Bucharest Days Celebrate 564 Years Since First Mention in Documents

Between September 20 and 24, 2023, the Capital City Hall marks the 564th anniversary of the first documentary attestation of Bucharest by organizing the “Bucharest Days” project, a series of cultural events with free access to ARCUB – Gabroveni Inn, within the International Festival Square George Enescu and Open Streets – Bucharest, Urban Promenade. The “Days of Bucharest 2023” program includes documentary, painting and photography exhibitions, dance events and a music concert.

DOCUMENTARY EXHIBITION “BUCHAREST. A STRATIGRAPHY IN MAPS AND PLANS” | SEPTEMBER 13 – OCTOBER 1, 2023 | ARCUB – GABROVENI INN, GROUND FLOOR: BOLTILOR ROOM

The documentary exhibition invites the people of Bucharest to discover the story of the city of Bucharest in the middle of the 19th century in the historic center, in the historical monument building of the Gabroveni Inn, reconstructed through the existing plans and maps, as well as some archival images, as well as some 3D models. “You will be able to relive in an authentic atmosphere from 1846: streets or imposing buildings that have survived to this day, places through which great historical figures have passed, crowded fairs, horse-drawn carriages and carriages, exciting events and histories are revealed through the plans and maps of the Bucharest of old,” explains Mihai Florea, museographer of the National History Museum of Romania, who curated the exhibition at ARCUB together with Ştefan Huţanu, architect and 3D designer.

The exhibition benefits from free access only between September 20-24, on the occasion of “Bucharest Days” and is organized by the Capital City Hall, through ARCUB – the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Bucharest, together with the Museum of Romanian History and the Ministry of Culture, in partnership with the Museum Bucharest and Lavița Verde. The exhibition can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday, between 12.00 and 20.00.

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITIONS “BLURRED TIMES” AND “PHOTO ARCHIVE 1992-1993” | SEPTEMBER 13 – OCTOBER 1, 2023 | ARCUB – GABROVENI INN, GROUND FLOOR: BOOKROOM, SALA ARCELOR

Among the rare opportunities to (re)see Bucharest at the beginning of the 90s, the photography exhibitions signed by Dragoş Lumpan present works from the early period of the artist’s training, black-and-white photographs made using the classic film development method. If the works exhibited in “Blurred Times” bring to the fore photos taken at the beginning of 1992, with passers-by on Magheru Boulevard, near the Nottara Theater, the images of the exhibition “Photo Archive 1992-1993” form a collective portrait of Romania 30 years ago years, capturing a series of social, political and cultural events of the time.
The two exhibitions can be visited in the exhibition spaces in the Gabroveni Inn passage and have free access only during the “Bucharest Days” event, from September 20-24. The exhibitions are organized by the CALD Association and Lumina pe cale, in partnership with the Capital City Hall, through ARCUB – the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Bucharest. The exhibitions can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday, between 12.00 and 20.00.

PREMIERE EXHIBITION “MÉMOIRES – SAMY BRISS RETROSPECTIVE” | SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 12, 2023 | ARCUB – GABROVENI INN, FLOOR: COLUMN HALL, LIPSCANI HALL

The largest retrospective exhibition in Romania of the Israeli artist of Romanian origin Samy Briss, “MÉMOIRES” presents, for the first time to the Bucharest public, works of painting, sculpture, and graphics from all stages of creation, including some of the works that were supposed to be part of the exhibition banned in Romania in 1959. Landmarks of personal and artistic life complete them, also not exhibited in Romania: photos from the workshop and letters from essential personalities of the international cultural world.

The exhibition opens to the public as part of the “Bucharest Days” and is organized in partnership with the Capital City Hall, through ARCUB – the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Bucharest, the Embassy of Israel in Romania, the French Cultural Institute and the Union of Visual Artists from Romania.

PAINTING EXHIBITION “GALLANT ALLEGORIES” | SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 12, 2023 | ARCUB – GABROVENI INN, FLOOR: GABROVENI HALL

After exhibiting in the United States, Europe, Lebanon and Israel, the artist of Romanian origin Manuela Holban-Ioanid presents the solo exhibition “Gallant Allegories” at ARCUB – Hanul Gabroveni. From real characters (Casanova, Saskia, Maria Antoinette) to fictional characters (Meninele lui Velasquez, Salomea, Herod) from the world of art or the pages of history, the exhibition creates an atmosphere of gallant celebration, with carnival flair, behind which other stories are hidden, other realities, which the viewer is invited to discover. “Gallant Allegories” includes works exhibited for the first time, but also works that appeared in exhibitions organized in Romania and Tel Aviv during 2022

-2023. The exhibition is organized by the Capital City Hall, through ARCUB – the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Bucharest.

CONCERT “STORY FROM BUCHAREST TODAY” | SEPTEMBER 23, 8 PM | GEORGE ENESCU INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL SQUARE

The atmosphere of Little Paris is evoked at “Bucharest Days” by the “Story from Old Bucharest” concert scheduled for Saturday, September 23, on the Enescu Festival Square stage. From the famous tangos, foxtrots, and swings heard mainly in the vaudeville and Revista theatres of the old Bucharest to the classical and cafe-concert music, the show offers a foray into the fascinating life of the stories of an almost lost world and buried under layers of oblivion and which music reconstructs incomparably. The concert presents light Romanian music performed by Miruna Ionescu and Valentin Albeșteanu, accompanied by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Râmnicu Vâlcea “Ion Dumitrescu”, conducted by Tiberiu Dragoş Oprea, and Taraful de Oraş.

THE NIGHT OF THE DANCE #2 | SEPTEMBER 23, 17.00-20.00 | “OPEN STREETS – BUCHAREST, URBAN PROMENADE”: IN FRONT OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ROMANIA HISTORY

The 21st pedestrian weekend in the “Open Streets – Bucharest, Urban Promenade” series occurs in the “Bucharest Days” anniversary context. Thus, on September 23, “Open Streets – Bucharest, Promenade” offers Bucharesters and tourists the second edition of “Night of Dance”, organized by the Creator Media Team. After the success of this year’s first edition, organized at “Open Streets – Bucharest”, “Night of Dance” returns to Calea Victoriei and invites the public to celebrate the city through dance. Over 200 dancers from over 15 dance schools prepared three hours of flash mobs, community dance and moments of interaction with passers-by.