Romanian catalog for Webpage - Flipbook - Page 13
exhibit in the project space at the Museum of Modern
Art in New York several years later. I recall being in that
gigantic space and seeing the passage of time from the
day I met Dan in person in Bucharest when he graciously
handed me a stack of his book projects. I was impressed
by his work immediately as well as Lia, his wife, and her
fascinating and courageous archive project. I remember
wondering how we all had met in the faraway land of
Bucharest, and now here we stood in this momentous,
historical hall of art of MOMA, his graffitied work sprawling
candid and gigantic on the tall, bright walls around us.
Dan’s massive success at MOMA was also important for me
as a critic and art historian. His success meant I was right
about the historical quality of his work and the works of
the other emerging Romanian artists of that time.
Jane Neal saw the potential of these artists from the
beginning, too, as well as the other players who were
supporters of Romanian contemporary art from the 2000s,
including gallerists Juerg Judin (Judin Gallery, Berlin),
David Nolan (David Nolan Gallery, New York), Roxana
Marcoci (Curator, Museum of Modern Art), François Ghebaly
(François Ghebaly Gallery, Los Angeles), and Mihai Nicodim
(Nicodim Gallery, New York, Los Angeles, Bucharest),
as well as a handful of other gallerists, collectors, and
writers. Everyone who knew the work and believed in its
fortitude worked tirelessly and passionately to bring it to
the attention of the international art world.
Looking back, I believe that one of the most important
projects during all my years working in the visual arts as
a curator and art critic was curating the initial collection of
contemporary Romanian art held by the Arthur Taubman
Trust Collection. As the years went on and I began to work
in music, I handed the curatorial reins of the collection
to Jane Neal, who has continued to keep her finger on
the pulse of emerging and established Romanian artists.
The collection of these artists was one of the first in the
world of its kind, at a time when people hadn’t quite
understood the importance of the work. I am proud to
say, too, that from the beginning to this day, over thirteen
years of collecting, each piece is agonized over during
its acquisition. No piece is bought with the intention
of collection value only; it is received and passionately
acquired, displayed, and enjoyed on a regular basis. For me,
that is the true imprimatur of collecting, and I am proud to
say that the Arthur Taubman Trust has made this creation.
I also have to hand it to the Trust for supporting artists
who were largely unknown when they committed to
assembling not just a few, but an entire collection, of
their work. This collection made a difference in so many
people’s lives in ways that extend far beyond the art works
themselves. I think it was a way for them not only to
make something enjoyed by so many, but also to continue
to be a part of a place our family had grown to love and
would miss after my father’s appointment ended. I know
my parents were sad to leave after three years. I feel
the Arthur Taubman Trust Collection has been a way to
continue to be a part of the growth of the artists over the
years and to remain close to the country’s people and its
striking culture.
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