The artistic concept of the Romanian Pavilion to World EXPO 2005 Aichi, Japan

During the six moths of EXPO 2005 Aichi, Japan, at the Pavilion of Romania are taking place 12 hours the day performances and short presentation movies. The aim is to create, in the middle of the architectural space, a virtual space, suggesting the Romanian universe. Landscapes from the Natural Reservation, the religious painting, icons on wood or glass, the traditional technology and the Romanian contributions to the space industry, the Romanian traditional and contemporary architecture, are some of the theme of a continuous images flux, realized in a unitary way.

In the middle of that space/virtual framework, will take place the permanent live show, held by more than 100 artists, in their majority young people, representing different styles: theatre, contemporary dances, traditional and classic music, canto, religious music, jazz and traditional dances. The show is realized in relation with the video projections and will last 12 hours the day for 185 days. The same artists will held more than 70 performances, outside the Pavilion, within the Expo site.

The permanent show is realized by the director Dragos Galgotiu, in the scenography of the well-known Romanian fashion designer Doina Levintza and in the choreography Ravan Mazilu. All of them are famous Romanian artists.

On the occasion of Romania's National Day to EXPO 2005 - June 1st - in the EXPO Dome took place a special performance, held by representative Romanian artists, among which the National Chamber Choir Madrigal, the Allegretto children Choir, the National Radio Orchestra, the pan flute singer Nicolae Voiculet, the dancer Razvan Mazilu, the Holograf rock band. The live events organized on that occasion gathered more than 200 Romanian artists.

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In the period 15 of August and 25 of September, at Romania Pavilion at EXPO will be held new
performances, following the change of the team of artists. The selection of the artists’
team is following the general concept of the performances held in Romania Pavilion, mainly the interference between the authenticity of the tradition and the modern interpretation of tradition. A public that already know that in Romania Pavilion at EXPO are taking place daily different cultural performances, from 10.30 to 20.00, with around 250 persons per performance.

The fourth and the last team includes the following groups of artists

Archaic dance and religious music

Traditions and costumes from Maramures and Oas

Classical ballet and contemporary dances

Archaic dance and religious music

That team of artists constitutes an important spiritual dimension, the religious tradition, as well as the pre-christian rituals of the "calusari" dances. According to the stage director, Dragos Galgotiu, the team is occering a "very powerful image, authentical and expressive of the Romanian spirituality".

The group of Calusari from Cezieni, Olt

Traditions and costumes from Maramures

The Oas and Maramures represent areas with an extremely rich popular and well conserved traditions. The instruments used by the artists have specifical sounds, in some respects very close to the Japanese rhythms. "Dubasii din Vadul Izei" constitutes a model from the point of view of conservation of the traditions, from the beauty of the costumes, the music and the dances. "Osenii din Calinesti" are one of the most spectacular folk groups, using archaical instruments and specifical sounds.

Classical ballet and contemporary theatre

The classical ballet is featured by ballet dancers from the Ballet Theatre Oleg Danovski are dancing together, offering to the visitors specifical relaxing moments. The contemporary theatre moments are featuring the best of the avant-garde Romanian theatre, in a special interpretation for the Japanese public. The distribution is including young actresses and actors from the main stages of Bucharest, Cluj, Craiova and Iasi: Cornel Scripcaru, actor at "Bulandra" Theatre from Bucharest, Constantin Cojocaru, actor from the "Odeon" Theatre from Bucharest, Biro Jozsef, actor of the Hungarian State Theatre from Cluj Napoca - all of them with various national and international prices, Adriana Butoi, young actress with theatre studies at Conservatoire d'Art Dramatique from Paris, Romanita Ionescu, actress from the National Theatre from Craiova, as well as Ioana Sfaiter, dancer, coreographer and student in the IVth year at the Theatre Faculty from Iasi.

A lot of Romanian cultural personalities and artistic groups, present to Aichi in the period March 25th – September 25 on the occasion of EXPO 2005, will organize different cultural events in Japan, aiming the promotion of the Romanian culture. The events outside the Exposition site are taking place in collaboration with Romanian-Japanese Friendship organisations from that country. Among these, we'll mention: The Society Japan-Romania, Association for Cultural Exchanges Japan-Romania, The Friendship Committee Yokohama-Constanţa.

The first part of the Romanian artistic performances in Japan started on June 1st, Romania's National Day at EXPO 2005. The National Chamber Choir Madrigal directed by maestro Marin Constantin, performed eight shows in Japanese towns (Tokyo, Nagoya, Nagano, Yokohama, Mushahino Mito). The National Radio Orchestra, with the director Mendi Rodan – first soloist the violonist Alexandru Tomescu, was present also to Osaka, Toyota City, Yokohama. Allegretto Children Choir held concerts to Minamichita, Romania's „guest town” during the six months of the Exposition.

On August 20th, to EXPO Hall – a concert hall inside EXPO with 500 rooms hall – the pan flute artist Nicolae Voiculeţ will held a concert in the afternoon.

Camerata Transilvania, directed by the violonist Claudiu Hontilă, have scheduled two concerts, an open-air one, to EXPO Plaza on September 3rd, and another on September 8th, to EXPO Hall. Together with the instrumentalists of that band will also perform the Japanese piano player Shoko Takeuchi. A lot of concerts of the Camerata, together with Takeuchi, will also take place in the town of Toyama.

In the organisation of the Association Japan-Romania, between 2-8 of May 2005, at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space took place the fifth edition of the Romanian-Japanese painting and sculpture exhibition, on which occasion was offered „The Brancusi Price” created to the 2002 edition. They have been exhibited 30 sculptures, five sculptures of big dimensions and ten sculptures of small dimensions and 50 works of some Japanese artists.

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