The tribute exhibition "Maitec 100", dedicated to Romanian sculptor Ovidiu Maitec (1925-2007), one of the leading figures of Romanian art, will open on Thursday, 16 April, at the galleries of the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) Budapest.
Organised by ICR Budapest, the exhibition brings together works by four contemporary artists - Stefan Oroian and Lorant Janos Demeter (Hungary), and Dumitru Serban and Rudolf Kocsis (Romania) - who present creations conceived as a tribute to Ovidiu Maitec.
Art historian Szucs Gyorgy will speak about Maitec's work at the opening, ICR Budapest said in a Facebook post.
Visitors will also be able to explore a special documentary component: a report and an interview with the artist produced by the Romanian-language editorial team of Hungarian Television during his study residency in France.
According to the organisers, the exhibition aims not only to recover the memory of a major artist, but also to reflect on his legacy in contemporary art.
Curated by Oradea-based art critic Aurel Chiriac, the exhibition will be open to the public until 31 May. The event continues a broader cultural initiative, following the presentation of the project in Szeged between 5 December 2025 and 15 February 2026.
Recognised as one of the most important Romanian sculptors of the 20th century, described by Mircea Eliade as "the spiritual successor to Brancusi, the artist who managed to introduce light into wood", Ovidiu Maitec innovated sculpture in the 1960s by introducing rhythmic perforations into wood - an approach that added kinetic and constructivist-minimalist elements to his work, marking a unique contribution to post-war European art.
He participated in the Venice Biennale (1968, 1976, 1980, 1995), collaborating with influential figures such as gallerist Richard Demarco and collector Jim Ede. His work Angels was acquired by the Tate Gallery in London.
A dramatic moment in his artistic life occurred in 1989, when his studio in Bucharest was destroyed by fire, resulting in the loss of around 70 sculptures, as well as his archive and personal library.
Invited by the French Ministry of Culture, Maitec later moved to Paris, where he continued to work until his death in 2007.
His works are held in prestigious museums and collections in Romania and abroad, including Tate, Kettle's Yard and FNAC Paris.
A visual artist and an important cultural figure within the Romanian community in Hungary, Stefan Oroian was born in 1947 in Battonya. A graduate of the Pedagogical Institute in Szeged (Romanian section - drawing and art history), he taught for many years in Romanian-language schools in Gyula. He collaborated with the magazine Foaia noastra and curated avant-garde exhibitions at the Erkel Museum. He is also the founder of the Noi Publishing House.
Hungarian painter and graphic artist Lorant Janos Demeter, born in 1938, has been exhibiting since 1962 and is a significant figure in Hungary's modern art scene. Educated in part at the Academy of Arts in Havana, he has served as an associate professor and secretary of the Fine Arts Association. His work, influenced by the traditions of the Great Hungarian Plain, explores the human condition, identity and the search for social stability.
An internationally recognised sculptor, university professor and leading figure in contemporary Romanian art, Dumitru Serban was born in 1948 in Gura Ialomitei. A graduate of the Nicolae Grigorescu Institute of Fine Arts in Bucharest, he had a distinguished academic career at the West University of Timisoara, where he served as dean for nearly two decades. A member and former president of the Union of Romanian Artists, he has exhibited internationally and received major awards for monumental sculpture.
Sculptor and restorer Rudolf Kocsis, born in 1963 in Arad, graduated from the George Enescu National University of Arts in Iasi, specialising in sculpture and restoration. A member of the Union of Visual Artists - Arad branch - and a lecturer at the West University of Timisoara, he obtained a PhD in Visual Arts from the University of Pecs. He is the author of numerous monumental works installed in public spaces across Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.
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