The Timisoara European Capital of Culture (ECC) 2023 programme opened its first page on Thursday - before the official opening that will take place on Friday, February 17 - with the presentation of an exceptional exhibition, "Victor Brauner: Inventions and Magic," in the presence of the curator of the exhibition, Camille Morando, who wrote about Brauner's work.

It is the first large-scale retrospective of the work of the painter and sculptor Victor Brauner, and one of the most important in Eastern Europe, which also celebrates 120 years since the artist's birth.

The exhibition brings together more than 70 unique works, benefiting from a loan of approximately 40 works from the prestigious collection of the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris, as well as works from other Romanian and international museums and collections.

Camille Morando told AGERPRES that for the Romanian public it is a chance to come to Timisoara to see this unique exhibition of an artist who deserves a place in the history of Romanian culture.

"Timisoara asked me to prepare the 'Victor Brauner' exhibition. An exhibition of such magnitude has never been organized in the artist's native country, Romania. I am a specialist in the work of Victor Brauner, and France has the extraordinary chance to own an impressive collection of the artist's works, thanks to his family who donated their entire creation to the French museums and thus we had the opportunity to make a very beautiful collection of his works. The President of the Art Encounters Foundation [and co-organizing partner of some branded events of TM 2023 - editor's note], Ovidiu Sandor, and the director of the National Art Museum in Timisoara, Filip Petcu, asked me to participate in the opening of the TM Programme 2023 with the Victor Brauner exhibition. For Timisoara, it is a chance, it is a happy moment to have a such an exhibition here. I think it is important for the Romanian public to know, finally, the entire work of the artist who has his origins here, but established himself in France, where he lived until the end of his life. This exhibition is a recognition and a reparation to the artist, to be known to the Romanian public through his works. I think that Victor Brauner deserves his place in the history of Romanian culture," said Camille Morando.

The local organizers of the event, the Timis County Council, the National Art Museum of Timisoara and the Art Encounters Foundation, wish that with this exhibition the Timisoara museum will stand out and enter the international museum circuit.

More than 100 high-ranking officials from 41 countries will be present in Timisoara during the weekend of the official opening of the European Capital of Culture, from February 17 to 19.

The Royal House of Romania will be represented by Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, and His Royal Highness Prince Radu of Romania, while European Commissioner Adina Valean will present the city with the "Melina Mercouri" prize of the European Commission, which is awarded to European capitals of culture, according to the programme of the TM2023 Association.

The guests will participate, on Friday, as of 5.30 pm, in a festive concert at the Palace of Culture (Timisoara National Theatre), and from 7.00 pm they will join the main event in Piata Unirii, "Celebrating the Opening," where the authorities expect up to 16,000 Timisoara residents and visitors.

Opening Timisoara 2023 is a programme financed by the Municipality of Timisoara, coordinated and organized by the Project Centre. For the opening weekend, the City Hall allocated 7.5 million lei, and the Ministry of Culture 800,000 lei. AGERPRES (RO - author: Otilia Halunga, editor: Karina Olteanu, EN - author: Cristina Zaharia, editor: Adina Panaitescu)

Photo source:  Muzeul Național de Artă Timișoara/facebook.com