The Romanian state is currently trying to buy Constantin Brancusi’s famous sculpture Cumintenia Pamantului (The Wisdom of the Earth). It has started an online fundraising campaign and is currently asking for help from anybody willing to chip in. The state wants to raise EUR 6 million in donations by end-September.

The Romanian Ministry of Culture recently launched a website where anybody can donate via online payment whatever amounts they can afford. The campaign’s website Brancusiealmeu.ro accepts online payments, with support from retailers emag.ro and lender Banca Transilvania. Everyone who donates on the campaign websites receives a symbolic digital diploma with their name on it, to attest for their support and share via social media, inviting others to do the same.

People can also wire money into any of the Ministry's accounts opened at the State Treasury and several banks. The respective bank account numbers are at the end of this article. 

With the communication campaign managed pro bono by GMP Group and Media Investment, and the public support of a host of public persons, many of whom show their support in a special promotion video in Romanian - watch the video here-, the fundraising is one of a kind in Romania. The campaign Brancusi e al meu (in English, Brancusi is mine) reminds of the popular effort 130 years ago to raise money for the Romanian Athenaeum, under the then slogan  'Donate one Leu for the Atheneum' (in Romanian, Dati un leu pentru Ateneu).

The Romanian state is trying to recover the work of art, after many of Brancusi's sculptures were bought by individuals. This campaign was started by former Culture Minister Vlad Alexandrescu, who resigned earlier this year over a scandal at the Romanian Opera. 

The Government will pay a total of EUR 11 million for this special work of art, EUR 6 million of which in donations, and EUR 5 million from the Government.

Donations come with tax exemptions. If the campaign is unsuccessful, every contributor will receive their donation back. The Culture Ministry will announce the first results of the campaign on June 1, and then on the 1st and 15th of each month until end-September 2016.

Cumintenia Pamantului is probably one of Constantin Brancusi’s most famous sculptures still on Romanian territory. Made in 1907, the sculpture is currently owned by the heirs of the architect George Romascu, who bought the artwork from Constantin Brancusi in 1911.

Constantin Brancusi was born in 1876 in Hobita, southern Romania. Known as “the father of modern sculpture,” he was a painter, architect and a master of abstract art. He died in 1957, aged 81, and is buried in Paris. Read more about him here.

Romania launches public subscription for buying Brancusi sculpture. Who made the first donation?

Bank accounts for donations to buy the Wisdom of the Earth are below. 

State Treasury 

RO46TREZ700500702X010908 opened at D.T.C.P.M.B, payment orders or via postal mandate.

Banca Transilvania

RON - RO48BTRLRONCRT0345325001

EUR - RO95BTRLEURCRT0345325001

USD - RO02BTRLUSDCRT0345325001

SWIFT Code: BTRLRO22XXX

Banca Comercială Română

ROL RO57RNCB0082005629820013

EUR RO30RNCB0082005629820014

USD RO03RNCB0082005629820015

SWIFT Code: RNCBROBU

BIC Code: RNCB

BRD – SMCC

RON- RO75BRDE450SV95804494500

EUR- RO59BRDE450SV95804814500

USD- RO06BRDE450SV95804904500

SWIFT Code: BRDEROBU

UniCredit Bank

RON - RO53BACX0000003018913000

EUR - RO26BACX0000003018913001

USD - RO96BACX0000003018913002

SWIFT Code: BACXROBU

CEC Bank S.A. – Timpuri Noi Branch 

RON- RO21CECEB31644RON4211471

EUR-RO89CECEB316T6EUR4211474

USD -RO22CECEB316T5USD4211516

SWIFT Code: CECEROBUXXX

Raiffeisen Bank 

RON - RO68RZBR0000060018536354

EUR  - RO14RZBR0000060018536356

USD -  RO30RZBR0000060018536359

SWIFT Code: RZBRROBU

Alpha Bank - Unirii Branch 

RON – RO63BUCU1081215948600RON

EUR – RO56BUCU1081215948601EUR

USD – RO53BUCU1081215948602USD

SWIFT Code: BUCUROBU

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Vlad Alexandrescu on Facebook; Photo credit: Octav Gane)