The National Museum of Arts is the only museum in the Republic of Moldova that has a fully modernized building outfitted with the most modern technology and conservation and security equipment. On September 22, the Museum inaugurates the last block of the building named ”Dadiani”. This is 1,400 square meters in area. In this part of the Museum, there will be mounted new exhibitions for the public. This will enable to permanently house valuable works of the museum heritage, IPN reports.
Interviewed by IPN, the Museum’s director Tudor Zbârnea said the project was launched in 2003 and the works were executed with big difficulties owing to the shortage of funds and of specialists in the restoration of built cultural heritage. “According to the project documentation and expenditure estimate, the cost of the works to conserve, restore and reinforce the section in the yard of ”Dadiani” block was of 46 million lei. But the works were fully completed at a cost of 36 million lei. We saved 10 million lei in state budget funds by performing the works fully according to the building technologies and norms and to modern museum technologies,” stated Tudor Zbârnea, noting that during a rather short period of three years, they managed to rehabilitate a section of ”Dadiani” block that is 1,400 square meters in area. “It should be noted that ”Dadiani” building that is 3,100 square meters in area is the only historical-architectural monument in Moldova that was adjusted to the museum necessities and was equipped with up-to-the-minute technologies for securing, conserving and displaying cultural heritage.”
The recently renovated section consists of a basement, first floor, store and attic. The basement, first floor and store will house permanent exhibitions, while the attic will host temporary contemporary art exhibitions. Permanent contemporary sculpture and decorative art collections will be exhibited in the basement. The store will house the Universal Art Gallery. “The Universal Art is one of the most important and prestigious collections of the Museum. The exhibits are 102 works signed by artists from Italy, France, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Russia and Spain, which date from the 16th century up to the start of the 20th century,” vice director for heritage Polina Kolomeets stated for IPN.
A part of the 192 works presented at the International Biennial of Painting Chisinau - 2021 will be exhibited on the first floor and in the attic. The exhibition will be open until October 17, 2021, runs a press release.
“Dadiani” Building was erected in 1901 by the project of architect Alexandru Bernadazzi on the initiative and with the funds of Princess Natalia Dadiani for a girls’ secondary school. Later, the building housed different institutions. In 1989, the building was transmitted to the National Museum of Arts. Shortly after two consecutive quakes in 1990, the central part of the building with the entrance from 31 August 1989 St was closed to the public for 25 years. The permanent exhibitions were contracted, while the temporary ones were mounted in exhibition areas in annexes.