This fall, Mercy Gallery presents a work of art by Ion Grigorescu to passers-by

The “MNArT Open View” project presents to the public, starting September 25, 2022, a work of art from a private collection, created by the artist Ion Grigorescu, a landmark of the Romanian post-war avant-garde.

The work comes from the private collection of Dr. Sorin Costina and is the first work acquired from Grigorescu in 1972. The National Museum of Art Timisoara wishes to honor this valuable artist, in parallel with the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest, which between 2021-2022 presents to art lovers a second edition of the retrospective dedicated to Ion Grigorescu, a large-scale exhibition.

The title “Block Interior”, (the original “Day” was later modified by the artist) alludes to the reality experienced by a large percentage of the former Eastern Bloc population living in these “vertical villages”. The first such workers’ homes appeared in the USSR in the 1920s, designed by constructivist architects as collective dwellings with shared recreational areas designed to encourage socialization among the tenants, promoting a new model of society. As communism slipped from utopia to dystopia, these ideals were corrupted, ignoring human nature, which tended to crave privacy.

Always at odds with the values promoted by the art of the time, Ion Grigorescu tackles taboo themes discouraged at the time. The human body exerts a great fascination on the artist, so we can see a parallel between the nudes that appear in this work and the photographic series made by the artist in the 1970s, in which he uses his own naked body to push his limitations in the name of art.

The letter “R” is inscribed on the back of the painting, because this work was rejected by the Union of Fine Artists. Looking at this sign, we are confronted with the same rejection that Ion Grigorescu experienced many times at the beginning of his career, in the “Golden Age”. These restrictions forced the artist to retreat into the privacy of his studio where he made short films and performances criticizing the abuses of Romanian society. The only people who could watch these performances were the artist’s close friends and collaborators. Despite these difficulties, the artist manages to find innovative solutions to express himself.

We would like to thank Dr. Sorin Costina for the loan of this work and participation in the “MNArT Open View” project, which brings works from private collections on the museum’s shelves.