MNAR: Expozitie de gravura japoneza din colectiile muzeului

Curtezana Masuharu de la casa Natsuba

Muzeul National de Arta al Romaniei: vineri, 18 decembrie, ora 12:00, vernisaj expozitie:  Imagini ale lumii trecatoare. Kunisada – un mare gravor al scolii Utagawa. Gravura japoneza din secolul al XIX-lea; expozitia este organizată de Sectia de Arta Orientala a MNAR.

Kikaku, din seria Zece poeti nemuritori

Expozitia reuneste un ansamblu de saizeci si trei de gravuri policrome create de Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865), unul dintre cei mai populari maestri gravori ai vremii sale, artist deosebit de prolific, desenator si colorist redutabil.   Din ansamblul de gravuri aflate in colectiile MNAR au fost selectate exemplarele cele mai valoroase ca realizare artistica si calitate a imprimarii. Ele ilustreaza citeva dintre temele predilecte la Kunisada: imagini cu femei frumoase, scene de teatru, portrete de actori, lucrari inspirate din literatura, istoria si legendele Japoniei.

Expozitie la MNIR: ROMÂNIA. DECEMBRIE 1989

Muzeul Naţional de Istorie a României organizează în perioada 16 decembrie 2009 – 28 februarie 2010 expoziţia „România. Decembrie 1989“. Vernisajul va avea loc la data de 16 decembrie 2009, ora 13.30, la sediul Muzeului Naţional de Istorie a României, Calea Victoriei nr. 12.

Expoziţia „România. Decembrie 1989“ este structurată tematic, în două importante capitole.

Organizatorii proiectului şi-au propus ca primul capitol să ilustreze viaţa românilor în ultimii ani de existenţă ai regimului Ceauşescu, anii ’80, caracterizându-se ca o perioadă de privaţiuni economice şi sociale la care a fost supusă populaţia. Acestor constrângeri li s-au adăugat politica represivă bine instrumentată de organismele partidului-stat faţă de orice manifestare anticomunistă, distrugerea patrimoniului monumental şi sistemizarea urbană şi rurală agresivă şi nu în cele din urmă cultul personalităţii propagat de Nicolae Ceauşescu – particularitate specifică regimului comunist din România. Astfel, secţiunea dedicată anilor ‘80 cuprinde diverse mărturii fotografice şi documentare, obiecte muzeistice integrate într-un context scenografic sugestiv, scopul fiind acela al ilustrării coordonatelor opresive din România acelor ani.

Al doilea capitol al expoziţiei este dedicat Revoluţiei din decembrie 1989 care a culminat cu ceea ce părea imposibil dar care a devenit posibil – căderea dictatorului. Semnificativele documente, fotografii, arme şi obiecte personale ale martirilor căzuţi la Timişoara, Bucureşti, Cluj-Napoca, în alte oraşe ale ţării în decembrie 1989, ilustrează Revoluţia care a pus capăt dictaturii comuniste în România. Tuturor acestor mărturii li se adaugă fotografii care evidenţiază evoluţiile politice democratice de la sfârşitul anilor ’80 din Polonia, Ungaria şi Cehia.

La organizarea acestei expoziţii au colaborat prestigioase instituţii: Muzeul Militar Naţional „Regele Ferdinand I“, Muzeul Banatului, Institutul Revoluţiei Române din Decembrie 1989, Muzeul Naţional Filatelic, Agenţia Naţională de Presă AGERPRES, Societatea Română de Radiodifuziune, Societatea Română de Televiziune, Serviciul Român de Informaţii, Centrul Cultural Ceh, Centrul Cultural al Republicii Ungare şi Institutul Polonez, toate acestea contribuind la proiectul expoziţional prin prezentarea unor importante mărturii muzeistice şi documentare.

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Parteneri: Grup Transilvae, Agenţia Naţională de Presă AGERPRES, Instituţia Prefectului Municipiului Bucureşti, Onlinegallery.ro, Revista “Istorie şi Civilizatie, MonopolyTV, Şapte Seri.

Persoane de contact: Mihai Lancuzov, Florin Georgescu Tel. 021/315.82.07, int. 1103.

New York Times: A Lost European Culture, Pulled From Obscurity

JOHN NOBLE WILFORD de la New York Times (30 Nov.2009)  dedica un articol expozitiei de arheologie “The Lost World of Old Europe: the Danube Valley, 5000-3500 B.C.”

Before the glory that was Greece and Rome, even before the first cities of Mesopotamia or temples along the Nile, there lived in the Lower Danube Valley and the Balkan foothills people who were ahead of their time in art, technology and long-distance trade.

For 1,500 years, starting earlier than 5000 B.C., they farmed and built sizable towns, a few with as many as 2,000 dwellings. They mastered large-scale copper smelting, the new technology of the age. Their graves held an impressive array of exquisite headdresses and necklaces and, in one cemetery, the earliest major assemblage of gold artifacts to be found anywhere in the world.

The striking designs of their pottery speak of the refinement of the culture’s visual language. Until recent discoveries, the most intriguing artifacts were the ubiquitous terracotta “goddess” figurines, originally interpreted as evidence of the spiritual and political power of women in society.

New research, archaeologists and historians say, has broadened understanding of this long overlooked culture, which seemed to have approached the threshold of “civilization” status. Writing had yet to be invented, and so no one knows what the people called themselves. To some scholars, the people and the region are simply Old Europe.

The little-known culture is being rescued from obscurity in an exhibition, “The Lost World of Old Europe: the Danube Valley, 5000-3500 B.C.,” which opened last month at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University. More than 250 artifacts from museums in Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania are on display for the first time in the United States. The show will run through April 25.

At its peak, around 4500 B.C., said David W. Anthony, the exhibition’s guest curator, “Old Europe was among the most sophisticated and technologically advanced places in the world” and was developing “many of the political, technological and ideological signs of civilization.”

Dr. Anthony is a professor of anthropology at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y., and author of “The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World.” Historians suggest that the arrival in southeastern Europe of people from the steppes may have contributed to the collapse of the Old Europe culture by 3500 B.C.

At the exhibition preview, Roger S. Bagnall, director of the institute, confessed that until now “a great many archaeologists had not heard of these Old Europe cultures.” Admiring the colorful ceramics, Dr. Bagnall, a specialist in Egyptian archaeology, remarked that at the time “Egyptians were certainly not making pottery like this.”

A show catalog, published by Princeton University Press, is the first compendium in English of research on Old Europe discoveries. The book, edited by Dr. Anthony, with Jennifer Y. Chi, the institute’s associate director for exhibitions, includes essays by experts from Britain, France, Germany, the United States and the countries where the culture existed.

Dr. Chi said the exhibition reflected the institute’s interest in studying the relationships of well-known cultures and the “underappreciated ones.”

Although excavations over the last century uncovered traces of ancient settlements and the goddess figurines, it was not until local archaeologists in 1972 discovered a large fifth-millennium B.C. cemetery at Varna, Bulgaria, that they began to suspect these were not poor people living in unstructured egalitarian societies. Even then, confined in cold war isolation behind the Iron Curtain, Bulgarians and Romanians were unable to spread their knowledge to the West.

The story now emerging is of pioneer farmers after about 6200 B.C. moving north into Old Europe from Greece and Macedonia, bringing wheat and barley seeds and domesticated cattle and sheep. They established colonies along the Black Sea and in the river plains and hills, and these evolved into related but somewhat distinct cultures, archaeologists have learned. The settlements maintained close contact through networks of trade in copper and gold and also shared patterns of ceramics.

The Spondylus shell from the Aegean Sea was a special item of trade. Perhaps the shells, used in pendants and bracelets, were symbols of their Aegean ancestors. Other scholars view such long-distance acquisitions as being motivated in part by ideology in which goods are not commodities in the modern sense but rather “valuables,” symbols of status and recognition.

[...]

An entire gallery is devoted to the figurines, the more familiar and provocative of the culture’s treasures. They have been found in virtually every Old Europe culture and in several contexts: in graves, house shrines and other possibly “religious spaces.”

One of the best known is the fired clay figure of a seated man, his shoulders bent and hands to his face in apparent contemplation. Called the “Thinker,” the piece and a comparable female figurine were found in a cemetery of the Hamangia culture, in Romania. Were they thinking, or mourning?

Many of the figurines represent women in stylized abstraction, with truncated or elongated bodies and heaping breasts and expansive hips. The explicit sexuality of these figurines invites interpretations relating to earthly and human fertility.

An arresting set of 21 small female figurines, seated in a circle, was found at a pre-Cucuteni village site in northeastern Romania. “It is not difficult to imagine,” said Douglass W. Bailey of San Francisco State University, the Old Europe people “arranging sets of seated figurines into one or several groups of miniature activities, perhaps with the smaller figurines at the feet or even on the laps of the larger, seated ones.”

Others imagined the figurines as the “Council of Goddesses.” In her influential books three decades ago, Marija Gimbutas, an anthropologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, offered these and other so-called Venus figurines as representatives of divinities in cults to a Mother Goddess that reigned in prehistoric Europe.

Although the late Dr. Gimbutas still has an ardent following, many scholars hew to more conservative, nondivine explanations. The power of the objects, Dr. Bailey said, was not in any specific reference to the divine, but in “a shared understanding of group identity.”

As Dr. Bailey wrote in the exhibition catalog, the figurines should perhaps be defined only in terms of their actual appearance: miniature, representational depictions of the human form. He thus “assumed (as is justified by our knowledge of human evolution) that the ability to make, use and understand symbolic objects such as figurines is an ability that is shared by all modern humans and thus is a capability that connects you, me, Neolithic men, women and children, and the Paleolithic painters in caves.”

un slideshow poate fi vazut aici http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/11/25/science/112409_ARCH_index.html

LIVING SPACE Artifacts from the Lower Danube Valley and the Balkan foothills are presented in an exhibition, “The Lost World of Old Europe,” at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. Slide Show

Dennis Deletant: Revisiting the 1989 Romanian revolution

Revisiting the 1989 Romanian Revolution:
Some Personal Reflections
by Prof. Dennis Deletant OBE

19.00-21.00, The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre, Manchester Square, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ; Tel. 020 7486 0295, ext 108; e-mail:bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk; Entry is free but booking is essential.

Hosted by Nicolae Ratiu, Chairman of the Ratiu Foundation

“The Romanian revolution was for me, my own personal revolution. It brought me – to use Andy Warhol’s expression – my ‘fifteen minutes of fame’ for it catapulted me and Romanian studies at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies of the University of London, into the public eye. On 16 December 1989, I was watching television news coverage at home featuring protests in Timisoara, when the telephone rang. It was a call from John Simpson, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent of BBC Television, inviting me to come down to the news centre in Wood Lane to discuss the situation in Romania .

On 20 December, after Ceausescu’s televised address to his people which was monitored by the BBC, John put me on the spot by asking, ‘Well, Dennis, is this the end for Ceausescu or not?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ ‘Right, then I’m off to Romania but I want you to be my anchor here in my office while I am away’, was his response.

On 29 December I left for Bucharest to join John. This presentation is based on my experiences there.” – Dennis Deletant

Dennis Deletant is Professor of Romanian Studies at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London and at the University of Amsterdam (on secondment). As a graduate of SSEES he studied on a British Council postgraduate scholarship for nine months in 1969, and thereafter visited the country frequently until 1988 when he was declared persona non grata as a result of his adverse comments on the Ceausescu regime in the British publishing and broadcasting media. At the end of December 1989, he returned to Bucharest as consultant to the BBC during the Romanian revolution. Between 1990 and 1999, he served on the advisory board of the British government’s Know-How Fund, set up to fund a transfer of expertise to Central and Eastern Europe in political, social, economic and charitable domains, and was actively involved in the Romanian aspects of its work; for this service he was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1995.

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Organised by The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in London
www.ratiufamilyfoundation.com; www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk
Culture Power is a programme initiated by the Ratiu Foundation, consisting of a number of presentations and constructive dialogue with an invited audience.

The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in London
Manchester Square, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ; Tel. +44 20 7486 0295; Fax: +44 20 7486 0307
E-mail: mail@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk, Web site: www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk

Expozitie la New York “The LOST WORLD of OLD EUROPE”

‘The Lost World of Old Europe. The Danube Valley, 5000-3500 BC’

Location: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World

11 November 2009 – 25 April 2010

The exhibition has been organized by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University in collaboration with the National History Museum of Romania, Bucharest, and with the participation of the Varna Regional Museum of History, Bulgaria and the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova, Chişinău; and has been made possible by the Leon Levy Foundation. Public Programming has been supported by the Tianaderrah Foundation and organized in conjunction with the Romanian Cultural Institute, New York.

In 4500 BC, before the invention of writing and before the first cities of Mesopotamia and Egypt were established, Old Europe was among the most sophisticated and technologically advanced regions in the world. The phrase “Old Europe” refers to a cycle of related cultures that thrived in southeastern Europe during the fifth and fourth millennia BC. The heart of Old Europe was centered in the Danube River’s fertile valleys, where agriculturally rich plains were exploited by Neolithic farmers who founded long-lasting settlements—some of which grew to substantial size, with populations reaching upward of 10,000 people. Today, the intriguing and enigmatic remains of these highly developed cultures can be found at sites that extend from modern-day Serbia to Ukraine.The Lost World of Old Europe: The Danube Valley, 5000–3500 BC presents extraordinary finds from the three countries with the richest Old European archaeological heritage—Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova, and Romania.

While Old Europe can be defined geographically with relative simplicity, the identification of cultural groups who lived there is more complicated. Since these cultures did not leave behind any written sources, the material remains from excavated settlements are the only tools that scholars can use to reveal both localized and common customs. Archaeological exploration began throughout the region at the end of the nineteenth century, but systematic excavations did not commence until the 1930s. During these formative years, when a common Old European culture had not yet been identified, archaeologists began classifying individual cultural groups based upon the site where each was first recognized. Hence, the Cucuteni culture is named after the modern Romanian village of Cucuteni, where the first remains from this culture were excavated. The same is true for the lower-Danube sites of Gumelnita and Hamangia, and Varna in Bulgaria, all highlighted in this exhibition.

More recently, scholars have begun to reconsider the strict cultural divisions formulated by their predecessors, and to embark on studies that instead underscore customs shared by the various groups. The Lost World of Old Europe explores the technological, aesthetic, and social achievements that bound these cultures together, while at the same time revealing the unique qualities of each. Four major themes are presented in ISAW’s galleries: anthropomorphic figurines, which predominantly represent women and may have been employed in ritual and religious ceremonies; copper, gold, and the Aegean shell Spondylus, prestige materials worked into an impressive variety of forms and traded throughout the region; an exuberant pottery production, with complex shapes and decorations suggestive of elaborate ceremonies that revolved around banqueting and feasting; and architectural models, which indicate the significant relationships between Old Europeans and the built as well as unbuilt spaces surrounding them.

Modern observers have projected quite different visions on the remains of Old Europe. But this much is clear—far earlier than is generally recognized, southeastern Europe achieved a level of technological skill, artistic creativity, and social sophistication that defies our standard categories and is just beginning to be understood in a systematic way. New studies of old collections, future excavation projects, and exhibitions such as this one hold out hope for a clearer understanding of Old Europe, the first proto-civilization of Europe itself.

for details see  http://www.nyu.edu/isaw/exhibitions/oldeurope/

Getty: O fotografie inedita – peisaj lunar imaginar

Fotografia a fost prezentata pe site-ul muzeului Getty cu ocazia celebrarii a 40 de ani de la prima misiune pe luna. Imaginea reprezinta un peisaj lunar imaginar, o fotografie dupa o macheta (autor necunoscut) realizata la sfarsitul anilor 1850, fotografie aflata candva in colectia astronomului Sir John Herschel (1792-1871). Pentru astronomul Herschel a fost ceea ce astazi am numi o simulare pe computer, ce contribuia la vizualizarea studiilor sale.  Este un obiect interesant care arata cat de incitant si inedit era pentru secolul 19 atingerea idealului unei calatorii pe Luna.  ©Diana Mandache

Imagini de la Capidava

CAPIDAVA REDIVIVA: Proiect de educatie culturala, 29 iulie-1 august 2009

©Centrul National de Cercetare si Documentare in Domeniul Muzeologiei ‘Radu Florescu’

Expozitie Henrieta Delavrancea-Gibory la MNAR

6 August – 20 Septembrie 2009 la MNAR:

Expozitia prezinta planuri, proiecte de arhitectura, desene si fotografii de epoca si actuale ale cladirilor proiectate de arhitecta Henrieta Delavrancea-Gibory in perioada 1930-1940 la Balcic si in Bucuresti.

Henrieta Delavrancea-Gibory (1894-1987), fiica scriitorului Barbu Stefanescu Delavrancea si sora pianistei si scriitoarei Cella Delavrancea, face parte dintr-o generatie de arhitecti care, alaturi de Horia Creanga, G.M.Cantacuzino si Octav Doicescu, a avut o contributie importanta la formarea scolii de arhitectura moderna romaneasca.

Presa britanica despre Revolutia romana 1989

Recently, The Observer dedicated an ample material to the Romanian revolution (featuring an interview with Ion Caramitru), and another one dedicated to the revolutions that made the world of today, by Ed Vulliamy and Neal Ascherson. “Christmas Day 1989: Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena are shot dead by firing squad, after a trial lasting less than two minutes. But was the world watching a people’s uprising, or a communist coup d’etat? Ed Vulliamy returns to Bucharest, to report on the aftermath of the most mysterious downfall of the Cold War.” Read the article ‘It was impossible to have a revolution in Romania. So it had to be staged’ – click here.

“By the start of 1989 communist regimes had ruled eastern Europe for 45 years. By the end of that year they had all been routed by extraordinary public uprisings. Here, Neal Ascherson, who reported on the momentous events for the Observer, recalls the idealism and anger that drove the protests”. Read the article ‘A time when hope replaced repression’ (2 August 2009) – click  here.

The eastern bloc in the 1980s

Germany The Berlin Wall divides West Germany from East Germany, an eastern bloc state under the strict political and military control of the USSR.

Bulgaria Widely regarded as the USSR’s most loyal eastern European ally. Under Todor Zhivkov, labour camps are closed, some freedom of expression is tolerated and the persecution of the church is ended.

Romania Nicolae Ceausescu heads a strict regime characterised by extreme nationalist policies and a cult of personality surrounding its leader.

Hungary Janos Kadar’s government is considered to be the most lenient of the eastern bloc states. Authoritarian social policies and high levels of state surveillance are maintained yet the standard of living is relatively high. With the economy floundering, Kadar resigns in 1988 and is replaced by Karoly Grosz.

Czechoslovakia Despite his nominal commitment to Gorbachev’s programme of perestroika, President Gustav Husak maintains strict communist rule and there is little political or economic reform.

Poland A communist government rules under General Jaruzelski, but the country’s independent trade union, Solidarity, gathers political force despite martial law being imposed between 1981 and 1983. Economic crisis means food and other basic materials are rationed.

The Key Figures

Mikhail Gorbachev General secretary of the Soviet Communist party from 1985 and president of the USSR from early 1990. Responsible for sweeping “glasnost” and “perestroika” reforms that led to the collapse of the Soviet empire. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 and following a failed bid for the presidency in 1996 set up the Social Democratic party of Russia; resigned in 2004. Now planning a comeback with billionaire ex-KGB officer and owner of the London Evening Standard Alexander Lebedev.

Vaclav Havel Playwright and signatory of Charter 77, played a leading role in the Civic Forum and the Velvet Revolution. Was the last president of Czechoslovakia in 1989 and the first of the new Czech Republic in 1993, a post he held until 2003. His latest play, Leaving, had its premiere in Prague last year to excellent reviews. Met President Obama at a summit in Prague two months ago. He is reported to be preparing to direct his first film, based on his play Leaving, and starring his wife Dagmar.

Vaclav Klaus A former state economist, then Civic Forum supporter, he was made finance minister in 1989. In 1991 founded his own Civic Democratic party, now one of the largest, most right-wing Czech parties. Prime minister 1992-1997. Defeated Havel to become president in 2003. Re-elected last year.

Lech Walesa The Gdansk shipyard strike leader and founder of trade union movement Solidarity that led to downfall of communism. President of Poland 1990-1995. Failed in another bid for the presidency in 2000 and quit Solidarity in 2006.

Adam Michnik A leading organiser of the illegal opposition in communist Poland, he edited several underground newspapers. Adviser to Solidarity, then member of parliament in 1989. Set up the influential Gazeta Wyborcza of which he remains editor-in-chief.

Miklos Haraszti Writer and co-founder of the Hungarian Democratic Opposition, he participated in the 1989 “round table” talks that led to a multi-party democracy. Member of parliament 1990-1994. Now high-level international civil servant with OCSE Vienna.

Jan Kavan In exile in the UK after the Prague Spring, he supported Charter 77 and edited the East European Reporter. Returned to Prague during Velvet Revolution, joined Civic Forum and became foreign minister minister (1998-2002). A member of the Senate until 2006. President of the UN General Assembly 2002-2003.

—- Diana Mandache

Neoclasicismul vienez în sculptura lui Gheorghe Stănescu de Amelia Dinca, Muzeul Civilizatiei Gumelnita Oltenita

Neoclasicismul vienez în sculptura artistului olteniţean Gheorghe Stănescu

Gheorghe Stănescu lucrând la o plachetă reprezentându-l pe George Enescu

Gheorghe Stănescu (27 august 1881, Olteniţa-1967, Bucureşti) este artistul care nu se distanţează de model, nu caută tipuri de interpretare ale chipului, ci mai degrabă redă caractere şi trăiri autentice legate de starea de beatitudine în portretele feminine şi de prestanţă ori contemplare în cele masculine. Începuturile sale artistice sunt legate de numele sculptorului italian Pietro Dozze, care avea un atelier în Bucureşti, unde sosise şi plasticianul olteniţean în anul 1893, după ce familia trecuse prin grele încercări existenţiale.

La vârsta de 25 de ani, Stănescu va deveni bursier la Viena, recompesă primită din partea regelui Carol I pentru decoraţiile făcute la Castelul Peleş în echipa condusă de arhitectul ceh Karel Liman. În capitala austriacă, artistul va lucra o vreme în atelierele sculptorilor Otto Hanak, Franz Barvig şi Theodor Charlemont, abia în 1909 devenind student la Academia de Arte din Viena unde i-a avut profesori pe Hans Bitterlich şi Iosif Műlner.

Bătrână povestind

Aici a creat în 1911 compoziţia „Bătrână povestind” care are o replică în lemn de tei prezentată în 1912 la Kűstler Haus din Viena, obţinând cu aceasta Premiul I. Publicistul N.D.Cocea a cumpărat sculptura în acelaşi an când a fost expusă şi la Tinerimea artistică. Prima variantă din 1911 aparţine în momentul de faţă Muzeului Civilizaţiei Gumelniţa din Olteniţa şi o reprezintă pe bunica sculptorului redată printr-o delicată sugestie a modelajului vizibil în studiul de drapaj al rochiei care se încheie în faţă cu câţiva nasturi ce ritmează suprafaţa compoziţiei. În această sculptură de tinereţe, Gheorghe Stănescu a atins virtuozitatea nu numai prin redarea academică a modelului, ci prin surprinderea emoţiei şi plăcerea povestitului redată pe chipul blând emanând bunătate şi înţelepciune. Foarte riguroasă în transpunere, lucrarea este tipică pentru ceea ce se învăţa în această celebră şcoală de arte care alături de cea műncheneză, pariziană, berlineză şi romană, constituiau punctul de atracţie pentru tinerii plasticieni români ajunşi aici datorită talentului sau vreunei conjuncturi favorabile.

Înfiinţarea Monetăriei Statului în 1937, i-a deschis lui Sănescu drumul către sculptura medalistică, devenind şeful Secţiei de Medalistică din această instituţie.  Preocuparea pentru medalii şi plachete a primat până către sfârşitul vieţii, însă portretele bust sunt ralizările sale de forţă, dintre acestea remarcându-se regele Ferdinand, Gheorghe Manolescu, Gheorghe Dima, medalioanele de la opera din Cluj care îi evocă pe Traian Grozăvescu, Ion Stănescu, D. Popovici- Bayreuth.

Tinereţe

În Muzeul din Turul de Apă de la Olteniţa se află portretul cântăreţului Nae Leonard şi lucrarea Tinereţe, reprezentând-o pe sora artistului, lucrări care nu au tensiunea stilului epocii care se dezvolta în sculptura timpului său.

Nae Leonard

Plasticianul a oscilat între plastica propriu-zisă, care consta mai mult în portrete făcute la comandă şi medalistă. Această dualitate nu i-a permis să-şi dezvolte o viziune personală. Se pricepea la portrete şi nu a căutat şi alte mijloace de expresie, ceea ce l-a situat în masa artiştilor fără orizont stilistic prea larg, rămânând un discipol al şcolii vieneze. ©Ana Amelia Dinca, Muzeul Civilizatiei Gumelnita Oltenita

Puteti scrie pentru blogul nostru

Puteti sa contribuiti cu materiale (texte, fotografii digitale, video de maxim 5 minute la rezolutie medie) la blogul Centrului National de Cercetare si Documentare in Domeniul Muzeologiei “Radu Florescu”. Cei interesati  pot trimite propunerile la adresa de e-mail dianamandache@yahoo.co.uk

Expozitie de motociclete clasice la MNIR

Expozitia poate fi vizitata doar pana la 30 Septembrie 2009 la MNIR

Prima Expozitie de motociclete de epoca din Bucuresti  este organizata de Muzeul Naţional de Istorie a Romaniei in colaborare cu Asociaţia Motocicliştilor din România, Muzeul Tehnic “Ing. Dimitrie Leonida” si Daytona Twins. Sunt prezentate mărci produse în fostele ţările socialiste, precum IJ, MZ, CZ, Ural, Carpaţi, dar şi motociclete produse de firmele BMW, Puch, SACHS, Deutchs Industri, Triumph, din afara spaţiului socialist.

10 din cele mai importante atractii istorice ce pot fi vizionate in septembrie in Marea Britanie

1. Be amazed by aerial magic

The annual air show at Imperial War Museum Duxford is a thrilling day out for all the family. See a range of modern and historic planes, including a Spitfire and a Hurricane, soaring overhead and taking part in aerial displays.

Event: The Duxford Air Show

Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire

5–6 September www.iwm.org.uk

2. Discover Goya’s dark side

Spanish painter Francisco de Goya (1746–1828) was a troubled individual whose private etchings depicted fantastical and horrible scenes. Several prints of these are now on show at Manchester Art Gallery. They reflect on topical concerns such as Spanish society, the church and warfare.

Exhibition: Fantasies, Follies and Disasters

Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester

Until February 2010 www.manchestergalleries.org

3. Enjoy a wealth of heritage for free

England’s annual Heritage Open Days (HOD) was thrown into jeopardy this year with the collapse of the Civic Trust, which organised the event. Happily English Heritage has stepped in to take over the running of HOD, meaning that as usual thousands of historic properties are opening their doors to the public free of charge. Plus many will stage special activities.

Also this month Scotland runs its own Doors Open Days (www.doorsopendays.org.uk) while Wales hosts Open Doors (www.civictrustwales.org/ehd). In London there is an Open House weekend on 19–20 September (www.londonopenhouse.org).

Event: Heritage Open Days England

10–13 September (Free entry) www.heritageopendays.org.uk

4. Meet a tragic Aztec king

Unfortunately for Aztec emperor Moctezuma II, his reign (1502–1520) coincided with the arrival of Spanish colonists. Unable to match the invaders’ technological and military might, Moctezuma was compelled to cede control of his empire. His story is told in a major British Museum exhibition, which features some stunning Aztec artefacts as well as European portraits of Moctezuma.

Exhibition: Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler

British Museum, London

24 September–24 January 2010   www.britishmuseum.org

5. Dig deep north of the border

Get to grips with Scotland’s rich archaeological heritage at the country’s annual archaeology month this September. There are a whole host of events taking place across the country, with a special schools programme as well. Find out about excavations and discover the history of the peoples who lived in Scotland through the ages.

Event: Scottish Archaeology Month Scotland

September www.scottisharchaeologymonth.com

6. See Victorian wars through the lens

The conflicts of the mid-19th century are revealed in photographic details at the National Army Museum’s new First Shots exhibition. It contains some of the earliest ever war photographs, recalling battles in India, Burma and the Crimea. Among the pictures are portraits of military leaders from the era as well as scenes of wartime devastation.

Exhibition First Shots: Early War Photography 1848–60

National Army Museum, London

2 September–10 January 2009 (Free entry) www.nam.ac.uk

7. Stroll through London’s past for a worthy cause

Children’s hospice CHASE is holding a charity walk this month that begins at the Tower of London and ends with a street party at the Imperial War Museum. Along the way you’ll cross nine of the capital’s bridges and get the opportunity to pop along to HMS Belfast and check out the exhibition Life Below Decks. The Imperial War Museum’s Terrible Trenches exhibition is also part of the programme.

Event: Charity London Bridges Walk

Tower of London, London

27 September www.chasecare.org.uk/londonbridges

8. Admire Turner’s sublime imitations

JMW Turner (1775–1851) liked to test his abilities against the greatest painters in history. He did this by producing works that were influenced by the likes of Rembrandt and Canaletto but which he also hoped would outshine the original efforts. In a new exhibition the Tate will be displaying a range of Turner paintings paired with those of the artists who inspired them.

Exhibition: Turner and the Masters

Tate Britain, London

Electronic Imaging & the Visual Arts: Conferinta & training, Florenta 2010

Electronic Imaging & the Visual Arts.  ‘The Foremost European Electronic Imaging Events in the Visual Arts’

EVA 2010 Florence:  Conference, Training & Workshops,  21 – 23 April 2010

 For information: vito.cappellini@unifi.it

 In Cooperation with MICHAEL, AISBL, MINERVA –NET and ATHENA Projects

PALAZZO DEGLI AFFARI . 21 – 23 April 2010 . Conference Languages: Italian & English 

Main Topics  2D – 3D Digital Image Acquisition Leading Edge Applications: Galleries, Libraries, Education, Archaeological Sites, Museums & Historical Tours Mediterranean Initiatives in Technology for Cultural Heritage: Synergy with European & International Programmes Integrated Digital Archives for Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Art Management of Museums by using ICT Technology: Access, Guides, Documentation & Other Services The Impact of New Mobile Communications on Cultural Heritage and Modern Arts Area Human – Computer Interaction for Cultural Heritage Applications  Copyright Protection (Watermarking & Electronic Commerce)  Culture and e-government  Activities and Programmes for  e-learning Application of Digital Terrestrial Television 3D Developments and Applications in the Cultural Heritage Area Cultural Tourism & Travel Applications  Art and Medicine

Who Should Attend The Cultural Sector    The Government Sector        Media & Related Sectors The ICT  Industry, especially multimedia SME’s              Tourism & Travel Sector  Technology & Visual Arts Research Organisations

EVA 2010 Florence Chairman: Vito CappelliniTel: + 39 055 4796279  Fax: + 39 055 461701            E-mail: vito.cappellini@unifi.itCo-Chairman: James HemsleyTel. +44 (0) 2089777858  Email: jrhemsley@hotmail.com Offers of papers (6 pages draft or 1 page summary), Workshops & Demonstrations to the Chairman or Co-Chairman by 20 Oct. 2009

Expozitie la Berlin “Lumea a treia in al Doilea Razboi Mondial”, afirmatii la conferinta de presa

Presa comenteaza afirmatiile unui istoric german care spune despre Mahatma Gandhi ca ar fi fost unul din marii prieteni ai Germaniei naziste. Afirmatia a fost facuta in timpul unei conferinte de presa cu prilejul expozitiei de la Berlin “The Third World in the Second World War”.  Expozitia doreste sa exprime recunoasterea rolului a mii de africani si asiatici in infrangerea nazismului. Pentru a citi mai multe apasati aici

Historian Götz Aly, the author of “Hitler’s Beneficiaries”, accused black Allied soldiers of the systematic rape of German women during World War Two. He also dismissed their share of defeating Nazi Germany on the grounds that they were forced to fight. He compared the acts of Britain and France’s black soldiers to the mass rapes by the Russian Red Army soldiers in eastern Germany. “Every town in southwest Germany could tell stories of rape by black soldiers, no different to the Russian [practice of systematic rape].” Aly also said Mahatma Gandhi was “one of the greatest friends of Nazi Germany” because he and the Third Reich shared a common enemy in Britain.

Diana Mandache

Mai multe despre Expozitia de la Berlin si controversele aparute, Sept 2009

An exhibition examining the impact of World War II in the developing world has opened in Berlin amid criticism for including Nazi sympathisers.

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Billed as a portrayal of “a forgotten chapter in history,” the exhibition “The Third World in the Second World War” is the culmination of several years of research across more than thirty countries, initially undertaken by a group of freelance journalists based in Cologne.

Karl Rössel from the group described their work as an attempt to dispel the “Eurocentric view” of World War II. He said they were inspired while working on another project decades ago about protests against the Vietnam War in the developing world.

“We realised then similar movements had been organised in these countries against fascism in the Second World War,” he told The Local.

“We wanted to look up the contribution of people in these countries to the fight against fascism in history books, but found there was nothing in the German history books. We thought this was scandalous, so decided to do something to change it.”

The journalists, supported by researchers at Recherche International, first published their work in the 2005 book “Our Victims Don’t Count” (Unsere Opfer zählen nich), released to critical acclaim. The opening of the exhibition last week in Berlin was timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II in Europe on September 1, 1939.

The show looks at the contributions of soldiers and civilian groups in the fight against fascism on all continents outside of Europe. But it also covers examples from these areas of collaborators with fascism and persecutions of Jewish people outside of Germany.

“This is not just a minor part of World War Two, but rather the second half of this war, often forgotten,” Rössel said.

But just a few days before its opening, the exhibition had to be moved from the advertised location at the Werkstatt der Kulturen, after anti-racism activist groups including media watch organisation Der Braune Mob, contacted the workshop’s director Philippa Ebéné about the inclusion of Nazi collaborators in the Middle East.

Der Braune Mob published a statement by Ebéné explaining her decision not to host the exhibition after asking its curators to remove the sections that referenced Nazi collaborators.

“The curators were informed that we were interested in a memorial exhibition, not a classic ‘good native, bad native’ display, with its Eurocentric and paternalist connotations,” said Ebéné in the statement.

Rössel told The Local, however, that the full content of the exhibition, including that on collaborators, had been discussed in January, and presented to Ebéné in talks taking place in May this year.

On receiving her complaint just three days before the planned arrivals of the exhibition in Berlin, the curators refused to remove them, and issued a statement criticising her for trying to “censor” the exhibition. This led to the exhibition being relocated to the Uferhallen in Berlin’s Wedding district.

But minority activist groups have come out in defence of Ebéné‘s decision.

“It’s standard practice that people who fought the Nazi regime aren’t mentioned in the same breath with collaborators,” the Initiative for Black People in Germany (ISD) said in a statement. “In this context it’s outrageous and wrong to talk of censorship.”

Even exhibition initiator Rössel criticised some attempts to label Ebéné as anti-Semitic, though he described her last-minute decision as “scandalous.”

“We are completely against all these racist comments. It is extremely destructive and we don’t agree with any of it,” he told The Local . “But she didn’t want us to include collaborators, and we have to in something like this, to commemorate their victims. Otherwise we are presenting a very limited vision of history.”

Despite the controversy surrounding it, the exhibition is also promoting a series of accompanying events, including the German premiere of a dance show titled “The Forgotten Emancipators” put together by Mémoires Vives , a French hip-hop group.  After Berlin, the exhibition will go on tour around Germany, Austria and Switzerland until 2011. The curators also hope to translate it into French and English soon. Anna Croall

O noua carte despre Romania publicata de editura John Murray 2009

ALONG THE ENCHANTED WAY. A Romanian Story by William Blacker

Hardback, 320 pages, John Murray Publishers
(July 2009), ISBN: 9780719597909. Available in good bookshops and from Amazon.co.uk, Waterstones.com, and Play.com. RRP: £20.

Synopsis:
Across the snow-bound passes of Northern Romania there is an almost medieval world. Life there is ruled by the slow cycle of the seasons, far from the frantic rush of modern life in every sense.
William Blacker lived side-by-side with the amazing people of Romania for many years, having accidentally stumbled upon this hidden universe. In Spring, as the pear trees blossomed, he ploughed with horses. In Summer he scythed the meadows and during the freezing winters he gathered wood by sleigh. By becoming part of this small, close community, Blacker was accepted into the community.

The Gypsies of Romania have always held particular fascination for the few travellers who venture into such remote parts of the world. They are considered untrustworthy, disliked and feared by the local villagers. Blacker was intrigued – and eventually fell in love with a Gypsy girl.

Change is afoot in rural Romania. William Blacker’s adventures in this fascinating country will soon be embedded in world history. From his carefree early days, tramping the hills of Transylvania to the book’s poignant ending, Along the Enchanted Way transports us back to a time many of us thought had all but vanished.

—

Diana Mandache

Ordine si Decoratii: expozitie la MNIR

Secţia “Cabinetul Numismatic şi Tezaurul Istoric” din Muzeul Naţional de Istorie a României continuă expunerea unor noi grupuri de înalte ordine, de data aceasta ordine aparţinând României. Sistemul de decoraţii s-a instituit în a doua jumătate a secolului al XIX-lea, fiind constituit definitiv de Regele Carol I. Bazele au fost puse însă de domnitorul Alexandru Ioan Cuza, cel care a creat modelul pe care l-a adoptat urmaşul său. Primul ordin instituit a fost Ordinul naţional “Steaua României”, creat prin Înaltul Decret Regal din 10 mai 1877. A fost unul din cele dintâi acte de exercitare a Independenţei de Stat a României. Forma generală a fost creată de Al. I. Cuza în 1864, s-a numit Ordinul “Unirii”, pe avers avea datele 5 şi 24 ce simbolizau datele dublei alegeri a domnitorului în Moldova şi Ţara Românească. După proclamarea Independenţei Carol I a instituit definitive acest Ordin, ce s-a numit “Steaua României”. La 10 mai 1881, cu prilejul proclamării Regatului, Carol I a instituit un alt ordin Naţional, “Coroana României”. Ambele ordine erau menite a răsplăti meritele militare şi civile faţă de Stat şi Popor. În 1906 a fost creat primul ordin românesc cu Colan – Ordinul “Carol I”, cu prilejul sărbătoririi jubileului celor 40 ani de domnie. Al doilea ordin cu colan, “Ferdinand I”, a fost instituit în 1929, la comemorarea a 10 ani de la Unire, dar a fost creat cu aproape 10 ani în urmă după desenele Regelui Ferdinand I (care dorise şi el un Ordin al Unirii). Era un ordin civil (ca şi Ordinul “Carol”), care s-a conferit celor care au luptat pentru crearea României Mari. Tot după desenele Regelui Ferdinand I s-a creat şi Ordinul “Crucea Regina Maria”, ce se distrbuia civililor şi militarilor distinşi în domeniul sanitar în primul şi al doilea război mondial. Regele Ferdinand I este cel care a desenat dar a şi instituit cel mai important Ordin militar român – Ordinul “Mihai Viteazul”, care se distribuia numai militarilor distinşi pe câmpul de luptă prin fapte remarcabile. Carol al II-lea a menţinut aceste ordine şi a creat altele, remarcabile ca opera de artă, majoritatea distribuite proprio motu prin Decrete semnate doar de rege şi Cancelaria sa. Unele din acestea seamănă până la identitate cu cele germane, deoarece Carol al II-lea a dorit o recunoaştere a apartenenţei sale la Casa şi Familia de Hohenzollern, urcarea sa pe tron fiind destul de contestată. Printre aceste ordine sunt – “Pentru Merit”, Ordinul “Casei Domnitoare”, “Bene Merenti al Casei Domnitoare”, Medalia “Casei Domnitoare”. Carol al II-lea a creat şi Ordinul “Virtutea Aeronautică”, Medalia “Virtutea Aeronautică”, Medalia “Virtutea Maritimă”, Ordinul şi Medalia “Meritul Agricol”, Ordinul şi Medalia “Meritul Cultural”. El este şi cel care a instituit al treilea Ordin cu colan – Colanul “Serviciu Credincios”, pe care din păcate nu-l deţinem (este şi foarte rar). Mihai I a avut o domnie zbuciumată, confruntată cu al II-lea război mondial. El a păstrat ordinele amintite, dar a emis exemplare cu sigla sa. Lui Mihai I I se atribuie doar proba pentru Ordinul “23 August”, raritate numismatică. Expoziţia va fi deschisă în lunile septembrie – decembrie 2009.©MNIR

BURSA LA METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

BURSE DE STUDII LA METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

(1 aprilie – 1 iulie 2009)

In urma concursului anual de selecţie, organizat de Metropolitan Museum de Art (MMA) din New York/SUA în anul 2007, doi specialişti ai Muzeului Naţional de Artă al României (MNAR) au obţinut  câte o bursă de studii de câte 3 luni la Departamentul de Restaurare Textile, sub coordonarea d-nei Florica Zaharia, şef laborator, cu proiectele:

1. “RESTORATION OF METALLIC THREADS EMBROIDERIES IN USA AND ROMANIA”, autor Ileana Creţu, “ANDREW. W. MELLON Fellowship”
2. “COMPARISON BETWEEN THE METALLIC THERADS OF THE EUROPEAN EMBROIDERIES AND TAPESTRIES OF 15^TH-18^TH C.”, autor Mihai Lupu, “ANETTE de la RENTA Felowship”.

Dezvoltarea proiectelor în cadrul Textile Conservation Laboratory ne-a oferit posibilitatea studierii firul metalic dintr-o triplă perspectivă: ştiinţifică (istoric, artistic, tehnic), practică (conservare, restaurare, depozitare, expunere) şi formativă (organizarea laboratoarelor moderne).  In scopul eficientizării cercetării ambele proiecte au fost lucrate concomitent, informaţia completându-se reciproc. Din uriaşa colecţie a MMA, totalizând cca 37.000 de obiecte am  selecţionat cca 100 de piese cu fir metalic, la care s-au executat 2500 de fotografii digitale generale si la microscop. Au fost scanate cca 21 de cărţi şi articole de specialitate şi 500 de fişe de evidenţă referitoare la broderiile cu fir metalic din Europa, Asia sau din Orientul Mijlociu: tehnica de lucru, materiale, terminologie şi vocabular, conservare şi restaurare, materialul documentar fiind util atât pentru proiectele menţionate, cât şi pentru studiul general al acestor piese de către cei interesaţi.

Din programul burselor au făcut parte întâlniri cu coordonatorii secţiilor de conservare-restaurare, vizitarea laboratoarelor şi depozitelor, abordarea subiectelor legate de amenajarea spaţiilor de expunere tip “study rooms”(depozite vizitabile), protejarea sau restaurarea colecţiilor din materiale eterogene, modalităţi de colaborare între sectoarele implicate, responsabilităţi, termene, importanţa lucrului în echipă şi eficienţa managerială, locul şi rolul tehnologiei moderne etc.

In cadrul documentării generale putem menţiona participarile la întrunirile ştiinţifice, organizate periodic la MMA şi Smithsonian Institut (Washington), informările cu privire la  tehnologiile moderne de intervenţie, vizitele la muzee din Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C si New York şi executarea a peste 5000 de fotografii digitale prezentând sisteme de expunere sau conservare, pentru cele mai variate tipuri de obiecte muzeale.

Observarea directa a peste 100 de broderii a permis si documentarea cu privire la: cutiile de depozitare, a modului în care aceastea au evoluat şi a materialelor utilizate pentru realizarea lor. In cadrul practicii am studiat comportamentul diferitelor tipuri de fire metalice extreme orientale, în timpul imersiei în medii apoase, cu sau fară detergent; am participat direct la dezinstalarea unei tapiserii din expunerea permanentă şi pregătirea ei pentru conservare pe termen lung; ni s-a facilitat accesul la piese de artă Orientala (China, Japonia), ni s-a explicat modul de expunere şi specificul resturării lor etc. Intelegerea şi aplicarea metodologiei “Pressure Mount”, textilelor de mari dimensiuni a fost considerată una dintre cele mai importante părţi ale aplicaţiilor teoretice şi practice. Sistemul MMA, este aplicat în multe dintre muzeele lumii datorită noninvazivităţii, reversibilităţii, calităţii expunerii, indiferent de fragilitatea  sau  vechimea textilelor.

In cadrul burselor am prezentat şi experienţa MNAR în domeniul restaurării textilelor, în special curăţarea cu detergentul natural Radix Saponaria: caracteristici, efecte, aspectul actual al pieselor tratate, executând o demonstraţie practică pe un ştergar otoman de sec 18, dintr-o colecţie privată. Au fost expuse şi două proiecte mai vechi: “Istoria restaurării textilelor arheologice in ultimii 40 de ani în MNAR” si. “Restaurarea acoperământului de mormânt al Mariei de Mangop”. Ca urmare a interesului suscitat de temele prezentate si de calitatea prestatiei noastre in laborator, am fost invitaţi la Conferinţa organizată de Textile Conservation Department şi Metropolitan Museum în decembrie 2009, la care am fost rugaţi să prezentăm o lucrare referitoare la modalităţile de curăţare umedă practicate de MNAR. Invitaţia ne-a onorat cu atît mai mult cu cât, la întrunire vor participa somităţile domeniului (fratii Chevalier din Franţa sau dl. De Witt din Belgia).

Proiectele româneşti reprezintă, sperăm noi, un început promiţător într-o colaborare pe termen lung, benefică ambelor părţi. Susţinerea constantă şi permanentă din partea coordonatorului de laborator, dr. Florica Zaharia, prestanţa de care se bucură şi respectul conducerii MMA faţă de Domnia Sa reprezintă atu-uri importante, care pot fi fructificate în interes bilateral.

Un program de colaborare între specialiştii celor două instituţii poate viza domenii diverse:

• proiectarea, reamenajarea şi utilizarea mai eficientă a unora dintre spaţiile de expunere sau depozitare, cu ajutorul arhitecţilor de la MMA

• dezvoltarea unor proiecte expoziţionale

• utilizarea aparaturii de laborator pentru analize complexe şi publicarea rezultatelor în comun,

• schimburi de experienţă pe termen scurt, dedicate restauratorilor, conservatorilor sau muzeografilor.

©Ileana Creţu, restaurator textile & Mihai Lupu, investigator – MNAR

Noi expozitii in Olanda

Exhibitions

Alfred Stevens

The Belgian artist Alfred Stevens (1823-1906) was one of the best known artists in the Paris of the late 19th century where he caused a furore with his paintings of elegant and intriguing women. This retrospective, the first in 30 years, features 64 of his paintings with their attention for the texture of the clothing and luxuriously appointed interiors.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam until January 24 2010.

www.vangoghmuseum.nl

Anton Mauve

The romantic realist Anton Mauve (1838-1888) painted mainly people and animals in an outdoor setting, in a free and loose manner and in delicate greys, greens and light blues. His paintings were highly sought-after around 1900, particularly in America, and many were exported. Over 200 of his works, many of them on loan from private collections in America and Europe, are on display in this double exhibition.

Mauve grew up in Haarlem where he developed into one of the stars of The Hague School and where he taught Vincent van Gogh. He spent the last years of his life in Laren where he painted many oils and watercolours of the surrounding countryside, including The Return of the Flock which won him the top prize at the Paris Salon of 1887.

Tylers Museum, Haarlem and Singer, Laren until January 17 2010.

www.anton-mauve.nl

Edward Hopper

For this exhibition, the work of Edward Hopper (1882-1967), noted for its empty streets and landscapes, desolate buildings and solitary figures in an urban setting, is placed within the context of its time. The eight top works by Hopper are being shown with 90 pieces from the Whitney Museum of Modern Art in New York by artists such as Georgia O’Keefe, Charles Sheeler, Man Ray and Alfred Stieglitz. Together these paintings, works on paper, sculptures and photos show the development of modern art in America.

Kunsthal, Rotterdam, September 26 until January 17 2010.

www.kunsthal.nl

Despre Patrimoniul cultural national

Sursa www.hotnews.ro

Comisia prezidentiala pentru Patrimoniul construit, siturile istorice si naturale din Romania,  a stabilit un set de 12 masuri prioritare, cu scopul de a gasi solutii la situatiile care conduc la degradarea si la disparitia patrimoniului construit si natural.

Principalele probleme:

• legea, in prevederile ei actuale, nu este respectata
• insuficienta claritate si coerenta a legii existente
• responsabilizarea administratiei locale fata de patrimoniul pe care il are in grija
• declinul padurii in Romania, ca urmare a volumului mare de masa lemnoasa exploatata, a taierilor ilegale si a calamitatilor naturale
• personalul de specialitate este insuficient ca numar si nu are capacitatea de a gestiona integral si eficient ceea ce ii revine in responsabilitate
• comisia semnaleaza amplasarea cladirilor inalte in zone de protectie a monumentelor, demolarea fondului construit valoros sau desfigurarea acestuia prin extinderi sau constructii parazitare

Solutii:

• comisia propune includerea temporara a zonelor construite protejate, in calitate de ansambluri sau situri, dupa caz, in categoria juridica de “monument istoric”, intrand, prin urmare, in aria de incidenta a legislatiei in vigoare privind monumentele istorice
• se propune eliminarea procedurii “declasarii de urgenta”, precum si a conditiilor restrictive privitoare la clasarea de urgenta a monumentelor istorice, cu referire la Ordinul Ministrului Culturii si Cultelor nr. 2504/2008
• in domeniul patrimoniului construit, a siturilor istorice si naturale, este necesara o politica coerenta, cu prioritati clare, care sa beneficieze de un buget satisfacator. Unul dintre modelele noastre poate fi cel francez, potrivit caruia cultura si patrimoniul cultural sunt definite ca „al patrulea pilon al dezvoltarii”. Pe de alta parte, sunt la fel de necesare sprijinul si facilitatile acordate proprietarilor pentru ca acestia sa aleaga sa-si restaureze casele de patrimoniu, proprietate privata, in conformitate cu normele in domeniu si in beneficiul public
• este necesara constientizarea responsabilitatii care revine educatiei si parteneriatului public-privat
• este necesara o cooperare inter-institutionala eficienta si transparenta. La acest punct, as vrea sa reamintesc faptul ca necesitatea cooperarii reiese din insasi definitia data notiunii de protejare, prin Legea 422/2001, privind protejarea monumentelor istorice
• prevederile legislative raman ineficiente fara masuri administrative corespunzatoare si fara actiunea prompta a autoritatilor competente in sesizarea si sanctionarea incalcarii legii
• sustinerea financiara a protejarii si a conservarii monumentelor istorice trebuie sa fie acordata unor proiecte garantate stiintific, intrucat chiar si atunci cand exista fonduri, ele risca sa fie cheltuite in defavoarea si nu in favoarea monumentelor
• este necesara revizuirea normelor tehnice de amenajare silvica specifice ariilor protejate, cat si corelarea sistemului de masuri pentru organizarea exploatarilor forestiere cu masurile de management ale ariilor naturale protejate

Propunerile Comisiei vor fi inaintate Executivului si Parlamentului, spre a fi completate sau modificate.

Un interviu inedit al Regelui Mihai despre Al Doilea Razboi Mondial dat Postului Radio Free Europe

Radio Free Europe: Romania’s former sovereign, King Michael, is one of the three surviving heads of state from World War II (alongside Bulgaria’s King Simeon and Cambodia’s Norodom Sihanouk), and the only one involved directly in the war. RFE/RL correspondent Eugen Tomiuc spoke to the 89-year-old former monarch at his residence in Aubonne, Switzerland, about the start of the war and the impact of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact on Romania and the rest of Eastern Europe.

RFE/RL: We’re marking this month the 70th anniversary of two fateful events in European history that also had a subsequent impact on Romania. On August 23, 1939, Nazi Germany and the USSR signed a nonaggression pact with a secret protocol that would result, less than a year later, in Romania losing territories to the USSR. And on September 1, as a direct consequence of the pact, Germany attacked Poland, thus triggering World War II. I would like to ask you to recall the moment when you learned about the beginning of the war — what did you feel then?

King Michael: At that time I was still in school, and I wasn’t involved with the running of the state, my father [King Carol II] did it all with his government. Of course, we knew what was happening around us, but the implications — deep implications — at the time, were difficult to understand, because I was concerned with what I had to do in school. But we felt deep down in a way without saying it, so to speak, that something very nasty was going on. And finally, what we felt was exactly what has actually happened.

RFE/RL: Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, and on September 17, the USSR invaded eastern Poland. The Allied powers, however, did not declare war on the Soviet Union, and Romania felt threatened from two sides. This feeling of unease you mentioned, the instinct that something bad was to come, did it have anything to do with the fact that even though Romania had established diplomatic relations with Soviet Russia, it knew that the issue of Bessarabia was still pending?

King Michael: Yes, of course. The question of the Soviet Union at the time — we always kept it in our minds as something to be very careful of, because you never quite knew what was coming next. We had seen a lot of things about the history [of Romania and Russia]; it was enough to understand we could have been in a dangerous situation later on.

Because we had the possible danger from the Soviets, on the other hand, the German Nazis were also working up something and we were sort of caught between the two. So there are many, many things that people may be criticizing and so on, but we ought to — this is the thing I realized later, not at the time itself — we were facing danger in the sense that either the Soviets or the Nazis, if we didn’t do the one thing or the other that they might have liked, we might have lost our independence. So it’s a very difficult situation, come to think of it, after it happened. How do you try and steer as much as one can without being too dangerous? That was our problem.

RFE/RL: With the benefit of hindsight, as Your Majesty said, there are historians who say that if Romania had chosen to resist the Soviet ultimatum of 1940 and defend Bessarabia and Northern Bucovina, even though it would have been defeated and lost several tens of thousands of soldiers, it would have stood to gain more morally and even politically, like Finland. Why did Romania not fight?

King Michael: This is a question we have thought about very deeply. It is quite obvious that we all thought about that, even if later. Maybe something should have been tried, at least morally speaking. Now we were facing a colossus — the Soviets — and it would have been very possible that if we had presented some resistance, morally good as it may have been, we might have had an invasion, with the Russians all over the country. You could never tell exactly, but you know, you have to be very, very careful about certain things. So it is also possible that it was the thought of the government and of some other people then that it was perhaps safer to take a humiliating situation and try to safeguard the rest and the independence of the country. This is something that many other people in the West, of course, do not quite understand and not see the true situation that we were in.

RFE/RL: So basically Romania could have been in mortal danger as a state, it could have disappeared from the map, because Hungary might have taken Transylvania as well?

King Michael: That could have been the very possibility because the Nazis were on one side, the Soviets were on the other side, and we had certain problems with the Hungarians. Who knows what might have happened. We tried to be as friendly as we could with our neighbors but sometimes you don’t know what might come out of it if you’re not careful.

RFE/RL: Yes, someone once said that the only friendly neighbor Romania had was the Black Sea. In 1941, Romania took part in the invasion of the USSR initially under the justification of liberating Bessarabia, but later on it kept fighting alongside Germany on Russian territory and experienced the Stalingrad catastrophe. Many have said that Romania should have stopped at the River Dniester. Would that have been possible in 1941? What was it that Romania had risked?

King Michael: This was a very complicated situation. Because we were trying, at least, to get Bessarabia and Northern Bucovina back, and it would have been absolutely impossible to do that by ourselves. So at the time when [Marshal Ion] Antonescu was leading the state, he wasn’t the head of state, he was leading the state — the fuehrer…[chuckles] he decided that, probably for a short period, the only thing that could be done was to join the German troops and get back Bessarabia and Northern Bucovina. The problem was, how far could we go?

Because I remember very well, sometime later, Marshal [Carl Gustav Emil von] Mannerheim in Finland was, to a certain degree, in the same sort of situation that we had been in — he joined the war against the Soviets but he stopped at the previous Finnish frontiers [after recovering Karelia]. And the result was that he lost the same part [Karelia] again anyhow. So we might have found ourselves in the same type of situation, that we might have taken back our territories and then lost them anyhow, and the situation might have been even worse. It is possible. In view of what happened afterward, it could have been very dangerous.

RFE/RL: But at least, could it have been presented to the great powers afterward not as a war of aggression but rather as a justified attempt of getting back what had been lost?

King Michael: I am very sorry to have to say this: The United States was still much too far away, while Great Britain and France, based on some experience I had afterward, they couldn’t care less about our part of Europe. I remember very well when in 1938 my father took me to London on an official visit. I was not directly involved but I remember hearing that he was trying to get some sort of understanding from the British government to, not exactly safeguard us, but at least to have a minimum of [British] interest in our country and what was happening in that part of Europe, but unfortunately it did not happen that way.

King Michael in 1947

I’ve said it before, many Western countries did not know or care much about the history of our part of Europe. They didn’t care much about what happened if we lost independence and the whole place was occupied or not — not enough interest.

RFE/RL: In 2005, you were invited by then-Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the Moscow celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. You have declared repeatedly that the Soviet Union’s actions were “extremely horrific for Romanians” and said Russia should officially condemn the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Do you still maintain this statement?

King Michael: I’ve been saying that since long before 2005. And when I was invited to Moscow for the celebrations, I was extremely surprised about that, I must say, because after all the history we and Russia had together I couldn’t quite believe my ears. But I must say that now that the Soviet Union’s finished and gone, I would like to see the Russians — how should I say — a little more open and honest about these things. They should say something about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact to put it right. I think it would be the right thing to do.

Pentru a citi interviul dublu click aici

Huge Anglo-Saxon gold hoard found

Experts say the collection of 1,500 gold and silver pieces, which may date to the 7th Century, is unparalleled in size and worth “a seven-figure sum”.

It has been declared treasure by South Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh, meaning it belongs to the Crown.

Terry Herbert, who found it on farmland using a metal detector, said it “was what metal detectorists dream of”. It could take more than a year for it to be valued.

The Staffordshire hoard contains about 5kg of gold and 2.5kg of silver, making it far bigger than the Sutton Hoo discovery in 1939 when 1.5kg of Anglo-Saxon gold was found near Woodbridge in Suffolk.

Leslie Webster, former keeper at the British Museum’s Department of Prehistory and Europe, said: “This is going to alter our perceptions of Anglo-Saxon England as radically, if not more so, as the Sutton Hoo discoveries.

104 ani după gratii pentru dosarul „Brăţările dacice“

Unsprezece hunedoreni au fost condamnaţi de Tribunalul Hunedoara, în dosarul “Brăţările dacice”, pedepsele fiind cuprinse între şapte ani şi 12 ani de închisoare şi interzicerea unor drepturi. În total: 12 condamnaţi la 104 ani de închisoare. Sentinţa poate fi atacată la Curtea de Apel Alba Iulia. În dosarul căutătorilor de comori din Munţii Orăştiei au fost trimise în judecată, în 2006, 13 persoane care ar fi făcut săpături ilegale în siturile arheologice din zona menţionată. Detalii in ‘Adevarul’  http://www.adevarul.ro/actualitate/eveniment/104_ani_dupa_gratii_pentru_dosarul_-Bratarile_dacice_0_173383237.html

Conferinta de presa la MNIR, 17 Nov.2009 ref. expozitia ‘The Lost World of Old Europe’

CONFERINŢĂ DE PRESĂ CU OCAZIA PRIMEI EXPOZIŢII ARHEOLOGICE ORGANIZATE DE ROMÂNIA ÎN SUA

Bucureşti, 16.11.2009

Muzeul Naţional de Istorie a României anunţă organizarea unei conferinţe de presă ocazionate de vernisarea la New York a expoziţiei internaţionale „The Lost World of Old Europe”, prima expoziţie arheologică organizată de România în Statele Unite ale Americii. Conferinţa de presă va avea loc marţi 17 noiembrie 2009, ora 13, la sediul Muzeului Naţional de Istorie a României, în sala Lapidarium.

Conferinţa va fi susţinută de conducerea Muzeului Naţional de Istorie a României şi de domnul dr. Theodor Paleologu, ministrul Culturii, Cultelor şi Patrimoniului Naţional. Vor participa de asemenea şi reprezentanţi ai Institutului Cultural Român.

Expoziţia „The Lost World of Old Europe” este rezultatul unui excelent parteneriat  între Institute for the Study of the Ancient World al New York University şi Muzeul Naţional de Istorie a României, cu sprijinul Ministerului Culturii, Cultelor şi Patrimoniului Naţional, principalii organizatori ai acestui ambiţios proiect cultural româno-american. Institutul Cultural Român din New York a contribuit la dezvoltarea unui amplu program public asociat acestui important eveniment expoziţional.

Pentru informaţii suplimentare vă rugăm să contactaţi

MUZEUL NAŢIONAL DE ISTORIE A ROMÂNIEI

Secţia Educaţie muzeală, relaţii publice, marketing cultural şi organizare expoziţii

Persoane de contact: Raluca Mălăncioiu (0745.07.27.15) şi Monica Bîră (0757.034.083)

Tel./fax. 021 – 311.33.56, tel. 021 – 315.82.07 / int. 1008, 1015; e-mail: pr.mnir@gmail.com, muzeologie.mnir@gmail.com

http://www.mnir.ro, http://muzeologie.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/exhibition-old-europe/,  http://www.nyu.edu/isaw http://www.nyu.edu/isaw/exhibitions/oldeurope/

Herta Muller castiga premiul Nobel pentru Literatura

Book review by Richard Eder (published in New York Times, 12 Sept 2001)

THE APPOINTMENT By Herta Müller, 215 pages. Metropolitan Books.

At the start of ”The Appointment,” a young woman sets off by tram for her thrice-weekly interrogation session with Major Albu of the Romanian Securitate, or political police. By the end she has not quite got there, and yet, in a deeper, more desolate sense, she has been there all the time. Herta Müller, who managed to leave Romania in 1987 after her own long bout of persecution, has written a brooding, fog-shrouded allegory of life under the long oppression of the regime of Nicolae Ceausescu. It was an oppression probably harsher than any in Eastern Europe, a harshness whose peculiar quality was its pervasive, impenetrable obscurity. Was she in pain? the dying Mrs. Gradgrind was asked in Dickens’s ”Hard Times.” There was a pain somewhere in the room but she was not sure if she had it, she replied. In Ceausescu’s Romania the pain was mistily everywhere; all but invisible, impalpable, unlocatable. I remember another Bucharest tram, looming out of the fog on a winter evening in the early 1980’s, the passengers no more than shadows behind the grimy windows; also an interview with a Foreign Ministry spokesman, just about the only official available for the eyes of a foreign journalist. What use were eyes? He and his ponderously furnished office were barely visible: lighted by a single 50-watt bulb. ”The Appointment” renders the horror of a society under a 50-watt bulb. The nameless young woman, a former clothing-factory worker under indelible suspicion for slipping notes (”Marry Me”) into the pockets of suits manufactured for cheap export to Italy, tells her story like one blindfolded and gagged. Its pain is all the creepier because of the indeterminacy of what happens and has happened to her. As the tram moves through Bucharest, the narrator recalls fragments of her past and present life. Her grandparents were evicted from their home in a rural village and sent to a gulag-like settlement on the harsh Baragan steppe, where her grandmother perished.

Prezentare de carte: Hedley Swain, An Introduction to Museum Archaeology

 Hedley Swain, An Introduction to Museum Archaeology, Cambridge University Press, 2007

Autorul, preşedintele Societăţii muzeelor arheologice şi şeful secţiei de istorie londoneză, are o indiscutabilă experienţă profesională. În introducere oferă definiţii şi prezentări pragmatice pentru noţiuni precum: muzeul, arheologia, muzee arheologice. Se discută despre importanţa muzeelor de arhelogice şi cui se adresează acestea. În continuare este prezentat un istoric al arheologiei şi implicaţiile acesteia în dezvoltarea muzeelor arheologice. Nu este uitat nici rolul major al acţiunilor întreprinse – la nivel mondial – de către ICOM. Sunt prezentate scopurile, metodele, practicile şi teoriile actuale din muzeele de arheologie. Interesantă este şi clasificarea muzeelor după scop ( muzeele marilor civilizaţii, regionale, de sit) ce conţine exemplificări europene dar şi de pe alte continente. Este precizat aportul ştiinţific rezultat din proiectele de cercetare ale universităţilor şi gradul de implicare a guvernului în activităţile muzeale din diverse ţări. O atenţie deosebite este acordată politicilor de marketing şi oportunităţilor comerciale din muzeele de arheologice. Este prezentat cadrul legal general fiind înşiruite legi naţionale şi internaţionale (bine structurate, cu numeroase exemplificări) care aduc măsuri de protecţie a patrimoniului Totodată sunt oferite ghiduri, standarde şi coduri profesionale care reprezintă suportul activităţilor ştiinţifice din muzeele de arheologie.

Partea a doua a lucrării este dedicată activităţilor şi responsabilităţilor privind evidenţa şi arhivele documentare ale colecţiilor muzeale de arheologie. Sunt prezentate, de asemenea, clasificări ale colecţiilor, criterii valorice ce dau importanţa obiectelor arheologice. Acestea trebuie să fie bine conservate şi valorificate. Sunt prezentate succint modalităţile de conservare şi atribuţiile laboratoarelor de conservare şi restaurare. Pentru valorificarea colecţiilor sunt enumerate  tipurile de cercetare şi instituţiile ce sunt abilitate să le desfăşoare, dar şi activităţile necesare destinate publicului larg. Comentariile sunt însoţite de numeroase exemplificări – din întreaga lume – privitoare la modalităţi de organizare a expoziţiilor. Este precizat locul arheologiei în educarea formală şi informală a publicului larg şi descrierea programelor comunitare pentru public şi şcolari din mai multe ţări, aflate pe continente diferite.

Un index cu figurile, tabelele şi imaginile aflate în volum oferă posibilitatea de a ajunge rapid la subiectele de interes. În anexă  găsim o listă cu instituţiile, la care s-au  făcut referiri în carte, cu precizări privind profilul şi adresele web. Lucrarea conţine o bogată bibliografie la care se adaugă un index al termenilor utilizaţi în volum.©Aurelia Dutu

Bibliografie: Muzeologie redactata de Aurelia Dutu

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Cachin, François, Méthode d’inventaire informatique des objets: beaux-arts et arts décoratifs, Direction des musées de France. Paris, 1995.

Dumitrescu, Vladimir, Muzeul Naţional de antichităţi, Bucureşti, 1966.

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Galkina, P. I. ; Gardanov, V. K.; Ivanitkin, I. P., Bazele muzeologiei sovietice: material pentru uz intern, Bucureşti, 1957.

Geleţu, Mihai şi Teodorescu, Marian, 101 muzee şi case memoriale şi cinci popasuri culturale în Moldova de peste Prut, Bucureşti, 2008.

Gob, André şi Drouguet, Noémie, La muséologie, Histoire, développements, enjeux actuels, Paris, 2006

Jercan, Ion, Contribuţii la istoria muzeelor şi expoziţiilor prahovene (până la 1948), Ploieşti, 1997.

Mihalache, Marin, Ghidul muzeelor din România, Bucureşti, 1972.

Ministerul Culturii şi Cultelor. Secretariatul de Stat pentru Culte, Bazele muzeologiei şi conservării preventive a patrimoniului naţional cultural religios, Iaşi, 2005.

Muzee în aer liber din România, coordonator Georgeta Stoica, Bucureşti, 1993.

Nicolescu, Corina, Muzeografie generală, Editura Didactică şi Pedagogica, Bucureşti, 1979.