The Golești Museum of Viticulture and Fruit Growing, in collaboration with the Pitești Branch of the Union of Visual Artists of Romania, invites the public to the opening of the exhibition Signs of the Sacred on Friday, 30 October 2026, at 5:00 p.m. The exhibition brings together works by three Romanian visual artists: Marius Ivanovici, Ștefania Popa and Valentin Popa.
Hosted in the Village Town Hall, located in the open-air section of Golești Museum, the exhibition will run from 30 October to 13 November 2026. It brings together three forms of artistic expression—icon painting, easel painting and sculpture—united by a common theme: the sacred and its manifestations in art, nature and cultural memory.
Through their distinct artistic approaches, the three artists explore the relationship between Christian tradition and contemporary artistic sensibility.
Marius Viorel Ivanovici, a sculptor and teacher at the Dinu Lipatti High School of Arts in Pitești, presents works in which form, material and the rhythm of surfaces create a distinctly contemporary visual language. Volumes, contrasting textures, the interplay between solid forms and empty spaces, and the relationship between smooth and rough surfaces invite viewers to reflect and discover deeper layers of meaning. A graduate of the National University of Arts in Bucharest and a member of the Union of Visual Artists of Romania, Marius Ivanovici has an extensive exhibition record and has participated in numerous sculpture symposiums and workshops throughout Romania.
Ștefania Popa contributes a selection of paintings in which landscapes and religious architecture become expressions of tranquillity, memory and spirituality. Through her sensitive artistic approach, she evokes the enduring presence of the spiritual and cultural values reflected in her subjects. Interested in both easel painting and religious art, Ștefania Popa previously exhibited at Golești Museum in 2025, with her solo exhibition A Time Within Time (Un timp în timp!).
Valentin Popa, a church painter with nearly three decades of experience in religious art, presents a selection of icons inspired by Orthodox Christian iconography. His works draw on the traditional visual language of Byzantine painting, featuring representations of Christ and symbols of the Christian faith. The artist has received recognition through his participation in and awards at icon-painting exhibitions and competitions, including Rugămu-ne Ție! (We Pray to You!), a significant event dedicated to Romanian icon painting.
Signs of the Sacred thus creates a dialogue between sacred imagery, landscapes imbued with memory and the expressive qualities of sculptural form. Valentin Popa’s icons evoke the liturgical dimension of religious imagery, Ștefania Popa’s paintings reveal traces of spirituality in nature and architectural heritage, while Marius Ivanovici’s sculptures offer a contemporary interpretation of the relationship between matter and symbol.
The choice of the Village Town Hall within the Golești Open-Air Museum as the exhibition venue adds a special significance to the event. In a setting dedicated to preserving and promoting Romania’s rural heritage, the works of the three artists engage in a dialogue with the traditions, beliefs and cultural values that have shaped the identity of rural communities over the centuries.
The exhibition opening, on 30 October 2026, at 5:00 p.m., will welcome invited guests Daniel Preduț, President of the Pitești Branch of the Union of Visual Artists of Romania; Dr Teodora Necula, university lecturer; and Mara Diaconu, a member of the Pitești Branch of the Union of Visual Artists of Romania.
We warmly invite you to visit Golești Museum between 30 October and 13 November 2026 and discover an exhibition in which icon painting, easel painting and sculpture offer three distinct perspectives on the sacred and its presence in art and community life.
