de fnt.ro
The National Theatre Festival had an unexpected event this year- for the first time in 24 editions, a charitable auction has been held, of art pieces, personal objects and testimonial artefacts , given by theatres and important artists of the moment, either directly or through their representatives- family, friends.
12 January 2015, Articles
The National Theatre Festival had an unexpected event this year- for the first time in 24 editions, a charitable auction has been held, of art pieces, personal objects and testimonial artefacts , given by theatres and important artists of the moment, either directly or through their representatives- family, friends.
An article by Maria Sârbu
With the generic “Through Giving You’ll Gain” , the public auction took place on the 1st of November at the Artmark Auction House- in the halls of the Racoviţă-Cesianu Palace in Bucharest, being held in accordance to the rules here. The purpose of it was to raise money, through selling the donated objects, for a UNITER initiative- The “Artists for Artists” National Campaign, a campaign which has come to the aid of those actors throughout the country who have “troubles of sustenance and health” for years.
The objects which have been donated made up 55 lots, nearly half of which have been sold, amounting to over 3.000 Euros. According to Adina Matei, the auction commissioner for the Artmark Auction House, the event “went very well for a first edition”. Even if ,from a financial point of view, “there is room for improvement”, the important thing is that theatres and artists donated. Adina later remarked that the “very good” turnout rate during the auction is a promising element.
Marina Constantinescu, artistic director of the National Theatre Festival, said it’s the first time such an auction takes place in Romania. “It was hard for everyone. Artmark understood we want to make a gesture of nobility as well as kindness, to the artists who need our financial help. It’s been an impeccable auction and we’re convinced that the objects which have not yet been bought will end up in the houses of people who love theatre and who can do something in the 21st century: something for one another”.
No matter the sum which has been raised following the sales, the important thing is that artists in precarious situations know somebody thought of them . Marina Constantinescu mentioned that it’s possible for the auction to continue, with the aid of Artmark: “It’s been impeccably run, and we enjoyed at the sale of each item, because these money will help…it’s a first step. I think tomorrow is an important day. There must be a tomorrow for the ones who need us”.
The wondrous objects have been put up in the Artmark Galleries’ exhibition bringing these art-filled spaces the ambiance of theatre. Dresses, hats, jewels worn by great actresses during memorable shows, the clothes linked to the names of famous actors or their roles, personal objects, as well as set and costume drawings, unique photos from the history of theatre, paintings created for artists or depicting them.
At the auction ,people acted directly by raising their auctioning wands, by phone or online. The lot presentation was given by Adina Matei while Marina Constantinescu added the missing details, telling short emotional tales about the objects on display.
Bought, amongst others, are: a silver bracelet belonging to Maia Morgenstern, a silver bracelet decorated with gems, donated by actress Carmen Tănase, the dress worn by Mariana Mihuţ as Zoe, in “A Lost Letter”, directed by Liviu Ciulei( 1979) , the dress worn by Oana Pellea as Masha in “Three Sisters”, by Chekhov ,directed by Alexandru Darie (1995), the pipe and cigarette holder that belonged to director Cornel Todea, the magnifying glass of actor Ion Manu, a photo with Mariana Mihuţ as Maria Antonova in Gogol’s “The Inspector General”, directed by Lucian Pintilie (1972), a show that’s been performed only three times, a photo of actors Ştefan Tapalagă and Amza Pellea in “General Interest” (1972), the poster for “Artists for Artists” 2013, with the signatures of artists participating in the campaign (the best seller of this auction / 500 euros), a traditional Romanian folk shirt, donated by Diana Lupescu, which she wore at the Karoly Vary Festival, a black felt hat which belonged to Ştefan Tapalagă, a self-portrait by Horaţiu Mălăele, a vinyl record with tracks by Margareta Pâslaru and a poster for the artist’s tour in Canada, “Here comes…Margareta!”, two costume drawings, sold in two batches, for “Macbeth” by Ionesco, directed by Silviu Purcărete (2007) and a costume drawing for “The Master and Margareta” by Bulgakov, directed by Cătălina Buzolanu (1981), all drawn by Lia Manţoc.
There are many beautiful, valuable things left unsold, but still purchasable.
Photo: Lucian Muntean