Three exceptional outdoor sculptures by one of Romania’s most renowned artists, Constantin Brâncuși, located in Târgu Jiu, have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List! During its 2024 session, UNESCO recognised the sculpture ensemble for its remarkable synergy of abstract sculpture, landscape architecture, engineering, and urban planning. Brâncuși’s projects go beyond local wartime stories, offering an original vision of the human condition.
In the next episode of our podcast “Holistic Heritage”, John Beauchamp and Dr Katarzyna Jagodzińska travel hundreds of kilometres to get a close-up look at the work of this pioneer of modern abstract sculpture in Târgu Jiu. “The Table of Silence”, “The Gate of the Kiss” and perhaps the most famous sculpture of the set, “The Endless Column”, are iconic works by Constantin Brâncuși. Discussing this extraordinary global sculpture ensemble, we speak with the Deputy Mayor of Târgu Jiu, Dr Adrian Tudor, who reveals behind-the-scenes details of the process of inscribing these works on the list.
The meeting also provided insight into the city’s cultural policy plans for the coming years. We would like to sincerely thank Oana Șomănescu, who helped translate our conversation.