Longest theatrical event in the world to take place in Bucharest in February
<p>The longest theatrical event in the world, “Horror Vacui,” will take place in February in Bucharest, as announced by the A.R.T. Fusion Association. The event consists of a large-scale artistic act supported by over 500 actors, which will take place between February 15 and 22 at the Galateca Art Gallery in Bucharest, for 7 days, 24 hours a day.</p>
<p>Among the actors joining the performance are Maia Morgenstern, Ofelia Popii, Ada Galeș, Mihaela Sîrbu, Richard Bovnovski, Nicoleta Lefter, Tudor Cucu Dumitrescu, as well as Kate Pendry, a British-Norwegian actress and winner of the Ibsen Award, along with other renowned international writers and journalists. </p>
<p>The event is also the world premiere of “Horror Vacui,” which means fear of emptiness, which aims to appeal for the recognition of a part of Romania's traumatic past. Specifically, the performance sheds light on the theme of child abandonment in Romania and its history during the communist period. The public is invited to contribute with testimonials or personal stories about abandonment, which can be included in the performance and interpreted by actors, by accessing a form.</p>
<p>This is the first project organized by the A.R.T. Fusion Association under the umbrella of Papercuts, an initiative aiming to encourage social change through more cultural and civic resilience, according to <a href="https://www.news.ro/cultura-media/cel-mai-lung-eveniment-teatral-din-lume-va-avea-loc-la-bucuresti-si-va-explora-istoria-abandonului-din-perioada-comunista-1922402220582025011121905042">News.ro</a>.</p>
<p>Over 1 million children were abandoned during the communist period. To this day, the Romanian state does not hold concrete data about this tragic reality and continues to ignore its responsibility toward this vulnerable part of society, according to the event organizers.</p>
<p>Three of the 505 participating actors will take to the stage each hour, tackling 505 texts about emptiness and abandonment. These texts, half of which are based on testimonies and stories archived by the Museum of Abandonment, outline a collective meditation on the recognition of the past and the reconstruction of the future. Moreover, the initiative aims to create an intimate and continuous space for dialogue toward finding solutions.</p>
<p>Participation is free, and the detailed program will be announced soon on the project's social media platforms. </p>
<p>"Over 1 million children abandoned then are now part of society, but they face difficulties in integration. Horror Vacui is an attempt by art to strengthen its political and empathetic potential,” said Alexandru Ivănoiu, actor, playwright, and initiator of the project.</p>
<p>“The more we ignore this wound, the deeper it will dig into the social fabric, increasingly necrotizing layers of collective emotion. Horror Vacui and the Papercuts project hope to act as triggers for action and responsibility. If we want a more inclusive, empathetic, and responsible society, each of us has something to do in this regard," stated Oana Drăgulinescu, founder of the Museum of Abandonment. </p>
<p>Papercuts is a bilateral initiative funded through the EEA and Norway Grants - the Bilateral National Fund under the RO-CULTURE Program. The total value of the project is RON 562,842 (EUR 113,102) and it has an implementation period of four months, from October 2024 to February 2025. Although the project starts from the issue of abandonment, its long-term vision is for this civic engagement training to be applicable to a broader range of critical issues in Romania. </p>
<p><em><a href="mailto:radu@romania-insider.com">radu@romania-insider.com</a></em></p>
<p><em>(Photo source: Matusciac | <a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/">Dreamstime.com</a>)</em></p>