The King Charles III House in the Transylvanian village of Viscri is hosting Fragilis Terra, a new exhibition by Romanian sculptor Virgil Scripcariu that explores the relationship between people and nature, the memory of place, and the fragility of human existence. The exhibition is open to visitors until August 25.
Organized by The King’s House Viscri and the Piscu School Museum-Workshop, the project brings together artistic influences from Viscri and Piscu, a historic Romanian pottery village near Bucharest, highlighting the role of cultural heritage as a source of inspiration for contemporary creativity.
“I am increasingly preoccupied by the tension that people generate in relation to nature and to one another – the fragile balance between good and evil that humanity must manage. In recent years, my works have explicitly and deliberately reflected on this theme,” said Virgil Scripcariu.
“From the first Maternity – my sculpture in front of the Anglican Church in Bucharest – to the Lovinescu – Ierunca Sculptural Group, followed by The Triumph of Good, all contain representations of this universal duality. What is new in Fragilis Terra is my interest in ceramic techniques. I am experimenting with portraiture and painting on ceramics, bringing new versions and nuances to my compositions,” he added.
The exhibition is structured around four thematic sections. Visitors can discover sculptural works such as Adam and Eve, created specifically for Viscri, and Requiem, alongside a collection of fired-clay portraits inspired by residents of Viscri and Piscu, as well as people the artist encountered around the world.
The exhibition also features plates, tankards, and pitchers created in collaboration with potter Csaba Balint, combining traditional ceramic craftsmanship with contemporary artistic expression.
“Fragilis Terra is a special exhibition not only for the power of its works – many of them created by Virgil Scripcariu for this specific place and moment – but also for the way it connects two communities and two projects united by the same mission: Viscri and Piscu, Casa Regelui and the Piscu School Museum-Workshop,” stated Raluca Grigore, Administrator of The King’s House, Viscri.
Opened to the public in 2022, the King Charles III House in Viscri promotes Transylvanian heritage, traditional architecture, crafts, sustainable agriculture, and biodiversity conservation. Since its opening, the site has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors, with most profits reinvested in the local community.
Virgil Scripcariu, one of Romania’s best-known contemporary sculptors, received the National Prize for Sculpture from the Union of Visual Artists of Romania in 2023. He has sculptures and design works installed in public spaces in Bucharest, Iaşi, Timişoara, Braşov, and Tulcea. He lives and works in Piscu, where he co-founded the Piscu School Museum-Workshop together with his wife, art historian Adriana Scripcariu.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: press release, by Adelina Șerb)
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