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The Visual Artists’ Union of Romania (UAPR), Iași branch, is located in the Istrati (or Drossu) House, named after the owner N. Istrati, a fervent anti-unionist in 1856.
The current name of the institution was given in 1950, before being organised as “The Fine Arts Syndicate”. The mission of promoting and encouraging artists would became more obvious beginning with 1982, when the Istrati/Drossu building was restored and, inside, a new exhibition hall and shops for art works were arranged. The two exhibition spaces – “Nicolae Tonitza” (since 1996) and “Theodor Pallady” (since 2013) Art Galleries get their names from the two personalities who marked the Painting School of Iași from the end of the 19th century. The main purpose of the galleries is the organisation of exhibitions, shows and creation camps.
The Union is basing its entire activity on the principles of freedom of expression, equality in rights of its members, as well as promoting and defending the creative personality of visual artists, for the benefit of the individual and the society. A basic principle refers to promoting and supporting without discrimination all visual art genres and all professional artists’ categories. The Iași branch of the UAPR includes almost 350 members who are directly involved in the cultural and educational life of the city.
Three times a month, the Art galleries of the UAPR delight their visitors with a new exhibition signed by member artists. “The White Night of Galleries”, an event which began on a national level in 2006, is present in Iași since 2016, being organised at the end of September. This event gives a special opportunity to art enthusiasts to take a look behind the works, more precisely inside the artists’ workshops in the building on Lăpușneanu Street. Here we can see painting workshops (Tofan Constantin, Ciochina Neculai, Gonceariuc Valeriu, Aftene Felix, Ichim Alexandru, Bartos Jeno, Liviu Suhar, Mocanu Traian, Morun Florin, Diaconescu Cristian, Carnariu Radu, Manuel Mănăstireanu, Pătrașcu Dragoș, Mihail Voicu), sculpture workshops (Dan Covătaru, Drinceanu Sabin and Drinceanu Gabriela, Ștefănescu Mircea, Târziu Cătălin, Sorin Purcaru, Mihai Cosmin), textile workshops (Vieriu Mădălina, Cornelia Brustureanu, Miea Grivinca) and multimedia (Dan Acostioaie).
The Union organises special events such as “Workshop 35”, a project for artists under 35 years old, “ArtIS”, a project dedicated to UAPR members, the biennial exhibitions “Erotica Show” or “The Drawing Sow” organised by the visual artist Dragoș Pătrașcu under the care of UAPR.
On the building’s balcony, there are two blue winged cats which identify the place as a territory of artistic creation.
Tranzit.ro – a space for contemporary art
Tranzit.ro is an independent network of NGOs supported by the ERSTE Foundation in Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic and since 2012, in Romania. With a tricephalic structure, tranzit.ro has permanently opened spaces in Iași, Bucharest and Cluj, all led by collective groups of artists and independent curators with a vast experience in contemporary art. The network’s activity includes a wide range of activities linked to the artistic experience: exhibitions, conferences, publications, workshops, collaboration projects with art institutions in Romania and abroad, and residence programs for artists, curators and theorists. The space in Iași is located on 7-9 Lăpușneanu Street.
5. The Former Chamber of Commerce