WIN Gallery: Do you still remember the first artwork that truly moved you?

Adriana Chiru: Yes. Galatea of the Spheres by Salvador Dalí. After Galatea, I discovered The Persistence of Memory and many other of his works, so I can say that my first passion for art and painting came from Salvador Dalí. He was one of the painters who marked my adolescence and my formation during high school. I don’t know why, but I felt that he spoke to me in my own language, through the symbols he conveyed or through what he wanted to express. That’s where my passion for art began, combined with philosophy and art history. Galatea of the Spheres was the first painting that made me curious in this direction. At the age of 15 or 16, when I discovered this painting by Dalí, I could say that I didn’t necessarily have an artistic education, because education, as we knew it back then, wasn’t oriented towards art. Somehow, I discovered art by myself, since the mathematics–informatics curriculum of my study profile had nothing to do with art, philosophy, or literature.

WIN Gallery: How did you discover the pleasure of collecting? Was it a spontaneous gesture or a desire that matured over time?

Adriana Chiru: It was a desire that matured over time. I can say that I started without having specific studies and without fully understanding what I was buying. I have always been passionate about history and very old objects, including medieval architecture and especially the period from the Middle Ages up to the eighteenth century. I started by collecting objects from antique shops or flea markets, things that simply conveyed something to me. I adore objects that tell stories, even if they don’t necessarily have financial value. And stories, I believe, are transmitted when they come with a rich history behind them. Between a very old object, which has a patina and can tell stories, and a new one, mass-produced, I will always choose the old one. Because, beyond that, I believe it has survived through time, and the simple fact that it has absorbed so many decades says a lot about it. Again, we’re not necessarily talking about the preciousness of the object, but about the stories it carries. My collector’s story began, therefore, with gathering old things, so to speak, from antique shops and ad hoc flea markets. Then I moved on to buying paintings and developing an interest in art. Later, I began to shape myself as a person within this field, to educate my knowledge in the artistic area—self-taught at first, then through formal education.

My passion for paintings appeared in England, when, in parallel with my artistic education and personal development as an artist, I discovered this side of it as well. That’s when I realized that art is an investment. I believe that it is, in fact, the best investment today, because it will never lose value over time, especially if you know what to buy.

WIN Gallery: Was there a moment when you felt that a work chose you more than you chose it?

Adriana Chiru: Yes. We’re not necessarily talking about something I own, although I would love to. I know, however, that I was “chosen” by a monumental Bosch—his triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights. I found myself deeply in it, even though it’s a painting from the medieval period. I like the fact that it raises numerous questions and has become one of my sources of inspiration.

Another artwork, a very contemporary one, is a photographic piece by a world-renowned artist, Antoine d’Agata, another of my favorites whom I follow with great interest. I’m trying to reach the emotional position of one of his photographs.

Artemisia Gentileschi is also an artist who “chose” me, although we’re talking about a period when women were considered only decorative objects or currency. Through her paintings, Artemisia Gentileschi is a feminist activist avant les temps—before her time. I like very much the chiaroscuro technique. We find it later in Rembrandt and in many other artists. It’s a fascinating technique, and I’m very drawn to works that bring this play between light, mystery, shades, and shadows. I find it sensational.

Valentin Tănase​ - Nude 2          

WIN Gallery: Where does the collector end and the person who lives with art at home begin?

Adriana Chiru: There’s no boundary. Firstly, financially speaking, it’s a smart investment. Secondly, emotionally and personally, the buying behavior is still based on emotions. No matter how rational we try to appear, we aren’t. Buying behavior, in general—and when we talk about art, design, furniture, perfumes—is based on emotions and personal preferences. So, there is no boundary.

WIN Gallery: And then how do the works from your collection integrate into your daily life?

Adriana Chiru: They make my life more beautiful! They’re there to beautify my home’s interior, to say something about me, about the atmosphere I want to create and integrate. I see the pieces in my collection also as a personal statement.

WIN Gallery: Is there a work that changes your mood every time you look at it?

Adriana Chiru: Yes. The Persistence of Memory by Dalí. I think it says a lot. It reminds us of our ephemerality and of what remains after us, and that, in fact, time is all that matters in this life, especially how we use it. This painting changes my state every time.

WIN Gallery: And from your own collection, do you have a work that changes your mood?

Adriana Chiru: Somehow, they all change your mood. At some point, it’s true, you get used to them on the wall, of course, if you display them. Otherwise, I don’t know what to say, but after all, that’s why I bought them—because they have an impact on me.

WIN Gallery: So, can art heal?

Adriana Chiru: Of course. Always! That’s why art therapy exists. Unfortunately, in Romania, we leave art too far behind. To be able to be a “taster” of art, you need culture. To have culture, you need education. To have education… All these things are connected. To appreciate an object, regardless of what it is, whether you like it or not, you need to understand the creative process in some way. And if you reach that point, I believe you can evolve. The very evolution of a society depends on this.

WIN Gallery: How much do you think aesthetic taste can be educated, and how much is instinct?

Adriana Chiru: It’s said about writing that you’re either born with talent or not. But talent can be educated. The same goes for aesthetic sense. And art, in general. If we teach children from an early age, from kindergarten, if we instill certain things in them, I believe it can be educated. At least to have some idea about who was who.

WIN Gallery: What advice would you give to a young person buying their first artwork?

Adriana Chiru: First of all, not to go over budget, to study very well, including the artist himself. If they don’t know exactly what to do, to check the prices at which certain works have been sold, to follow other artists like him, and only then make the purchase. I believe that purchases shouldn’t be based only on instinct and what you like, but you should also have some knowledge. To check a bit.

WIN Gallery: How do you relate to the idea of value? Is it for you more aesthetic, emotional, or investment-oriented?

Adriana Chiru: I think it’s made up of all three. Aesthetic, investment, and emotional. Because all three are connected, and without one of them, the value decreases.

WIN Gallery: So, in Romania, are we talking about a real collector culture, or are we still at the beginning?

Adriana Chiru: We’re very much at the beginning. If I could make a comparison, after the UK, France, Spain, and Berlin, we’re about… 100 years behind. It’s a very small niche; there are very few people who truly appreciate and understand art. Some buy because “it’s ok” to buy, so to speak. And yes, we still have a long way to go.

WIN Gallery: From your experience in the UK, what are the differences between collectors there, their market, and the situation in Romania?

Adriana Chiru: We’re talking, first of all, about an educated market. Their market is marked by many artists, many events, and extraordinary competition, with numerous galleries per square centimeter. We’re also talking about an educated audience, people who know exactly what acquisitions are for, how they are made, and what to do with them.

There’s quite a big difference between our market and theirs from the buyers’ perspective, not necessarily from that of supply. Another aspect worth mentioning is the social and, of course, financial state. We can’t compare ourselves with the UK, where the influx of people with money and culture is double or triple that of Romania. We’re talking about a different market, and we also have a much smaller population.

On top of all that came the communist period, which left educational, cultural, and historical marks that we still don’t fully understand. We still don’t know our history very well, and all these aspects directly impact the art market. Considering sociology, which says that a generation is educated in at least 10 years, three generations have passed—about 35 years which, in the bigger picture of history, represents a speck, a crumb.

However, when it comes to our contemporary artists, we don’t know much about many of them. Apart from Adrian Ghenie, who has set records in sales and whom everyone has lately tried to copy, we have very few truly visible artists. But that’s also because the Romanian market isn’t necessarily doing what it should.

At the level of visual art museums, we have very few institutions doing relevant work. We have MARe, which tries to do something different, but it’s heading in a very commercial direction, for example. We don’t have museums at the level of Tate Modern, Guggenheim, or MoMA. There’s no such thing. I believe the problem is that nothing is being done to attract the public, to make them want to discover more afterward.

Art has remained in the collective mindset as being for the “upper class.” Wrong! It’s for everyone. Just as we invest money in apartments, where you risk losing, if today you invested in a contemporary painter, let’s say 150 euros, in 10 years it may be worth 300 or 400 euros. You’ll never sell it for less than 150. At least you’ll recover your initial investment. As an investment yield, investments in art, if you know how to make them, bring among the best results.

WIN Gallery: How would you describe, in a few words, Valentin Tănase’s style, and what attracted you to the work you own?

Adriana Chiru: Valentin Tănase’s style is eclectic. That’s what I’d call it. It has many elements, from surrealism to collage, or influences from history, religion, and Christianity. It also has portraiture—it has everything! There’s even an almost psychedelic, contemporary, New Age zone, I’d say, going a bit into naive painting. It’s an explosion of beauty! What attracted me to the work I bought is that it’s totally different from his established style. It’s a portrait, a portrait sketch, unrelated to the portraits he made as an established artist, coming from his study period in 1976. That’s why I chose it.

WIN Gallery: How important is the personal relationship with the artist when you buy a work?

Adriana Chiru: What matters is the relationship with the object itself and with what the artist wanted to say there or what the work transmits to me. Personally, I don’t have to know the artist to like what he made. For example, I appreciate Biedermeier furniture, but we can no longer meet its creator, the artist—and still—I love it!

WIN Gallery: If you have the chance, do you enjoy meeting the artist?

Adriana Chiru: Of course! Because the artist can say more things than the object conveys to me. I can obtain the context of the work’s creation, which later—since we’re talking about stories—can be valued in some way, even financially. You can say, for instance, that the artist painted this after having a vision. It’s a detail that can help you later or simply help you understand better what he wanted to convey. At the same time, you see whether what you felt aligns with what he intended to express. So yes, it’s important, and if you have the chance, do it.

WIN Gallery: What fascinates you more—artists who preserve tradition or those who challenge it?

Adriana Chiru: Those who challenge it, obviously. The best things were made by mistake, and the greatest discoveries were also made by mistake—or when someone went against the current. I’m a big fan of experimental art, in any form. I think new things are born from experimentation, so we must create, not copy. We’re not reinventing the wheel, but we can reheat the water and make it better.

WIN Gallery: And if you could meet an artist from any era, who would you choose and why?

Adriana Chiru: Van Gogh. I’d like to know what made him cut off his ear. And Toulouse-Lautrec! He has a fascinating story, and somehow all his paintings come from deep suffering. I like artists who suffer, in general. I belong to the category that believes the best art comes from suffering, not from pleasure.

WIN Gallery: What emotion do you want to feel when you see a new work?

Adriana Chiru: I want it to simply make me ask questions, and maybe even inspire me to create something of my own. It’s not just a “pretty picture.” We produce over 80 billion images daily. Among them... which ones matter? What do we do with this visual overload? We’ve entered a new era with AI, and I return to the idea that what’s made by hand will have much greater value than any digital form. It’s the second renaissance of canvas painting, if you ask me. And I also think there’s a huge problem with AI, because it’s been “trained” on artists because it’s been “trained” on artists, on scripts, on the work of creators who will never be paid for it, which personally bothers me. Copyrights must be respected. We have to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. If no one understands that an artist’s business is also work, suffering, but also bread on the table, then we don’t have a product. Art is not exempt from money. It doesn’t exist. It’s not only passion.

WIN Gallery: How do you see the role of galleries in shaping public taste and educating collectors?

Adriana Chiru: I believe galleries and curators have a crucial role. They are a fundamental part of this chain. You have a transmitter—the artist—and a receiver—the public. The gallery is the medium. And, as Marshall McLuhan said, the medium is the message. If the gallery doesn’t transmit the message properly to the public, then the artist cannot be well understood. I believe it can’t work without that. Also, the artist often doesn’t know how to negotiate on their own behalf, and some artists are even unpredictable. A gallery gives you the guarantee that what you’re buying is authentic and verified. If you try to do it alone, it’s difficult and expensive.

WIN Gallery: On a personal level, I know that you are also an artist. What do you value most when collaborating with a gallery?

Adriana Chiru: I value when the gallery understands what I want. Actually, the people who give life to the gallery. The gallery is a space. What matters are the people who work in that space and understand the vision, the mindset, and what I wanted to express. If they understand that, the exhibition will be what it needs to be.

WIN Gallery: How do you see the evolution of the Romanian art market in recent years?

Adriana Chiru: We are, if I were to make a comparison with a person’s life, at the toddler stage—still crawling, so to speak. Signs are there, but we have a long way to go. It’s difficult because of the economic and social context, the epidemic of social media, the decline in the quality of education, and the fact that people no longer want to make an effort. The niche we address is very limited, at least in Bucharest, if not in the whole country. But steps have been taken, even in the mass-market area, towards a broader public culture. That helps. We’ve moved a bit away from the preference for “flower paintings.” And we shouldn’t misunderstand them—they have depth—but for an untrained eye that doesn’t understand technique, or what the artist wanted to convey, or the series, or the period, or the movement… we’re already talking about other things.

Besides that, if you are knowledgeable, think of Rembrandt for instance. Did he paint still lifes? Yes. Almost all the great masters did, from the major Impressionists to the Surrealists. The problem isn’t that the great masters made this type of work, but how it’s received. And the fact that they’re the easiest to buy, because, apparently, they’re the easiest to understand and to appreciate aesthetically.

WIN Gallery: What does beauty mean to you, and does it still have the same significance as it did 10 or 20 years ago?

Adriana Chiru: No. For me, beauty is no longer absolute. I’m an experimental artist who once placed cockroaches on my face for an installation. I’m the kind of person who fearlessly ventures into the aesthetics of the ugly. Beauty for me, metaphorically speaking, is the concept itself and the way what you transmit is received. It means raising a question, creating an emotion. The emotion can be of any kind, and to paraphrase Tarkovsky, if those who left the cinema don’t talk about the film—whether good or bad—it doesn’t mean it didn’t matter.

So beauty is that something that makes you live, feel, question, reason. For example, my great passion as an artist is to combine twenty random images through the technique of multiple exposure, to express a concept or a feeling of the moment. We live in times that offer us the opportunity to reinvent. Technology allows it, but the question remains: how creative are we, and how do we translate that in a unique way? That’s the great challenge of this century. We’re witnessing the birth of a new artistic, literary, and cinematic genre—something that hasn’t happened for a long time. The Age of Enlightenment was a threshold, and we are now living another one. We shouldn’t stumble over it.

WIN Gallery: What feeling do you get from a work that exceeds your understanding but instinctively attracts you?

Adriana Chiru: Art isn’t made to be always understood rationally. As long as it attracts you, it doesn’t matter. Art isn’t always about reason. I believe it’s primarily about experience and emotion. It doesn’t have to be rational all the time.

WIN Gallery: Is there any connection between art and spirituality in the way you experience beauty?

Adriana Chiru: Beauty, emotion, spirituality are all concepts. Just like happiness, for instance, is a concept invented by man. Anything that makes you happy brings, rationally speaking, another three things that make you unhappy. They’re human constructs. Being concepts, I can modify them however I want, whenever I want. And this should offer freedom, not limitation—and I see the relationship between art and spirituality in the same way: a conceptual relationship.

WIN Gallery: How has collecting artworks changed your way of seeing the world?

Adriana Chiru: First of all, when we talk about paintings or visual art, it has opened windows for me. It makes me ask questions. What did Valentin Tănase, for example, want to say in this painting? (she looks toward The World of Don Quijote 2) Why did he bring so many images, elements? Don Quijote? From where? What does it mean metaphorically? What’s its connection with death? Or with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? You question and new perspectives open up. A person with at least a trace of intelligence must be prepared to accept and try to see from as many perspectives as possible. There is no single truth, no objective truth. Images will always be filtered through one’s personal background. Objective truth is only an aspiration. The same goes for images. For each person, an image communicates something different, and I am grateful that it shows me another perspective. It makes me think: why like this and not otherwise? Maybe from the other side, it looks different. And I think we should all do this exercise from time to time.

WIN Gallery: What would you like to remain, over the years, from your collection, for others?

Adriana Chiru: I’d like the inheritor of what I’ve managed to gather in this life to understand at least a little of what I’ve tried to do and what I wanted, and to carry it forward, to transform it and make it something of their own, something they can also pass on in turn to others. I believe that’s a beautiful trace through time, because otherwise we’re stardust and don’t leave much behind. A collection like this could at least leave a trace somewhere.

Valentin Tănase - The world of Don Quixote 2