The traditional Maramureş rugs of Victoria Berbecaru and Mircea Cantor's flying carpet
An exhibition co-presented by La Maison Francaise, the Embassy of Romania in Washington, and the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, in the framework of the 2011 Francophonie Cultural Festival in Washington D.C.


In the Romanian region of Maramureş traditional handcrafts are still very much alive today; you can find authentic woodcarving, pottery and wool crafting. This show presents some of the most enchanting rugs made by Victoria Berbecaru over four decades, some of them still being used at the local church.

The exhibition was initiated and curated by the Romanian (Paris-based) artist Mircea Cantor, whose work is known for its subtle commentary on contemporary society, across diverse media. His approach is not that of an ethnographer or anthropologist. The object is not to document, but to emphasize the authenticity of this art, giving viewers an opportunity to enjoy the pieces, as they would any work of art.

Along with the traditional rugs in the exhibition, one can see a flying carpet (Airplanes and Angels), which is the work of Mircea Cantor. The composition is inspired by traditional rugs from the region, but also introducing more recent flying figures. "My interest, notes Mircea Cantor, was not to copy an existing tradition, but rather to update it with my own vision. For this reason I drew in the airplanes and the angels. You will never see airplanes or angels in Romanian rugs. It was more like the dichotomy between two realities, the visible and the invisible. On top of this, you have the association of the Oriental flying carpet. Ideals of flying and traversing space are deeply rooted in humankind’s aspirations. From birds, butterflies and other creatures we’ve always tried to symbolize and copy in a very concrete way their freedom of movement. Today when flying UFOs are no longer taboo, and angels are far more mythical creatures, airplanes seem more meaningful to us. But is it really like this?"

The exhibition opens at La Maison Française in Washington D.C. on March 28 and runs through April 15.

The exhibition will be accompanied by traditional weaving workshops held by Victoria Berbecaru.

Before this unique exhibition opens in Washington, D.C., visual artist Mircea Cantor and traditional rug-maker Victoria Berbecaru stop on March 24 in New York at RCINY for a conversation about the exhibition and their work. Learn more

Read more about Mircea Cantor

Victoria Berbecaru, one of Maramureş’ most accomplished weavers, revived the tradition of weaving rugs in the 70’s when she arrived in Botiza, a village in Maramureş. Together with the old ladies from the village she started to record the old techniques of natural dyeing, reintroducing motifs that were in use in the recent past but were about to disappear due to the lack of interest and continuity through the younger generation. She maintained this tradition for over four decades by helping younger women see its profound cultural value and by teaching them the compositions and motifs.


[Image gallery: Browse through the gallery for a glimpse into the exhibition and the rug-making process. All photos by Mircea Cantor unless otherwise marked.]