His sculpture develops a morphology situated between abstraction and ethnographic, anthropomorphic reference and, sometimes, from other areas. His shapes are clear and are part of a constructive development. He belongs to the line opened by Brâncuși either through the regime of the shape, or through a direct allusion to the way of abstractization or the field of resources and meanings. He belongs to that direction of the Romanian sculpture that continues but diversifies the expressive and formal explorations of the architectonic and industrial peasant’s repertoire, transforming that same reference into a problematic content. His notorious works are in wood and stone (sculpting techniques).
Alexandra Titu
(Periam, Timiș, 1907 - 2003)
Academic studies:
1956 - „Ion Andreescu” Institute of Plastic Arts, with professors Kós András, Szervátiusz Jenő, Petru Abrudan and Daniel Popescu, Cluj-Napoca.
Professional activity:
1957 – teacher at the High-school of Plastic Arts Timișoara;
1958 - 1961 – Professor of Sculpture at the High-school of Music and Plastic Arts;
1958 - 1966, 1990 - 1994 - Member in the Management Office of the Plastic Artists Union Timișoara branch;
1960 - 1974 – Lecturer of Sculpture and Artistic Anatomy at the Pedagogic Institute of Plastic Arts, University of Timișoara;
1966 - 1970, 1978 - 1990 – President of the Plastic Artists Union, Timișoara branch;
1968 - 1990 – Member of the Senate of the Plastic Artists Union in Romania;
1987 - 1990 - Designer at IAEM, Timișoara;
Since 1956 - Member of the Plastic Artists Union in Romania
Solo exhibitions:
1970 - Vila Engiadina Gallery, Waldhaus, Vulpera, Switzerland;
1971 - St. Louis Morges Gallery, Switzerland;
1972 – Itinerant exhibition, Kunst Keller Kriens, Switzerland;
- Waldhaus Gallery, Vulpera, Switzerland;
1975 – Noack Gallery, Bassel, Switzerland;
- Gallery 7, Baden, Germany;
1979 - Aeugst Thal bem Turlersee Gallery, Aeugst Thal, Switzerland;
- Regio Gallery, Mark Hugsteten, Germany;
1980 – Feldberg Gallery, Frankfurt an Main, Germany;
1981 – Section in a monument, Helios Gallery, Timișoara;
- Zyt Gallery, Sempach, Switzerland;
- Asstellung Rumanische Rapsodie, Dor Gallery, Ruschlikon, Switzerland;
- Rombachcenter Gallery, Freiburg i. Br., Germany;
- Cabinet of Art, Ettlingen Museum, Germany;
1982 – Exhibition of sculpture at Kunst Keller Kriens, Switzerland;
- Heimatmuseum, Burg Reinfels-St. Goar, Germany;
1984 – Exhibition at Kunstausstellungsräume der Kongresshalle Giessen, Germany;
- Am Markt Gallery, Germany;
1985 - Burgerhaus, Troisdorf Mitte, Germany;
1986 – Exhibition of sculpture and drawing, Galeria Stadt Sindelfingen, Germany;
1988 - Pro Arte Gallery, Lugoj, Timiș;
1990 – Helios Gallery, Timișoara;
1991 – New Gallery, Oradea;
1993 - A Debrecen Gallery, Hungary;
1994 – Galleries of the Plastic Artists Union, Palace of Culture, Târgu Mureș;
1995 - 27 sculptures in wood and 2 in bronze, Delta Gallery, Arad;
1996 - 13 sculptures in wood, Dure Gallery, Timișoara;
2000 – Retrospective exhibition of sculpture and drawing, Art Gallery „Ioan Sima”, Museum of History and Art, Zalău, Sălaj;
- 24 sculptures in wood, Szog Art Gallery, Szeged, Hungary.
Group exhibitions:
1954 - 2000 – takes part at the official, national, county and commemorative salons;
1954 – Inter-regional exhibition, Cluj-Napoca;
1957 – Exhibition of the International Youth Festival, Moscow, Russia;
- Exhibition Ștefan the Great, 500 years from the birth, National Museum of Art, Bucharest;
- Exhibition of the International Youth Festival, Moscow, Russia;
1963 – Retrospective exhibition of sculpture and painting, Dalles Hall, Bucharest;
1966 – Biennale of painting and sculpture, Dalles Hall, Bucharest;
1968 – Anniversary of 120 years since the 1848 Revolution, Museum of Banat, Timișoara;
1969 - Mostra Degli Artisti Rumeni, Torino, Italy;
- 26 plastic artists from Timișoara, Matice Srbske Novi Gallery, Yugoslavia;
1970 – Schindler Gallery, Berna, Switzerland;
1972 – Itinerant exhibition Plastic Artists from Sălăj, Museum of History and Art, Zalău, Sălaj;
- Culture House in Simleul Silvanei, Sălaj;
1973 - Alto Center, Lucerna, Switzerland;
1974 – 4th International Triennial of Drawing, Poland;
- Exhibition representative for the Timișoara branch of the Plastic Artists Union, Modena, Italy;
- Quadrennial Rysuncu, Archtektury Museum, Wroclaw, Poland;
1977 – International exhibition of Sculpture in Freedom, Switzerland;
- International exhibition of Brother Cities, Austria;
- 5 Artists from Timișoara, Alfa Gallery, Arad;
- 4th exhibition Sculptures en Liberte, Parc du Theatre de Vidy, Lausanne, Switzerland;
- Kunst aus dem Grazer Schwester Stadten, Stadt Museum, Graz, Austria;
1978 - Exhibition Mail Art, Japan;
- Plastic Artists from Sălaj at home, Museum of History and Art, Zalău, Sălaj;
- Romanian exhibition of sculpture, Sofia, Budapest;
1979 - Exhibition representative for the Timișoara branch of the Plastic Artists Union – Area particularities of the Romanian contemporary plastic art la Cluj-Napoca and Iași;
- Romanian exhibition of Small Sculpture, Moscow, Russia;
1982 - Biennale of Painting and Sculpture, Dalles Hall, Bucharest;
- Art Exhibition of the Timișoara branch of the Plastic Artists Union, Neue Lobeda, Jena, Germany;
1983 - Rumanisch - Romanishe Wochen, at the Weeks of the Romanian-Romand culture, 10 Jahre Happy Rancho, Laax, Switzerland;
1984 – Exhibition of Graphics and Drawing, Gera, Germany;
1985 - Retrospective Exhibition of the Timișoara branch of the Plastic Artists Union, Dalles Hall, Bucharest;
- Exhibition of Romanian Art, Sofia, Bulgaria;
1986 – National exhibition of contemporary Sculpture and tapestry, Dalles Hall, Bucharest;
Biennale of Painting and Sculpture, Dalles Hall, Bucharest;
1987 – Salon of Small Sculpture, Orizont Gallery, Bucharest;
- Image of the Romanian Village in the Plastic Arts - 80 years since 1907, Museum of Art, Bucharest;
- International exhibition Mail Art, Osaka, Nanba City, Japan;
1988 – Exhibition of Plastic Art, Novi Sad, Yugoslavia;
- 8th International Biennale in Bronze Dantesca, Ravenna, Italy;
1989 – National Salon of Small Sculpture, Delta Gallery, Arad;
1990 - 35 Romanian Artists, Huize Keizer Musem, Denekamp, Holland;
- Exhibition representative for the Timișoara branch of the Plastic Artists Union, Mora Ferencz Museum, Szeged, Hungary;
- Exhibition of art 12 Kunstler aus Rumainen, Orangerie im Gruga Park, Essen, Germany;
- Kunst uit oost Europa, Markiezenhof stenbergestraat 6 Bergen op Zoom, Holland;
1993 – Third International Fair of Contemporary Art, Hungary;
- International exhibition of Sculpture in wood, Germany;
- Exhibition 12 +1, Kalvaria Gallery, Szeged, Hungary;
- Brotherly Diptycon, at Timiș and Voivodina (Yugoslavia);
- 3rd International Contemporany Art-Fair, Budapest, Hungary;
- III Nemzetkozi Szobraszrajz Bienal, Nagytétényi Kastélymúzeum, Budapest, Hungary;
1994 – Third International Biennale of Sculptors’ Drawings, Hungary;
1995 – Romanian exhibition of Sculpture in wood and tapestry, Russe, Bulgaria;
1995, 1997 – National Salon of Drawing, Delta Gallery, Arad;
1996 – National Salon of Small Sculpture, Delta Gallery, Arad;
1997 – Exhibition of Romanian Art, Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica, Oslo, Norway;
1999 – International Biennale Dantesca, Ravenna, Italy;
2000 – International exhibition at Csongrád;
- National Biennale Salon of Small Sculpture, Delta Gallery, Arad;
- X-a Nemzetkozi Alkototelep Kialitasaai, Hungary.
Symposia:
1974 – International symposium of Art, Osetnica, Poland;
1983 – Camp at the Internationale Bildungstatte der R.W.A.G., Willbadessen, Germany;
- Camp of sculpture in wood, Deta, Timiș;
1984 – International symposium of Sculpture in stone, Timișoara;
1985 – Creation camp Diniaș, Timiș;
1988 – Camp of Sculpture, Doftana Valley, Prahova;
1993, 1994 – Symposium of sculpture Memorial of the Revolution, Timișoara;
2000 – International symposium of creation, Csongrad, Hungary.
Monumental works:
1954 - Ștefan the Great’s fight with the Turks at Podul Înalt, work bought by the National Military Museum;
1961 – Deer and roe (artificial stone), House of Culture, Moldova Nouă, Caraș-Severin;
- Carpathian deer (artificial stone), Children’s preventorium, Căpâlnaș, Arad;
1963 – Deer and roe (artificial stone), Petriș, Arad;
1965 – House’s column;
- Youth (bronze), Bd. Mihai Viteazu 1, Timișoara;
1966 – Girl with flower (artificial stone), Museum of Visual arts, Galați
- At the fountain (artificial stone), Ioan Sima Gallery, Zalău, Sălaj;
1968 - 1971 - Eftimie Murgu (travertine), Stamora Moravița, Timiș;
1969 – Noah’s arch;
1971 - Icon;
- Manole’s Legend (wood), Library of Sindelfingen, Germany;
1976 – Monument at Guruslău, Guruslău village, Sălaj;
- Mihai Viteazul (monument, travertine), Sălaj;
1977 – Hope chest;
1982 – The spirit of the plain;
1983 - Union (wood), Deta, Timiș;
1984 – Time’s bakestone (Viștea stone), Alpinet Park, Timișoara;
1989 - Notch;
1991 – Fountain of the Martyrs – Memorial of the revolution (travertine), behind the summer garden of the Capitol Cinema, Timișoara;
1994 - Fountain of the Martyrs (travertine), behind Capitol Cinema, Timișoara;
1996 – Monument of the People’s Heroes (travertine), Timișoara;
1998 - Iuliu Maniu (portrait, bas-relief, bronze), Memorial House, Simleul Silvanei, Sălaj;
1999 - Iuliu Maniu (bas-relief, bronze), Iuliu Maniu Hall, Memorial Sighet;
2000 - Corneliu Coposu (bust), Park of Corneliu Coposu Boulevard, Timișoara;
- Lucian Blaga (bust), Lucian Blaga school in Jibou, Sălaj;
- Effigy Sever Bocu, West University, Timișoara;
- Eftimie Murgu, Andrei Șaguna street, Lugoj, Timiș;
- Sorin Titel (commemorative panel), on the building where the author lived, Mihai Eminescu street, Timișoara;
From the series Birds:
1969 – Firs Flight;
1970 – Upside-down flight;
1974 - Ascension;
1978 – Sun’s bird;
1981, 1984 - Owl;
From the series Clepsydra II (1984):
1984 – Fountain of the clepsydra;
1985 – Clepsydra bake-stone;
1987 – Fruit of clepsydra.
Distinctions:
1957 – Prize at the contest of the Youth Festival in Moscow;
1959 – Prize by the Plastic Artists Union at the National Salon of Painting and Sculpture;
1966 – 2nd prize for Sculpture of the Plastic Artists Union;
1968 – Cultural Merit of Romania class V;
1974 – 2nd prize at the 4th International Triennial of Drawing, Wroclaw, Poland;
1988 – Gold medal at the International Biennale Dantesca, Ravenna, Italy;
1989 – Prize by the Plastic Artists Union at the National Salon of Small Sculpture, Arad;
1996 – Big Prize at the National Salon of Small Sculpture, Arad;
2000 – By Decree no.524 on December 1st 2000, regarding the award of national decorations to personnel subordinated to the Ministry of Culture for the National Day, sculptor Victor Gaga was granted the National Order for Merit, for remarkable artistic accomplishments and for promoting culture;
2001 – By decision no. 91 ON July the 2nd 2001 of the Local Council of Zalău County, Victor Gaga was granted the title of Honorary Citizen of Zalău County for special contribution to promoting the Romanian contemporary artistic works.
Barbosa, Octavian, Dicționarul artiștilor români contemporani, Editura Meridiane, București, 1976.
Deac, Mircea, Sculptura în România. Secolele XIX-XX, Editura Medro, București, 2005, p. 79.
Babeți, Coriolan, Victor Gaga, în „Arta”, nr. 3, 1985.
Frunzetti, Ion, Victor Gaga, în „Orizont”, nr. 15, Timișoara, 1985.
Hăulică, Dan, Victor Gaga, „România Literară”, nr. 15, București, 1985.
Pintilie, Ileana, Victor Gaga, în „Arta”, nr. 8, București, 1988.