Weekend calendar: Night of Museums, Cinepolitica, Romanian Design Week, Romanian Creative Week, Festival of Pirates, and more
The weekend of the presidential elections run-off brings film and design festivals, the crowd-pleaser Night of Museums, and a Festival of Pirates in the Danube Delta.
In Bucharest:
Romanian Design Week
May 16 – May 25
From curated exhibitions and urban installations to tours of independent spaces and architectural studios, the event brings together over 150 organizations and six formats dedicated to the design of today and tomorrow. More on the program here.
Night of Museums
May 17
More than 70 museums in the country are expected to attend the event that sees museums and other cultural institutions open their doors to the public afterhours. The Bucharest City Hall (pictured) and the Romanian Athenaeum are among the venues participating. Updates are posted here.
Cinepolitica
Until May 17
The Romanian Peasant Museum Cinema hosts the festival, which screens seven fiction and documentary feature films on current political and social topics, most of them national premieres. More here.
Hoinar.Odyssey
May 15 – May 20
Five performances, five art installations, four debates and three workshops and concerts with students and teachers are part of the program of the event, where travel is the focus. More details here.
European Film Festival
Until May 18
The event will screen more than 40 feature films, 28 of which are national premieres. The festival will also present two selections of short films, also screened as national premieres. More details here.
World Press Photo exhibition
Until June 1
University Square hosts the Bucharest stop of the world-wide tour showcasing the stories that matter with photography from the 68th annual World Press Photo Contest. More here.
Open Streets
Until October 12
The program that turns the city's main arteries into pedestrian areas returns with a program of live concerts, street performances, dance evenings, parades, children's workshops and creative activities, guided tours, and areas for exercise and sports. More here.
Art Safari
Until July 27
The current edition of the art event features exhibitions on Ioan Andreescu, Ion Țuculescu, forgotten Romanian painters, but also the new generation of artists. More details here. The event is closed for the Easter Sunday but open the Saturday before.
Concerts @ George Enescu Philharmonic
May 15, 16
George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Christian Zacharias, performs a program of works by Gabriel Fauré, Schumann, and Schubert. Cellist Andrei Ioniță is the soloist. More here.
Ignacio Uriarte: Symbolism
May 9 – June 21
The solo exhibition, open at Gaep, presents drawings and sculptural pieces, including a large group of nine drawings that signal a new direction in Ignacio Uriarte’s practice. Without relinquishing his adherence to the tools, gestures, and routines of office environments, he embraces a more colorful aesthetic and a more playful approach to corporate life. Further details here.
Cats Are Taking Over
Until July 30
This is the inaugural exhibition of Vila Catena's contemporary art pavilion, a Sandwich and the Fildas Art Foundation joint initiative, via the Catena for Art program. The exhibition "explores the universe of the most charismatic domestic felines, often considered too trivial for "serious" art, reclaiming their place in contemporary creation." More on the show and the artists included here.
Open Doors @Cotroceni Palace
Weekends
The program that sees the garden of the Cotroceni Palace, the seat of the Presidential Administration, continues this weekend as well. Admission to the garden and the Cotroceni Church is free. Visitors can also check the Cotroceni Museum and parts of the Palace of the Presidential Administration for a fee. More details here.
Auto Total Business Show
May 17 – May 18
The trade fair dedicated to car parts, accessories, and service equipment is open at Romexpo, where the public can encounter cutting-edge technology, drifting, tuned cars, live music, competitions, and attractions for all ages. More here.
In the country:
Romanian Creative Week
May 14 – May 25
The event held in Iași has a program of art, design, music, conferences and multidisciplinary installations that is meant to be accessible to the general public. More details here.
European Film Festival
Until May 18
The event will screen more than 40 feature films, 28 of which are national premieres. The festival will also present two selections of short films, also screened as national premieres. More details here.
The Festival of Pirates
May 15 – May 18
The event, taking place in Sulina, features performances by artists such as Gipsy Kings, Loredana, Lupii lui Calancea, Mahala Rai Banda, Vița de Vie, Mihai Mărgineanu, ZMEI3, Jurjak, Corina Sîrghi & Toma Dimitriu Group, Cargo, Proconsul, White Mahala, and Ana Coman. More details here.
SoNoRo Conac
Until June
The tour, consisting of chamber music concerts held at landmark historical buildings around the country, has kicked off with concerts at Mihai Eminescu Library in Iași and Casa Numaà in Cluj. More details here.
(Photo: Bucharest City Hall, courtesy of Arcub)
