by Drew Martin
This past May, on a trip to Chișinău, Moldova my visit to the National Museum of Art was a bit of a let-down. All they had of their Romanian neighbor Brancusi was a small piece in the basement, covered in plastic. While I appreciated the Christo-wrap feel, I was hoping for more.
If you’re sensing I’m a big fan of Brancusi, let me back off a little. I’m not. Yes, some of his work is sublimely minimal, but some of his work is clunky and that isn’t a bad thing. I want to appreciate it as Romanian folk but I get unapologetic African appropriation vibes, which was all the rage when Brancusi was in Paris.
So while I have a broad spectrum of appreciation for this artist, the brilliance of the show is how it’s curated. The old film footage of him at work is fascinating, especially his timeless techniques of moving large slabs of stone around with ease in contrast with the brute force he also exerts. It’s the perfect show to bring a friend who doesn’t care for art but is into tools: a whole wall is dedicated to Brancusi’s tools, each with their own purpose and story.
