Behind the scenes of diplomacy, in the auction room. Artmark presents the collection of the first ambassador of Romania in Israel
The Modern and Contemporary Art auction on April 28 brings, in the foreground at Artmark (at the Cesianu-Racoviță Palace in Bucharest, but also online) the discreet and refined collection of the diplomat Valeriu Georgescu, the first ambassador of Romania to Israel – an essential personality of Romanian diplomacy from the second half of the 20th century.
Appointed in a tense geopolitical context, during the Six-Day War, Valeriu Georgescu had a decisive role in supporting Israel at the UN and in maintaining a stable diplomatic relationship, at a time when most states in the communist bloc were cutting ties with this state. Later, his diplomatic work expanded to Africa and Indonesia, where he continued to build lasting cultural and political bridges.
His art collection reflects this complex geography. From African masks and statuettes, carved in ebony wood and loaded with ancestral symbolsup to works signed by the artist and the diplomat Reuven Rubineach object becomes a testimony of the dialogue between cultures. They are not mere artifacts, but fragments of personal and collective history, collected with discernment and respect.
“As a diplomat and as a man who values culture, Valeriu Georgescu understood that the present needs a chance for the future. He collected a lot of contemporary art of his time. It is, I think, an obligation for each of us, those who value art, to look at what is happening today. I saw part of this collection, being a friend of Mr. Valeriu Georgescu's daughter… All of us from our generation were closer to Sabin Bălaşawhich marked 50 years of Romanian art… I really liked that Valeriu Georgescu knew how to bring Bălașa closer to him… Because a lot of people think that Bălașa is an abstract character. But Bălaşa lived his life with an intensity that he kept in color”, says Norica Nicolai for the Artmark YouTube channeljurist and former MEP.
The auction brings together reference works signed by Sabin Balasa (“Atlantis” and “The Muses”from 6,000 and 7,000 Euro respectively), Cornelius Baba, Stefan Câltia (“Character”from 4,000 Euros), Felix Afternoon, Hortensia Mi Kafchin (“Untitled”from 1,000 Euros), Stefan Bertalan (“Untitled — My Deepest Deep”from 7,000 Euros), Paul Neagu (“Human Hands”from 1,500 Euros) or Geta Brătescu (“Notebook” and “The Game of Shapes”from 1,000 and 5,000 Euro respectively), completing a visual journey that crosses eras, styles and cultural spaces.
“Valeriu Georgescu is the man who opened the doors to a very close relationship between Romania and Israel, and that is no small thing, on the scale of history. And he was very close to Romanian culture. He understood very clearly that it is important that this culture and our artistic options be known. Every generation that knows how to value value builds a heritage when it buys a painting by a contemporary artist,” added Norica Nicolai, who also told how Valeriu Georgescu created the collection of African art.
Exhibition of the Modern and Contemporary Art Auction is open with free entry at Cesianu-Racovița Palaceuntil the date of the event (April 28, inclusive), and offers can already be placed on the event web page. I can participate in the auction, and at the Palace, but also on Artmark Live platformeveryone who has an active collector account, open for free on artmark.roon the website of the house, here ( https://www.artmark.ro/ro/inregistrare ).
Article supported by A10 by Artmark
