The catalogue of the exhibition-event "Romania. The Identity Representation of Folk Costume in Art", authored by Erwin Kessler, general director of Romania's National Museum of Art (MNAR), will be launched on February 5 at the museum's headquarters, the institution announced in a release.
The event, held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania, will be attended by Andreea Diana Tanasescu, founder of the La Blouse Roumaine community.
"Just like the exhibition, the catalogue highlights the use of folk costume in art - especially the women's blouse 'ia' - as a mental construct central to the visual aggregation of national identity, from ancient times to the present day. The exhibition's broad historical and geographical scope also offers a critical perspective on the propaganda use of the 'ia' during the various totalitarian regimes Romania experienced in the 20th century, bringing these aspects to the forefront and making them accessible to society in order to encourage attention, reflection and creation," said Erwin Kessler, curator of the exhibition.
The Amzei Foundation partnered with the National Museum of Art of Romania in creating both the exhibition and the catalogue, "an initiative that valorizes heritage through rigorous research, interdisciplinary dialogue and openness toward the contemporary public," foundation representatives noted.
Alongside Erwin Kessler, the curatorial team included Judit Balint, Malina Contu, Alina Petrescu, Emanuela Cernea and Costina Anghel. Consultants were Luiza Medeleanu and Adrian-Nicolae Furtuna.
The launch of the catalogue marks the final days of the exhibition, which remains open until February 8.
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The exhibition "Romania. The Identity Representation of Folk Costume in Art", opened on November 20 on the ground floor of the National Gallery of MNAR, presents over 320 items from museum collections in Romania and abroad, from private collections and from contemporary artists.
Its broad historical and geographical scope contextualizes representations of the Romanian national costume not only by relating them to artistic depictions of the traditional dress of other minorities in Romania (Hungarian, German), but also to those from neighboring regions - Ukraine, Moldova and Bulgaria - highlighting similarities, differences, influences and constants, MNAR notes.
These works are joined by creations of Henri Matisse, including his iconic painting La Blouse Roumaine, part of the permanent collection of the Centre Pompidou in Paris - a masterpiece leaving France for the first time, exceptionally loaned for this exhibition.
According to MNAR, Matisse's vision of the Romanian 'ia' contributed to the commercial success of this garment in the French and international fashion industry. The exhibition also presents these uses - at times abusive, as cultural appropriation - to illustrate the two major, interconnected dimensions of the 'ia' in today's imagination: the identitarian-ideological and the decorative-commercial one.
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