The fifth edition of Romanian Creative Week (RCW), the flagship event dedicated to the domestic creative industries and the largest of its kind in the European Union, running May 14 - 25, brings to the host city of Iasi a bustling program of art, design, music, conferences and multidisciplinary installations, in a rich and accessible display for the general public.

Under the RCW umbrella, winner of the prestigious Duchamp Prize (2011) Mircea Cantor presents at the Turkish Bath Center for Contemporary Arts the exhibition: 'My hand is your spoon. It feeds you' - a project bringing together almost 30 visual artists and 12 institutions, as well as almost a dozen of performing artists. Some of the works on display will be donated to the municipality, and the first donation will go to the National Museum of Romanian Literature in sign of gratitude for the support offered.

'I wanted to expand curiosity beyond the boundaries of a mere associative lecture, proposing a subjective narrative centered on the mastery of the human hand, a hand that offers itself to the viewer, stripped of the mask of perfection. The artist's hand never lies, because it renders dimensions that put together or deconstruct the 'language of the gaze', that intimate language, born out of an inner necessity. Today, perhaps more than ever, in the context of technological advance and artificial intelligence, returning to what the human hand can do, with all its errors and hesitations, becomes an essential choice. Particularly from a historical perspective, this gesture can work as an anchor, a form of resistance and even of construction in the realm of human creation,' says Mircea Cantor.

RCW also encompasses the 21st edition of the Museum Night, a traditional European event initiated in 2005 by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication and held simultaneously in over 30 countries. On this occasion, the Arts section of the Romanian Creative Week rolls out a series of special activities: guided tours, movie screenings, visual and sound installations, but also unconventional concerts such as the May 17 NeMO Silent Concert, an immersive and atypical musical experience that will have the audiences listening to the concert on wireless headphones in an intimate setting, to enhance the emotional impact and sound quality.

RCW's Education section officially debuts on May 14 with the conference 'Democracy of Ideas' organized at the Teatru la Cub Hall of the 'Vasile Alecsandri' National Theater in Iasi. The special guests of the conference - essayist, Constitutional Law professor and political analyst Ioan Stanomir, and Radu Vancu - poet, essayist and university professor, are to explore in a dynamic and accessible debate the role of ideas in maintaining the vitality of the democratic space and in the evolution of Romanian society.

The 14-seat 'nano-cinema theater' Pelicula Art is also set to open on May 14 at the Turkish Bath Center for Contemporary Arts. Conceived as an emotional laboratory for experiencing movies in silence, its setting emphasizes introspection and closeness. The screenings: Uncut Diamond, Anatomy of a Fall, Four Daughters, TWST / Things We Said Today are on the bill.

The exhibition '120 Steps to White' hosted by the city's emblematic Golia Tower showcases the works of five ceramic artists, providing a profound artistic experience, loaded with symbolism and anchored in spirituality.

'The Golia Tower exhibition, set in a sacred and special space, is the expression of each artist's personal vision, combining grace with strength and complexity. Our intention is to invite the public to reflect and take a closer look at their own selves,' explains Ionela-Sandrina Mihuleac, the curator of the exhibition.

Also awaiting for the public are the art shows 'Iconia' at the Voivodes' Hall of the Palace of Culture, floral designer Nicu Bocancea's 'Between Worlds', 'Suspensions' - signed by Florin Stefan, a plastic reflection on the tension between faith and skepticism, and 'The Beauty of Your Gesture', which explores the expressiveness of gesture in various techniques and media. At the Unirii Museum, the exhibition 'Here. Now!', curated by Dragos Patrascu and Maria Bilasevschi, brings together 30 renowned artists who propose visual reflections on love in the digital, political and emotional present.

The Metropolitan Museum inaugurates the LUT contemporary ceramics section with the exhibition 'The Garden of Belonging' curated by Caterina Pruteanu and Adina Orboi, which offers a modern reinterpretation of the Garden of Eden as mirrored by the creations of artists from Romania, Canada, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.

At the Palace of Culture, Miron Schmuckle returns with the exhibition 'Cosmic Attractors', a poetic and luxuriant vision of botanical nature. Unirii Square will have the monumental sculpture 'Geology of Possibilities' created by Anetta Mona Chisa and Thomas Fink installed.

The Braunstein Palace becomes a focal point for powerful exhibitions: 'fur papier und orchester', curated by Nicoleta Radu and Emilian Pospaii, investigates the artistic potential of paper; 'FANTOM 30: The World is Not Perfect', a selection of contemporary graphics from the FANTOM Berlin collection; 'Almost Black & White', a subjective and personal cut-out from the cultural history of the Romanian poster.

Miki Velciov curates the exhibition 'Water is Near' at the Botanical Garden, and 'Hybrid' at the Palace of Culture. At the Palas Gardens, the installations made from recycled materials 'Heart of the City' and 'Heart of the City 2.0' promote sustainable art. The Bancila Gallery presents the exhibition 'NOLI SAPERE: Towards a New Renaissance', which brings together artists from Romania and Italy, and at the Museums House the public can visit George Popovici's photographic exhibition 'Shaped by Love'. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniela Malache; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)