The bench, an apparently small and utilitarian object on which we rest our fatigue or pass by without wondering what its meaning is, beyond its functionality in practice, has multiple meanings: in aesthetics, the history of the garden, architecture, spatiality and, no lastly, for the subjective reception of the space. The bench acts as a powerful visual vector, regulating the reception of the landscapes it has to offer its visitors. By transmitting verbal (inscriptions) or symbolic (decorative motifs) messages, integrating into a complex walking circuit (e.g. a park), offering rest and inviting its users to discover new aspects of the landscape, this polysemic element orients the gaze and social interaction.
A double bench with a clapboard roof was recently installed in our churchyard in the museum, in the space that makes the transition between the secular and the sacred, between human agitation and the calm that descends on the mortal being in the holy space of the House of God. It is a place to stop, which invites meditation, rest for the soul and the body.
The bench in the churchyard is a donation from the Parish of Şuici to the Golești Museum. It was restored as part of the workshop “School of the Valley”, organized by the Association for Sustainable Development Rudeni, with the support of the “On Topolog in sus” project team, OAR Argeș, the ARCHÉ Association, parish priest Florescu Constantin and the City Hall of Şuici.
The following participated in this activity:
Coordinators: Anca Iancovescu-Rudeanu, Cristina Budan – architect and Paul Budan.
Instructors: Mihai Iancovescu-Rudeanu – stone restoration specialist; Ioan Brai – metal restorer expert; Scarlătescu Cristi – polychrome wood restoration expert.
Guests: Alexandru Răuță – President of Argeș OAR and Romulus Zamfir – Wood restorer in the Museum of Viticulture and Pomiculturii-Golești. During the workshop, our expert colleague in wood restoration spoke about the structure of wood, the preservation/restoration problems of this material and applied this theoretical knowledge to describe the state of preservation of the double bench from the church in Șuici.
Students: Amina Alchihabi, Nicolae Ariton, Ana Banu, Georgiana Calinciuc, Alexandru Ferenț, Sofia Florescu and Adelina Calinoiu.
We thank the Parish of Șuici, priest Florescu Constantin, Cristina and Paul Budan!
We invite you to linger a bit in the churchyard of Drăguțești, in the shade of the fir trees, on the bench from Șuici that has found a new home at the Golești Museum!
