The City Hall of Targu-Jiu, the Romanian city hosting several works of Constantin Brancusi, might no longer hold marriage ceremonies at The Gate of the Kiss sculpture after several representatives of cultural institutions signaled that the monument it part of an ensemble praising the memory of heroes of the First World War, the city’s deputy mayor told Agerpres.

The Gate of the Kiss, alongside The Endless Column, The Table of Silence and The Alley of Chairs, is part of the Heroes’ Path ensemble. For the past 12 years, the Targu Jiu City Hall has held marriage ceremonies at The Gate of the Kiss on New Year’s Eve or on Dragobete, the local celebration of love.

More recently, the Romanian Cultural Institute ICR pointed to this situation, Adrian Tudor, the Targu-Jiu deputy mayor said.

“We’ve had discussions over time. People of culture, or with a certain experience or training in this field say these marriages at The Gate of the Kiss are not normal. We, as an administration, need to listen to all points of view. […] This habit emerged in time, this habit of the population to go and get married at The Gate of the Kiss. We cannot forbid citizens to kiss under The Gate of the Kiss. Everyone understood the monument as they thought appropriate. It is true it is an homage to the heroes of his country and, in this respect, my personal opinion is that we can see it as an homage when we live the happiest moment of our lives and go to this monument,” Tudor also said.

The deputy mayor said he would bring the complaints about marriage ceremonies held at the monument to the attention of the scientific committee of the Constantin Brancusi Research Center, while waiting for opinions from citizens as well.

Sculpture by Constantin Brancusi on display at Paris exhibition dedicated to Auguste Rodin

Artworks by Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi exhibited for almost a year at NY museum

Romania to fund EUR 80,000 restoration of Brancusi’s Kiss Gate

(Photo source: Wikimapia)