Temporary Exhibitions
The current exhibition is dedicated to the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse (Ia) and the National Day of the Folk Costume, being organized to celebrate and promote the traditional attire and authentic cultural heritage.
In the Moldovan artistic landscape of the 1960s–1980s, ethnofolkloric themes and motifs held a significant place across a wide range of artworks. These works reflect the customs, traditions, and everyday life of the Moldovan people, carrying a profound cultural and identity-laden message. Artists often depicted rural figures—peasants, artisans, or women wearing traditional dress—as well as scenes of daily life, such as weddings, christenings, and folk festivals.
Through their interpretations of traditional dress, visual artists enriched Bessarabian plastic art, blending folk motifs with their personal artistic vision. The works featured in the exhibition MărturIE – A Testament of Love for the Traditional Costume are signed by prominent figures of national art, including:
• Mihai Grecu (1916–1998) – with Peasant from Northern Moldova (1959), Hospitality (1967), Girl Wearing an Ia (1965), Peasant from Câmpulung (1960)
• Valentina Rusu-Ciobanu (1920–2021) – Girl at the Window (1954–1955)
• Igor Vieru (1923–1988) – Mărțișor (1975)
• Ada Zevin (1918–2005) – Mariana (1968), a female portrait
• Pavel Piscariov (1875–1949) – Moldovan Woman (1945)
• Elena Bontea (1933) – The Dowry Dance at Camenca (1987)
From the National Graphics Collection of the National Museum of Art of Moldova, 26 costume design sketches of high artistic quality have been selected, created by Ioachim Postolachi (1906–1976), Ada Zevin (1918–2005), and Boris Nesvedov (1903–1963). The triptych Florile dalbe by Igor Vieru is also part of the selection.
The artists featured in this exhibition have made a unique contribution to the development of national art, creating works deeply rooted in local traditions. Through their art, they managed to merge tradition with modernity, giving rise to a distinctive artistic language that combines ancestral sensibilities with contemporary challenges and realities—thus strengthening a cultural heritage of immense value.
Additionally, the exhibition will feature eight traditional costumes from the collection of the National Museum of Ethno
graphy and Natural History.
