Romania promotes fundraising campaign for Brancusi sculpture with huge banner on Govt. building

The Romanian authorities have found a new way of promoting the public fundraising campaign for Constantin Brancusi’s famous sculpture Cumintenia Pamantului (Wisdom of the Earth): a huge banner placed on the Government building located in Victoriei Square in Bucharest. The message Brancusi is mine just as this country is yours appears on the banner, as well as the address of the campaign’s website Brancusiealmeu.ro, reports local Mediafax. Several climbers placed the banner on the Government’s building on Tuesday morning. The fundraising campaign, which was initiated by former culture minister Vlad Alexandrescu at the beginning of April this year, officially started on May 19 under the slogan Brancusi is mine (Brancusi e al meu). The campaign raised some EUR 200,000 worth of donations by June 15. Romania’s Ministry of Culture has agreed to pay EUR 11 million to the sculpture’s current owners. The Government will pay EUR 5 million and aims to raise another EUR 6 million by end-September. Donations come with tax exemptions and, if the campaign is unsuccessful, each contributor will get the donated money back. Those who want to contribute to this project can currently make donations on the campaign’s website and by wiring money into any of the Ministry’s accounts. They can also buy the sculpture virtually on eMag.ro. The sculpture was recently moved to the Museum of the National Bank of Romania. How much money has Romania raised so far for Brancusi sculpture? Romania’s Govt. tries new ways to raise money for Brancusi sculpture Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com