Victoria Zidaru is one of the most profound and distinctive voices in contemporary Romanian art. In her universe, the artistic gesture becomes a form of prayer, while matter—hay, linen, plants and light—takes on the quality of a sacred breath. Her practice is guided by an archaic sincerity that rejects spectacle in favour of presence: an art of silence, repetitive gestures and continual renewal. Her artistic credo is not concerned with the image itself, but with communion—between human beings, nature and memory. In a world driven by haste, Victoria Zidaru's work restores what we so often forget: patience, the sacred nature of matter and the healing power of the senses.
LD: You have often spoken about the idea that your work transcends the image and is ultimately about presence. How does this sense of presence manifest itself in Re-Facerea? And what role does the visitor play within the exhibition? Are they simply an observer, or do they become an active participant in the process of renewal?
VZ: In Re-Facerea, this presence beyond image and form becomes the exhibition's underlying current. It is not simply about looking, but about allowing yourself to be touched—about accepting, and even longing for, the state of becoming, of transformation as part of an ongoing process of renewal.
The visitor is never merely a witness. They become involved: they breathe, they search for themselves, they measure themselves against what they encounter, and reconnect with who they truly are. Their heart becomes more open, more transparent, warmer, and the experience unfolds as a return to an authentic self that such encounters can sometimes awaken.
Re-Facerea becomes a space for possible encounters with the face—the encoded portrait of truth—imagined and sought by the artist, yet completed by the visitor, whose own presence and meaning introduce new subtleties, new limits and unexpected forms of boundlessness. In such encounters, visitors may experience moments of genuine transformation—moments of metanoia—in which each person becomes the artisan of their own renewal.
Perhaps this is where the true beauty of art resides: it does not simply speak to you; it draws you into an orbit where you reshape yourself, rediscover yourself as alive, renewed, strengthened and ennobled. In this way, the visitor ceases to be merely an observer and becomes a co-creator of their own process of renewal, whether consciously or unconsciously.
The power of Re-Facerea ultimately lies in the way it addresses each visitor personally. It is not simply about viewing the work, but about surrendering to the experience and becoming part of the process of renewal. The visitor becomes an integral part of the transformation, contributing through their own interpretation and sensitivity to the continuation, completion and fulfilment of the work itself.
LD: The collaboration between Suprainfinit, a young Romanian gallery celebrating an anniversary year, and Nicodim Gallery creates a distinctive institutional framework. How did this partnership influence the scale or the form of the exhibition?
VZ: The collaboration between Suprainfinit, during its anniversary year, and Nicodim Gallery was an immensely valuable experience, creating broader opportunities for artistic exploration and expression. It allowed the exhibition to evolve into a more ambitious and fully realised project—from its technical installation solutions to the finer nuances of the curatorial concept and the way the works were presented—reflecting the synergy between the two institutions' visions.
It became an opportunity to build something meaningful together: an exhibition capable of resonating both nationally and internationally.
LD: Your work possesses a deeply spiritual, almost liturgical dimension. What kind of ritual does Re-Facerea seek to restore—a personal one, a communal one, or a universal one? How does this dimension manifest itself in the exhibition?
VZ: Through this exhibition, I seek to evoke the restoration of a universal ritual of searching and transformation—a process of reconnecting with oneself and with others. My works carry a dimension that extends beyond individual experience, becoming a space for contemplation and collective renewal.
This dimension reveals itself through symbols, through the trajectories and upward movement of forms. It is enriched by the soundscape composed by the young composer Călin Țopa and by the poetic visual metaphor created by photographer Tudor Cucu. I have also incorporated words and poetic metaphors intended to awaken and revitalise the spirit—true invitations inspired by Hildegard von Bingen's Ordo Virtutum: FELIX ANIMA, LUCIDA MATERIA, alongside other classical expressions such as FIAT LUX, CARPE DIEM and CHI RUMA CATA.
These elements are complemented by a dialogue between scale and proportion, as well as by the exclusive use of natural materials—wild grasses, plants and dried fruits—assembled into large-scale installations that distinguish, through complementary meanings, the earthly realm from the celestial.
Together, these elements gently guide the visitor towards introspection and an almost contemplative experience, allowing each individual to replenish their inner resources and reconnect with the fundamental values of our shared humanity. Ultimately, the exhibition becomes a ritual of recognition, clarification and the recovery of one's inner verticality—a restorative point of orientation.
Photography by Cătălin Georgescu
Interview by Andreea Dicianu
Discover the full interview in Volume V.