The Humanitas Aqua Forte Foundation and the Humanitas publishing house invite you to the opening ceremony of the Lovinescu-Jerunka sculptural group on Sunday, December 17, at 12:30 p.m. The event will take place in Cotroceni, at the intersection of Dr. Grigore Romnicanu and Dr. Peta Jerescu streets, dedicated to Monica Lovinescu (1923–2008) and Virgil Yerunca (1920–2006), the most important voices of the Romanian emigration, this monument, the work of the sculptor Virgil Skripcariu, was initiated and implemented by the Humanitas Foundation with the support of the Dedeman company and handed over to the city of Bucharest on the occasion of the centenary of Monica Lovinescu. Gabriel Liicianu, the initiator of Monica Storieci Lovinescu and the president of the Humanitas Foundation, will speak at the ceremonial opening of the sculpture group, art historian Ioana Beldiman and sculptor Virgil Skripcariu.

“A statuary group is a composition in which classical figurativeness is cleansed of unnecessary decor. I say “composition” because in this piece I tried to illustrate the historical context in which the two characters lived. As I was walking towards the final form, I thought I might have faced the most important challenge of my life as a sculptor to date.” — VIRGIL SCRIPCARIOU.

“Monica Lovinescu and Virgil Ierunka entered my human constellation first as a ‘voice.’ They became a function, they were the revenge of the part of us that could not speak. What a formidable “couple” they made with us! History has turned us into cripples of self-expression; they gave us back the gift of speech. What a wonderful therapy their performance was for us! To have the courage to ask, who would we be without Monica Lovinescu? Isn’t it time, at least now, on the centenary of his birth, to remember how much we owe him and how little we have honored his memory?” — GABRIEL OF THE LYCEAN