Iconic Brâncuși sculpture “The Kiss” to come at Art Safari Love Edition

One of the most famous sculptures of Constantin Brancusi, “The Kiss” (1907) is going to be on display at the Art Safari Love Edition for only 10 days, from August 21 to August 31, 2023.

This artwork, insured for EUR 22 million, will be transported securely from the Art Museum Craiova to Bucharest by a specialized fine art transport company and will be escorted by the Romanian Gendarmerie. The masterpiece will be under constant guard at Art Safari.

During this special exhibition, Art Safari has curated a unique visitation schedule: from August 21 to 30, daily access is granted between 12:00 PM and 9:00 PM, complemented by the usual Night Tours held on Fridays and Saturdays, spanning from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM. Valued at 22 million euros, this artwork will be meticulously transported from the Art Museum Craiova to Bucharest, under the vigilant protection of a specialized fine art transport company and the vigilant oversight of the Romanian Gendarmerie. Throughout its time at Art Safari, the masterpiece will be diligently safeguarded.

“The Kiss of Brâncuşi, the first in the renowned series dedicated to love, finds its perfect place among the masterpieces of the National Portrait Gallery. We extend our gratitude to the Art Museum Craiova for their willingness to lend us this masterpiece for 10 days, a contribution that enriches the Love Stories exhibition hosted this season. This marks a premiere for both Art Safari and the capital city. On this occasion, Art Safari will have an altered visiting program, remaining open daily to allow the public to admire the artwork in large numbers. It is said that the first kiss is never forgotten, so we invite you to witness it at Art Safari,” stated Ioana Ciocan, CEO of Art Safari and the Romanian Commissioner at the Venice Biennale.

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“The Kiss” exhibited at Art Safari, part of the permanent collection of the Art Museum Craiova, was created from marble in 1907 and represents the initial sculpture within the beloved Kisses series, a project Brâncuşi dedicated 40 years to perfect. “The Kiss” stands as one of the most renowned masterpieces by the artist, alongside “Sleeping Muse” (1908), “Prometheus” (1911), “Miss Pogany” (1913), “Newborn” (1915), “Bird in Space” (1919), and “Endless Column” (1938). The artwork was sculpted in an apparently simple manner, devoid of intricate anatomical details, capturing the essence of the message. Brâncuşi employed a distinctive stone-cutting technique.

Read also: Art Safari Love Edition’s Line-up: A new international collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, London

Brancusi’s Kiss

The Kiss is more a kiss of gazes than of lips. The visual field of each figure encompasses only the partner’s eyes, an emphasis of strength conveyed through the astonishing proximity of their eye sockets. In Brâncuşi’s Kiss, neither partner dominates the other; they share an equality. This is evident through the perfectly identical dimensions of the two silhouettes, signifying a status equivalence. Throughout the entire Kiss series (1907-1945), Brâncuşi maintained that women and men are equals. A version of the Kiss from 1910 serves as a gravestone in the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris, France, while another version can be seen at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Kiss completes the Love Stories exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

The masterpiece will be showcased as part of the “Love Stories” exhibition, a collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery in London, enriching the Romanian art section dedicated to love. Art Safari also displays love letters exchanged between Constantin Brâncuşi and his muse, the American dancer Florence Meyer, who was 35 years his junior. On one of these letters, Brâncuşi even sketched a rendition of the Kiss.

Constantin Brâncuşi stands as Romania’s foremost artist and one of the most important figures in the realm of universal art, contributing to the revitalization of contemporary sculpture and revolutionizing modern art.

Tickets are available for purchase at www.artsafari.ro or directly at the entrance of the Dacia-Romania Palace, located at 18-20 Lipscani Street, Bucharest. The Art Safari Love Edition summer season takes place up until September 10 at Dacia-Romania Palace on Lipscani Street and presents 4 exhibitions of classic and contemporary Romanian art along with prestigious international art.