Horizons of Modern Romanian Sculpture: from Karl Storck to Constantin Brancusi
- Region: International
- Type: Conference
- Cost: Free
The G. Oprescu Institute of Art History is honoured to announce the international conference Horizons of Modern Romanian Sculpture: from Karl Storck to Constantin Brancusi. The event will take place between May 28-29, 2026, in the splendid setting of the Royal Dining Room at the National Museum of Art of Romania and will also be accessible via live broadcast on Zoom (the conference will be held in English).
The year 2026 marks a triple symbolic celebration for the Romanian and universal cultural heritage: 150 years since the birth of Constantin Brancusi, the bicentennial of the birth of Karl Storck, and the centennial of the death of Carol Storck. The conference proposes a rigorous investigation of modern sculpture, starting from the double genealogy of these major figures: from the moment of the institutionalization of the national school of sculpture under the aegis of the Storck family in the late 19th century and the neoclassical period, to the Brancusian artistic revolution, which radically reconfigured the universal visual language through the technique of direct carving (taille directe) and the essentialization of form.
The conference organizers have designed a broad framework for the debates that offers participants the opportunity to discuss the most recent theoretical directions regarding the study of Romanian and universal sculpture, to share information and research experiences, structured around several broad themes, including: Institutionalization of Sculpture, Modernity and Archaism, The Paradigm of Constantin Brancusi’s Work, Transfers and Influences, Artistic Genealogies, Women Sculptors.
The event will bring together 27 papers presented by prestigious specialists from around the world, creating a space for interdisciplinary dialogue. Over the two days of the conference, three prominent figures in contemporary art historiography will deliver plenary lectures: Dr. Doina Lemny: A Gift for “Brancusi Year” – A Unique Collection of Original Photographs; Dr. Jonathan Vernon: Brancusi: Limits and Contradictions; Dr. Cristian-Robert Velescu: Constantin Brancusi, trois Muses endormies. Identification et approche iconologique : La Muse Rumsey, La Muse Guggenheimer, La « Pseudo-Muse Guggenheimer ». La « part » d’Erik Satie.
Doina Lemny is an art historian and honorary curator at the Musée National d’Art Moderne – Centre Pompidou, Paris. She has curated numerous exhibitions dedicated to Constantin Brâncuși, including Brancusi. Sublimation of Forms (Bozar, Brussels, 2019), Brancusi: Romanian Sources and Universal Perspectives (Timișoara Art Museum, 2023) and Brancusi: Sculpting with Light (International Cultural Center, Krakow). She is the author of several reference works dedicated to Constantin Brâncuși.
Jonathan Vernon is an art historian, specializing in modernism, sculpture and philosophy. He is the chairman of the scientific committee of the 150th anniversary conference Brancusi: The Philosophy of Form, organized by the University of Târgu Jiu and the City Hall of Târgu Jiu, in partnership with Kettle’s Yard, University of Cambridge, to be held in October 2026. He was an Associate Lecturer at The Courtauld and a Ridinghouse Contributing Editor at The Burlington Magazine. He is currently working on a volume entitled Brancusi in the Rose Garden.
Cristian-Robert Velescu is an art historian and critic, former professor at the National University of Arts in Bucharest. His work is devoted to European modernity and the historical avant-garde, with numerous volumes dedicated to Constantin Brâncuși, Marcel Duchamp, Victor Brauner and early twentieth-century art, including Rodin, Meunier, Brâncuși and classical culture (2016) and Pre-avant-garde and avant-garde, kaleidoscopic transformations in the art of the early 20th century (2022). He has also curated important exhibitions and published articles and studies in international journals.
Conference program: https://www.eveniment.istoria-artei.ro/resources/2026/Horizons_of_Modern_Romanian_Sculpture/Programme%20Horizons%202026_May%2028-29.pdf
The event is organized by the Department of Visual Arts and Architecture. Modern Period of the Institute of Art History “G. Oprescu” in partnership with the National Museum of Art of Romania / Muzeul Național de Artă al României and is supported by: Catena, AQUA Carpatica and Domeniile Sâmburești
Media partners: Fundația Culturală Magazin Istoric, Revista Cultura, Modernism.ro, Radio România Cultural, Institutul Național al Patrimoniului.
Photo credit poster: © Ionel Scaunasu, (The Table of Silence, Târgu Jiu, detail).
Contact: istartro@yahoo.com
https://www.eveniment.istoria-artei.ro/home.php
Zoom meeting: Horizons of Modern Romanian Sculpture: from Karl Storck to Constantin Brancusi
Join meeting link (reccurent): https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82032881149?pwd=WbighA7WwjFzFc3P2qScu8FFvGaiRV.1
Passcode: Brancusi
Time: May 28, 2026 09:30 AM – 5.30 PM, Bucharest time May 29, 2026, 09:30 AM – 3.30 PM, Bucharest time