practised since ancient times, as evidenced by the beautiful ceramic vessels from the Neolithic era, an era during which a remarkable civilization was thriving in Romania. You will see here a lot of ceramic objects like plates, trays, bowls of various sizes, larger and smaller jugs, flower vases, mugs.
In 2012, during the seventh session, UNESCO decided to enlist Horezu pottery on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, being „a unique traditional craft”.
Horezu – how the city of Romanian pottery was born
The village is mentioned for the first time in the document given at Râmnic on September 5, 1487, by the voivode Vlad Călugărul (Vlad the Monk). The village is then donated by Constantin Brâncoveanu to the Hurezi Monastery.
The settlement developed a little more after 1780, when it became famous as the „Horezu Fair”, the date from which it became the center of the network, then the district residence. The first school was founded here in 1832.
With the new territorial administrative division in 1968, the town has been declared a city and since then has experienced a rapid rise in the stages of urbanization.
Rooster – the symbol of the Horezu ceramics
The rooster is the emblem of the ceramic center from Horezu. The rooster comes from the houses in Oltenia, where it served as a warning: solar guard against the unknown, the symbol of victory, of the victory of light over darkness. Legend has it that it heralds the disintegration of darkness and measures time talismanically, being the one who woke people up in times when the technology was not so advanced.
At the same time, the rooster is considered the symbol of the resurrection and immortality of the soul, the emblem of vigilance and pride. The representation of the rooster on the Horezu ceramic vessels is a varied one, the rooster being rendered in various chromatic ranges and hypostases: more proud, more colorful, more detailed, etc.
Photo source Ceramica Diana Popescu
Monastery of Horezu – UNESCO World Heritage
Founded in 1690 by Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu, the monastery of Horezu, in Walachia, is a masterpiece of the ‘Brâncovean’ style. It is known for its architectural purity and balances, the richness of its sculptural detail, the treatment of its religious compositions, its votive portraits and its painted decorative works. The school of mural and icon painting established at the monastery in the 18th century was famous throughout the Balkan region.
Borangic Niculescu – the only place in Romania where natural silk is obtained
If you go to one day trip to Horezu, don`t miss another chance to see the only place in Romania where natural silk is obtained, but it is also woven, found in Vâlcea County, in Stoeneşti village.
In the household of the Niculescu family, everything is done as in grandma’s time. Silkworms, brought to the egg stage, are carefully raised for 40 days until they make their own „factory” of silk, that is, the doughnut that the worm weaves around it. Then each cocoon is gathered and untied to obtain the borangic thread, which will then be spun and woven at the weaving loom in their own workshop. Borangic, the natural silk thread masterfully woven by the larvae of the Bombyx mori butterfly, well-fed mulberry leaves, was indispensable in peasant households in the past.
From silk threads are born gorgeous dresses, men’s shirts, scarves and shawls, napkins and towels. Like the pottery, you can experience how the women create different objects at the weaving loom.
Trovanții from Costeşti – „Living stones” from Romania
About 9 km away from Horezu, you can stop to see the Trovanților Museum. Also known as „dorobanți”, „bălătruci”, „living stones” or „stones that grow after rain”, the servants have bizarre, spherical or ellipsoidal shapes, and different sizes, from a few centimetres to a few meters.
Among the people, the strange shapes that formed about 15 million years ago are considered „living stones” with an unsuspected power, which protects those who caress and wet them. Whether it is true or not, it remains to discover for yourself! We also tell you that Costești is the only place in Europe where there is a nature reserve of geological formations that are the result of cementation produced millions of years ago.
Must do when you arrive in Horezu
You cannot say that you were in Horezu if you did not participate in a pottery workshop. So if you are planning a day trip to Horezu, book a place at a pottery workshop. You will learn to shape the clay, and the fun will be great!
Tips: In Horezu you can find pottery workshops at Paloși and Pietraru. If you are looking for something more traditional, go to Olari Village, just 2 km away from Horezu.
From Horezu you can leave with original souvenirs that will surely arouse the admiration of your loved ones. But be careful because not all objects are 100% traditional. We recommend you to buy your souvenirs from Collias – the ladies here will show you what are the traditional and handmade objects and will explain to you everything you want to know about pottery traditions; plus if you feel tired, you can rent a room at their guest house in Horezu, but also from Paloși and Pietraru.
- Published in Day trip from Bucharest
Bucharest survival guide for DOTA2 players. Are you in?
DOTA2 The International 10 is held in October in Bucharest. If you’re coming for the event and it is your first time in Bucharest, we prepared a guide to help you.
Transport to the city
If you arrive at the airport, you can take an Uber or Bolt. This is the best way to travel from the airport to the accommodation or even in the city. Avoid any ‘sharks’ who insist you take their ride to the city. You’ll only pay 4 times more for the same distance.
Another way of transportation from the airport is by bus number 783, that will let you close to the center of the town, or by train arriving at the Bucharest North railway station (Gara de Nord București), but you have to check out the schedule.
Once in Bucharest, you can easily travel by subway: a two-trip ticket costs 1,2 euro (6 RON), but you can get a 10 trip ticket with 5 euro (25 RON) or a weekly pass with 6 euro (30 RON). This weekly pass has 15 minutes of timed access between entries.
To arrive at the National Arena, where all the action is going to happen, Piața Iancului and Piața Muncii are the closest metro stations to the National Arena. From there, you only have a 15-20 minutes walk.
Another way of public transportation is by bus or tram, called STB. Check here to find anything you need http://www.stb.ro/eng/index.
You can travel by all these options but avoid the classic yellow cab that you can grab off the street. There is a big chance of them scamming you, overcharging you for a ride, especially if you are a foreigner. If you want to go by taxi, check the prices written on the car’s door, make sure that the meter is running and the driver is using Waze or any other navigation app.
For green-way transportation, you can go for the alternative transport means in Bucharest, such as electric scooters.
Accommodation
The prices for Bucharest accommodation are (prices depend on the period in which the reservation is made, the number of days in advance, the events that take place) :
Hostels: from €7 / night
Hotels: from €40 / night
Apartments: from €30 / night
Luxury hotels: from €190 / night
Food and drinks
Besides fast-food chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, you will also find restaurants with traditional food, Romanian or other.
Caru cu bere is a perfect place to enjoy traditional Romanian food. Located in the city center, Old Town, it has beautiful architecture and history. The prices are affordable, between 10-40 euro for a course.
MadameB for the best pancakes in Bucharest. Do you want sweet pancakes? Got it! Savory pancakes? Got it! Everything you want for every taste. It also serves remarkable tea and lemonade.
Don`t you want to go out and eat? No problem, we have some delivery services through some of the international food delivery platforms:
About the venue of TI 10 – DOTA2 Final Tournament 2021
The championship will be held in the biggest arena in Romania: National Arena. The capacity of the stadium is 53,329 total attendees.
The International 10 DOTA 2 Tournament is definitely going to take advantage of one nice feature of the stadium: it has a retractable roof, able to cover the stadium entirely. Thus, the spectators and the players will be properly sheltered in case of bad weather.
The COVID situation in Romania
Romania is on the green list of countries, with more than 25% of the population completely vaccinated. But before arriving, please check the current situation on the following link. It is updated on a daily basis and it displays the latest news on the pandemic in the country.
Tips before leaving
Are you hungry between the games and want to try something traditional? Here there are the top Romanian traditional dishes:
Fancy a tour in Bucharest? Pick up any tour and enjoy the city:
Are you considering a day trip from Bucharest? Maybe to pay a visit to Dracula’s Castle? Here’s where you can go:
Almost broke or have only a few bucks in your pocket? Here are the top 10 things you can do for free in Bucharest:
We hope you enjoyed our advice for you. Also, we hope you’ll be able to be here at the TI 10. You deserve it!
- Published in Top Bucharest
Weekend Session Bucharest: music, picnic, and more
Are you in Bucharest this summer? We recommend that you do not miss the opportunity to go to the Weekend Session in Bucharest!
In a natural setting, in the Botanical Garden of Bucharest, every weekend between June 26 and September 19, Weekend Sessions Botanica brings together acoustic sessions of classical music, jazz, alternatives & indie, as well as poetry and reading sessions.
The Botanical Garden of Bucharest has an area of 5000 sqm and it is located in the western part of the city, on the right bank of Dambovița. Located at a low altitude, the Botanical Garden „D. Brandza ”reflects the characteristics of the relief specific to the plain region. During the Weekend Session Bucharest, the whole space turns into an alternative meeting space, with a small grass scene, music, socializing, auditions, picnic in the woods, or tastings. Bring blankets, or sunbeds with you and enjoy tasting snacks from small local entrepreneurs.
The weekends in which you can enjoy the relaxing atmosphere are 3-4 July, 10-11 July, 28-29 August, 4-5 September, 11-12 September, 18-19 September.
Keep in mind that the general access to the Weekend Sessions Bucharest space costs 60 lei – around 12 euro per person (to which is added 10 lei – around 2 euro access to the Botanical Garden).
The program is the following: 16.00-21.00, access from 16.00 through the main entrance, Soseaua Cotroceni 32
Don’t forget to buy your tickets in advance. Places are limited, you can buy tickets to the event subject to availability.
Children under 12 free entry, only the entrance ticket to the Botanical Garden is paid, 5 lei – around 1 euro.
If you want to read more about the Botanical Garden in Bucharest, we have dedicated an article to the most beautiful green space in Bucharest.
You can also follow the calendar of the event by accessing the official website.
- Published in Top Bucharest
Art Safari Bucharest, 2021 – Let Yourself Be Thrilled!
This year, Art Safari Bucharest takes place between the 16th -26th of September 2021. The event is hosted by the Dacia-Romania Palace and ARCUB. The visiting schedule is from Monday to Sunday starting at 12 o’clock. The last entry will be at 21.00. Also, Night Tours will be available on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starting at 22.00 till midnight.
What can you enjoy during the Art Safari in Bucharest this year?
During the Art Safari Bucharest 2021, you will have the opportunity to admire four different collections:
In the Footsteps of Claude Monet
Samuel Mützner’s exposition, In the Footsteps of Claude Monet, analyzes the impressionist and neo-impressionist impact of Mützner and the years spent with Claude Monet on the artistic directions in Romania and of an epoch in an explosive process of renewal. The exhibition features the canvases of Mützner’s great travels around the world: Japan, Venezuela, the United States.
Women Artists in Romania
The exhibition Seduction and Triumph in Art, Women Artists in Romania, is made in partnership with the Museum of Bucharest and presents an important series of works by many women artists, artists who studied in Munich and Paris, then exhibited in Romania but also in France, Italy, Spain or Germany, being involved in modern and avant-garde artistic movements.
Zenith Color
Constantin Piliuță’s exhibition, Zenith Color, is an illustration of that “spiritus loci” that paradoxically balances between frequenting chance and the serenity of contemplating one’s own inaction or beauty in its vegetal expression. The artist homologates in Romanian painting the genre scene as an expression of everyday ridicule and the paintings with floral subject as a place of manifestation of the aesthetics of simplicity and harmony of the palette.
Trends in Romanian Contemporary Art
Superheroes/Antiheroes exhibition, Trends in Romanian Contemporary Art, explores the role of creative communities in Romania and the various current ways of visual expression, from drawing to fabric, installation, or ceramics. Romanian super contemporary art of this decade is not easily restricted to a single exhibition. And despite the fact that it may seem challenging in content or disconcerting in aesthetics, it is actually the expression of a time when the world is changing with dizzying speed. The symbolic and metaphorical associations between art and society are easy to notice in the works on display. The superhero serves as the ultimate metaphor for the artist and his ability to explore, problematize and critique contemporary society.
Also, once you arrive in Bucharest, don’t forget to enjoy Romanian traditional dishes.
If you want to find more information, please visit the official website.
- Published in Top Bucharest
24 hours in Bucharest as a football fan
For a football fan, Bucharest is one of the best destinations if you are looking for a city break. Football is the most popular sport in Romania, and, of course, in Bucharest as well. Romanian Football Federation is the sport’s national governing body and it is abbreviated FRF – Romanian Football Federation.
The Romanian history of football started in 1890 when Doctor Iuliu Weiner returned from England bringing a ball and writing the rules on a piece of paper. We cannot be sure if the rules were exactly like the English ones, but that was the moment when football history started in Romania.
The first official football match in Romania was played near Kiseleff Road between the English and the Germans. At that time, Romanians only watched the international game. Even so, since the beginning, Romanian people showed a great interest in this sport, and this attitude remained the same over the years. At present, the Romanian supporters show their devotion to the clubs and some of the most fanatic supporters out there are DINAMO Bucharest football fans, whose choreographies and football anthems are admired all over the continent, not only in the country.
As a foreign football fan, who came to Romania only for one day, Marriott Grand Hotel is one of the best places to stay at. Located only 16 minutes away from the Old City, Marriott Grand Hotel offers the best conditions regarding accommodation, food and it offers an amazing experience overall.
Also, Intercontinental is one of the famous locations among foreign tourists. This hotel is located at the Universitate square, exactly in the center of the city. This makes it so popular among the tourists and so convenient to be accommodated at.
After you landed and checked in, you will still have a good few hours before starting the game. This is a good time for you to get a glimpse of the city. Maybe you want to go for the Bucharest attractions, or maybe you want to stick to the football theme.
Romania has a rich history, and the sport’s history makes no exception to the rule. The Sports Museum in Bucharest can be one of the most interesting places to visit for a football fan in Bucharest. This museum hosts over 10000 memorabilia, diplomas, medals, and pictures of cups owned by some of the best sportsmen in Romania.
One of the fantastic pieces exhibited in the museum is the collective passport of the Romanian Football players who took part in the World Cup from Paraguay in 1930. Besides, the best Romanian football player of all times, Gheorghe Hagi, has his own window in which there are exhibited his t-shirt from when he was playing for Galatasaray, the Turkish football club.
Another landmark a foreign football fan would enjoy is the National Arena – Arena Nationala. Arena Nationala is a retractable roof football stadium that hosts the most matches in Romania and is also the home for the First League teams FCSB and FC Dinamo Bucharest. With over 55000 seats, it is the largest football stadium in Romania. A UEFA category-four-stadium, Arena Nationala hosted the 2012 UEFA Europa League Final and also hosts four games at Euro 2020 final football tournament.
You can visit Arena Nationala daily from 8 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday. Also, the visits could be done only in organized groups, so you should gather your friends and give it a try.
Now that the day is almost done, you decided to go out to attend the match, if you are lucky enough to get the tickets. What can you do if you’re not able to attend the game?
It’s even better, in some opinions: you can watch the game on TV and have a drink in one of Bucharest’s sports bars. Where should you go? Halftime is a nice place if you want to watch a football match with a similar experience with the stadium one. This pub offers you a good time and it’s situated in Bucharest Old City. Another great place is Champions. This is the Marriott Hotel’s sports bar, so you shouldn’t be worrying about getting back to the location if you’re already accommodated at the hotel. Being located inside the hotel, that means you could meet other foreigners and you can all share your opinions about the match, but the prices are higher than at a normal bar. The experience is worth it, though, because you are going to enjoy a football match, maybe a beer and a good burger or steak in a room full of sports decorations.
All, in a nutshell, 24 hours in Bucharest are enough for a football fan to discover Romanian football history and, at the end of the day, he could have a great time watching a football game at one of the sports bars or go to attend the game on the stadium.
- Published in Top Bucharest
Top 5 pubs to watch a football game in Bucharest
Euro 2021 is approaching, you can`t enter the arena because of the COVID restrictions but still want to support your favourite team playing in Romania.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has decided to make the event truly special by deciding to host the tournament matches at not the usual one or two, but at 12 different venues in 12 separate participating countries across Europe, from Turkey to London.
In Bucharest, there are scheduled fixtures from a group with Austria, North Macedonia and Ukraine. Also, a round of 16 will be played on National Arena, the biggest Romanian stadium with 55,600 seats.
Various channels across the globe will stream every preview show, highlights, and live streams of the matches. You won’t want to miss a single kick so here are the best places to watch the Euros in Bucharest.
Best sports bars in Bucharest and Bucharest pubs showing live football
Calling all football fans: here’s where to hang with Bucharest locals and cheer on your favourite team. We are here to help you with the best 5 pubs to watch a football game in Bucharest:
1. Halftime
With the big LCDs and a video projector, this pub offers the best quality to watch a football game. This location is known for having a TV in the bathroom so you do not miss a second from the game. Their menu is giving you a lot of alternatives for food and drinks, and by drinks, I mean that more than a half is beer, perfect for a night out with the boys. If you want all of that for the next game be sure to make a reservation in advance. This place boasts fresh food, quality drinks and a vibrant atmosphere.
Address: 14, Gabroveni Street
2. Stadio
Do you want to feel more like you are in the arena? Found just a stone`s throw from Old Town Bucharest, this pub gives you an inner courtyard with a ring alike scoreboard with big TVs and a projector so you have a full 360-degree view of the games. Complete with a cosy atmosphere, this pub has a very diverse menu for every taste.
Strong selection of beer and amazing food. This pub is an iconic spot and is definitely worth a visit to. Come for the atmosphere and its special atrium designed especially for football fans!
Address: 11, Ion Campineanu Street
3. Hanul cu Tei Brewery
Found in the Old Town Bucharest, one of a few old inns remained in the city with a perfect combination of beer and football. It has 12 TVs placed alongside the walls, a beer menu where you can definitely find your favourite and a food menu with simple, but perfect snacks for a game night. Also, here you can find a consistent offer of beers, cider or whiskey.
This inn blends perfectly in the old historic town with its authentic facade, so if you are looking for a place with a history to enjoy a football game this is the perfect place.
Address: 63-65 Lipscani Street
4. Champions
Located inside of the Marriott Hotel, Champions Sports Bar & Restaurant emanates a bougie vibe with its fine selection of food and high resolutions TVs. They have 27-inch TV plasma screens to make the whole experience of watching your favourite team even more fun.
Expect a higher price than the previous pubs, but directly proportional with the quality. During summer you can the pub in The Garden, an open-air bar with the same facilities where you can enjoy the football game under the clear sky.
Great atmosphere, lovely staff, the options are great and the food is very delicious. Why not kick off your evening with a few beers before catching all the live-action?
Address: 90, 13 September Street
5. Dreamer`s
One of Bucharest`s cosy pubs, The Dreamer`s is located close to the city center. Besides the major sports channels streaming on the HD monitors, the pub has a darts area where you can play against friends or other people who can become your friends. The kitchen and the bar are open until late at night so you can enjoy the game without any problems. If you want to find a nice place to watch a football game, play a game of darts, and enjoy some nice local beer, this is the perfect place!
Address: 111, General H. M. Berthelot Street
UEFA Euro Cup 2021
Nothing is more beautiful than watching the streaming of a football game on a big TV or a projection with your friends, in rooms full of people who love this sport as well, with a beer in your hand. These pubs are the best in town for this kind of activities, so if you are in Bucharest at the same time with a major football game make sure to stop by one of them. If you won’t just settle for your local boozer and plan to go a little farther afield, why not check out our list and give one of these fine pubs ago?
Where will you be watching EURO 2021?
- Published in Top Bucharest
People’s Salvation Cathedral: Romanian Biggest Cathedral, World’s Tallest Orthodox Cathedral
- Published in Historical buildings
Exhibition of Sacred Icons Painted on Ostrich Eggs
Exhibition of sacred icons painted on ostrich eggs
April 15 – May 9, 2021, „Tancred Bănăţeanu” Hall
The National Museum of the Romanian Peasant
The National Museum of the Romanian Peasant is waiting for you on Thursday, April 15, 2021, at 17.00, at the opening of the exhibition of sacred icons decorated on ostrich eggs, During Easter, which will take place at the “Tancred Bănăţeanu” Hall.
By exhibiting the author’s collection, 60 sacred icons decorated on ostrich eggs made by Mariana Andone-Rotaru, in thematic association with sacred icons painted on glass from the collections of the Peasant Museum, we will present to the general public a unique approach to the Easter Egg, mediated by dialogue between two types of exhibits.
Mariana Andone-Rotaru is an archaeologist, museum keeper for over 15 years, a doctor of history specializing in the Roman era, being captivated by everything that is old, beautiful, and touched by the patina of time. Concerned with traditional art and crafts, Mariana Andone-Rotaru realized, in 2020, the project Icons decorated on ostrich eggs after old Transylvanian sources (XVIII-XIX centuries) – a harmonious amalgam between creation and experiment, between original and traditional crafts. She found balance by experimenting with a unique way of decorating Easter eggs, by transposing and reinterpreting on ostrich eggs the icons once painted on glass in Transylvania, taking into account the iconographic canons and the rigors of the decoration technique.
A new technique for decorating Easter eggs
The unique icons are inspired by old Transylvanian springs painted on glass and reinterpreted on ostrich eggs by „writing” with wax and successive colored baths. For the creation of these unique icons, heritage pieces (sources/models) were used, kept in different museum collections or private collections, coming from the following production centers: Nicula, the so-called Iernuțeni (reassigned Nicula), Northern Transylvania; Șcheii Brașovului; Făgăraș / Țara Oltului, Savu Moga, Matei Țâmforea, Petru Tămaș, Ana Deji.
For each spring, the right egg was carefully selected, and the design was made with melted beeswax with the help of a traditional quill. In most cases, the ovoid circumference was divided into two surfaces, the iconographic theme being framed on one of them. The border on the excerpt (belt with the twisted rope motif – Nicula, flower belt – Șcheii Brașovului or geometric motifs rendered with gold – Țara Făgărașului) closes the composition, having the role of delimiting the sacred space from the profane one. The decoration on the opposite side of the icon is a unique creation, harmoniously developed in its own compositions, starting from the elements of the field represented: stylized angels, flowers, leaves, flower vines that sometimes culminated in a lush decoration on a gold background. (eg the so-called Iernuțeni). Where the theme allowed, the representation of the scene was used on two-thirds (the Nativity) or on the entire ovoid surface (Saint George killing the dragon). The painting was done by successive color baths, being protected with wax. As can be noticed, the colors and the treatment of the drawing followed the stylistic particularities specific to the glass painting schools represented. The gilded elements were rendered with 24 k gold foil and silver foil, patinated with propolis.
Iconographic themes
The collection of 60 icons decorated with ostrich eggs illustrates the main iconographic themes specific to glass painting, as follows: Representation of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity (Jesus Pantocrator, Jesus with the vine, Holy Trinity); Representation of the Mother of God (Mother of God with the Infant (Hodighitria), Mother of God Sorrowful (Poor), Coronation of the Virgin); Representation of royal feasts, feasts of the Mother of God (Birth of the Mother of God), Repentance (Bringing the Mother of God to the Temple), Annunciation, Nativity of the Lord, Circumcision of the Lord), Abstraction (Bringing the Lord to the Temple), Baptism of the Lord, Resurrection of the Lord); Representation of themes from Lent and Passion Week (The Last Supper, The Crucifixion of the Lord, The Lord’s Supper); Representations of the saints (the Table of Heaven, the Holy Pious Paraschiva, the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, the Holy Archangel Michael, the Holy Hierarch Nicholas, the Holy Martyr Haralambie, the Holy Great Martyr George, the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helen, the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul II).
The exhibition can be visited at „Tancred Bănăţeanu” Hall, until May 9, 2021, from Tuesday to Sunday, between 10.00 and 18.00. It is closed on Monday.
Entrance ticket price: adults – 8 lei; pensioners – 4 lei; pupils and students, holders of the Euro 26 card, up to 30 years old, adults with medium or mild disabilities – 2 lei. Tickets can also be purchased online HERE.
- Published in Top Bucharest
