Page 12 - World of Art Contemporary Art magazine: The 2023 Guggenheim issue

For example, the exhibition “50 years of Romanian WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE REGARDING YOUR
graphics”, organized at Oradea Fortress, was opened in PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY AND YOUR PASSION FOR ART?
2019 and was open to the public until 2022. After the event, I am interested in continuing my professional activity as
the organizers communicated that the number of visitors manager of a law firm especially since my children are also
to this exhibition was 65,000 people. Another impactful partners. The collection is improving in European art and
exhibition was dedicated to Goya’s creation, which was Japanese art. I follow international auctions and mainly buy
opened in Iasi and then in other locations in the country, works that will be included in my exhibition themes. I am also
in the presence of both the Spanish ambassador and other interested in going abroad with works from my collection
diplomats in Romania. Organized at the Senate of Romania and even this year together with Romanian Cultural Institute
in 2021, the exhibition represented a tribute to Spain’s I organized Romanian Artists on Mapamond exhibition which
national day and a moment of celebration of 145 years has already been exhibited in Chisinau and Vienna and will
of diplomatic relations between Romania and Spain. The continue its course to Budapest and Istanbul also in 2023.
Japanese print exhibition “Journey into Meiji Prints” was
first opened at the National Brukenthal Museum in the HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO BALANCE THE DEMANDS OF YOUR
presence of Japan’s ambassador to Romania. The event was CAREER AS A LAWYER WITH THE TIME DEDICATED TO ART
successful with an audience of 45,000 visitors according AND FAMILY?
to official data provided by the museum. Thus in 2023 it Part of my collection is exhibited in the law firm’s headquarters
continued in Bucharest also on Japan Day. At the opening (over 250 works), plus most of the works are stored here. So
of the event 30 foreign diplomats attended most being being in the office all the time I am ‘available’ for both! And
ambassadors. the family is interested in art, so there is a certain ‘harmony’
between the two areas.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG LAWYERS WHO
WANT TO PURSUE A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN THE LEGAL FIELD?
Yes, here I have to be rigorous: you cannot have a successful
career in law without thorough and continuous professional
training. At the same time, I would advise them to cultivate
themselves, to develop passions such as literature, art or
music.

HOW DID YOU START COLLABORATING WITH ART CRITIC
ALEXANDRU CHITUTA, CUSTODIAN AT BRUKENTHAL MUSEUM
IN SIBIU, ROMANIA AND WHAT ROLE DOES HE HAVE IN
ORGANIZING YOUR EXHIBITIONS?
I started collaborating with Dr. Alexandru Constantin Chitua,
current interim director of the National Brukenthal Museum,
in 2019 when we opened together Kabuki Theater Japanese
print exhibition. Since then we have been working permanently
on organizing exhibitions with works from my collection.
Dr. Alexandru Constantin Chitua is always curator of my
exhibitions but also technical producer of catalogs for these
events. At the same time he establishes partnerships with
museums or other cultural institutions from Romania where
the above mentioned exhibitions will be opened.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN THEMES OF THE EXHIBITIONS YOU HAVE
ORGANIZED AND WHAT ARTWORKS HAVE YOU SELECTED FOR
THESE EXHIBITIONS?
First of all I proposed and organized exhibitions that had
GEORGE SERBAN COLLECTION: ION STATE (1937-1977), THE SCREAM not been done before in Romania. I proposed themes for
(STRIGATUL) WOODCUT, 1966 DIMENSIONS 60 X 90 CM.

10 WORLD of ART