Thalassa, Thalassa. Ioana Crenguța Bursugiu

The Cluj-Napoca Museum of Art, a public cultural institution operating under the authority of the Cluj County Council, cordially invites you to visit the exhibition "Thalassa, Thalassa" by artist Ioana Crenguța Bursugiu, on view from 23 July to 9 August 2026. The opening reception will take place on 23 July 2026 at 6:00 PM. 

"Over the centuries, Thalassa, Thalassa has long transcended its original historical context, becoming a metaphor for encounters with the infinite, with freedom, and with the human condition itself. Ioana Bursugiu's sea is not dramatic but contemplative, inviting the viewer to reflect and find tranquility. More than that, the sea symbolizes the beginning of life, the unknown, the passage of time, purification, and even absolute freedom. In many cultures, water is associated with rebirth and transformation, while the sea's endless expanse encourages introspection and the transcendence of personal limits. For Ioana Bursugiu, the sea has long ceased to be merely a geographical place. It has become a promise, a memory, a symbol of freedom, and a horizon. This is precisely why the sea cannot be painted or perceived simply as a landscape. Every artist, in fact, paints their own sea. Some capture its light, others its storms, and others its silence. Yet regardless of how it is portrayed, the sea speaks less about water than about humanity. Thalassa, Thalassa proposes—returning to the idea outlined above—three distinct manifestations of the sea: the sea as horizon, the promise of the unknown; the sea as mirror, the place where we confront ourselves; and the sea as memory, preserving time, travelers, and journeys. The exhibition gains an additional dimension through the perspective from which the sea is observed: through the eyes of navigators or through those of visual artists, each searching for meaning." (Demostene Șofron)