CRITICAL REVIEW

During an interview by Alexandra Titu, Paul Bortnovschi declares: “the architect and the designer are both the life’s art directors”. As a changeful character of the architecture, scenography and Romanian design, Bortnovschi, alongside Liviu Ciulei, or Vittorio Hotlier, is part of the great theatrical ambient creators that bring innovations to the stage’s aesthetics. Under the “variable space” concept, he reunites the diversity and the mobility of the unity that are limiting a show’s area, as well as the daily space. The architectonic space, the sculptural ambient, the architecture and the theatrical scenography, will submit to a polyvalent vision over the area that is looked upon in its organic and mobile evolution. Having the same structural fibre of the great figures, like Walter Gropius, or Mies van der Rohe, but formed by Grotowski or Svoboda’s scenography, Bortnovschi improves the scenic area on the both complementary landings: the textual landing, with his narrative and dramatic rationality, and the architectural landing, with his structural rationality. He is a careful theoretician of condition architecture, of the ambient as art, of the industrial design in relation between the environment and the human being, as user and area spectator.

Mica Gherghescu


BIOGRAPHY

(Sinaia, 1922 - Bucharest, 2002)

Academic Studies:
1941 - 1949 – The „Ion Mincu”,  Architecture Institute with C. Iotzu and  H. Georgescu, Bucharest.

Professional Activity:
1951 - 1957 – film scenographer for„Tomis”, „Floreasca” şi „Buftea” studios;
1968 - 1973 – scenography professor and  head of design department at „Nicolae Grigorescu” Plastic Arts Institute, Bucharest;
1973 – vice president at the OISTAT architecture committee;
1995 - 2000 – President at OISTAT Romanian centre.


PROJECTS

Group Exhibitions:
1953 – World Youth Festival, Bucharest;
1959 – Magheru Hall, Bucharest;
1971 – Scenography triennial, Bucharest;
1971 - 1972 – International scenography quadrennial, Prague, Czech Republic;
1972 – Decorative Art Exhibition, Budapest, Hungary;
1974 – Design Exhibition, Aspen, Colorado, SUA;
1976 – Scenography Triennial, Bucharest;
1978 – International Scenography Triennial, Novi Sad, Serbia;
1980 – The Writing Exhibition, “Ion Mincu” Architecture Institute, Bucharest;
1981 – The Human – City – Nature Exhibition, Victoria Gallery, Iaşi;
1982 – The Spectacle boards (organizer, Paul Bortnovschi), Art Collection Museum, Bucharest.
 
Symposia:
1973 - Congress of the International Scenography, Theatre Architects and Technicians (OISTAT), Avignon, France.

Works:
  - numerous scenographies for theatre and film (for the full list the monographic volume Paul Bortnovski, Bucharest, 2003);
1949 - 1953 - Environmental Design, Romanian pavilions, International exhibitions (Beijing, Bucharest, Budapesta, Leipzig, Milano, Moscova, Plovdiv, Poznan, Praga, Salonic, Viena);
1953 – Ambient, World Youth Festival, Bucharest;
1963 - 1991 – theatrical architectural projects for the„Lucia Sturdza Bulandra” theater, Studio Hall, Bucharest;
  - numerous theatrical architectural projects (Craiova National Theatre, Bucharest National Theatre, Cotroceni Theatre, Odeon Theatre, Luceafărul Theatre from Chişinău, Slobozia Theatre);
  - decoration project for Romanian Television;
 - Stained glass for the Romanian Broadcasting;
1974 - environmental assembly, Băile Amara sanatorium complex, Ialomița;
1982 - 1983 - land art projects (Paul Bortnovski archive);
1981 - 1989 - „ Projects and false proposals ephemeral monuments, initiatory paths” (Paul Bortnovski archive).

Awards and prizes:
1968 - „ Cultural Merit”;
1969 - honored artist of R.S. Romania;
1975 - Artists' Union Award for scenography;
1993 – UNITER Award for Lifetime Achievements;
2000 - National Order "For Merit" in rank of High Officer;
2002 - National Award of the Ministry of Culture for the whole artistic activity;
2003 - Romanian Academy Award for the entire activity;
         - doctor honoris causa „Ion Luca Caragiale” National University of Theatre and Film, Bucharest.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Moisescu, Valeriu (coord.), Cazaban, Ion (afterword), Paul Bortnovski, Bucharest, 2003.

Barbosa, Octavian, Dictionary of contemporary Romanian artists, Meridiane Publishing House, Bucharest, 1976.
Beldiman, Ruxanda, Dictionary of Romanian Sculptors. XIX-XX. Centuries, Vol. I., Bucharest, 2011.

„La scénographie de Paul Bortnovschi”, RRHA, Serie Théatre, vol. 20, 1983.
Titu, Alexandra, Three meetings with Paul Bortnovschi, in: „The Art”, nr. 5-6, 1982.