85 years after its establishment, the National Museum of Art of Moldova was honored through a series of festive events and with state awards. The celebration included the reopening of the permanent exhibitions of national art, a large-scale scientific conference and the launch of a unique exhibition entitled "Art comes to life," which integrates augmented reality technology to provide visitors with an innovative artistic experience, IPN reports.

The opening ceremony was joined by guests of honor. President Maia Sandu handed over to the museum the highest state award, the Order of the Republic, for its outstanding contribution to the preservation and valorization of cultural heritage. Also, honorary titles of "Master of Art" were offered to personalities from the museum’s team, including restorers Svetlana Chiriac, Natalia Golenco, Elena Grigorashenco, Gheorghe Nicolăescu and art historian Polina Kolomeets-Safronova, in recognition of their exceptional activity.



"The National Museum of Art of Moldova - a true cultural pole of our country - has reached 85 years since its establishment. Over time, the museum has gathered impressive collections, consecrated and highlighted hundreds of the country's plastic artists, brought, from all over the world, great artists for the home audience. All these successes would not have been possible without the effort and dedication of the people who were the soul of the museum in its glory days and especially in difficult periods," said President Sandu.



Minister of Culture Sergiu Prodan highlighted the modernization of the museum through the exhibition "Art comes to life": "We are witnessing a national premiere, namely the launch of an augmented exhibition "Art comes to life". This initiative, which is part of the Museums of the Future Program, shows how innovation can transform the way we connect to art and culture. We are stepping tunefully on a territory where the past blends harmoniously with the future," said Minister Sergiu Prodan.



The launch of the exhibition "Art comes to life" marks an important step in the modernization of the museum and in the promotion of cultural heritage, through technology.



"This exhibition is a testament to our commitment to preserving cultural heritage and making it accessible to a wide audience. Through augmented reality, visitors can explore the works of art in an interactive and immersive way, discover fascinating details and the stories behind the artistic creations. The exhibition "Art Comes to Life" includes two works in virtual reality and ten paintings with augmented reality. Visitors can use VR glasses and the Artvive app. It is a unique way to mark 85 years of history", said the director of the National Museum of Art Tudor Zbârnea.



The event also included the launch of an augmented reality exhibition through which the works of emblematic artists, such as Valentina Rusu-Ciobanu, Igor Vieru and Mihail Petric, were reinterpreted digitally. The temporary exhibition "Restoration of Heritage Values" presented rare works - icons and engravings signed by famous artists.



Founded in 1939, the National Museum of Art of Moldova houses a heritage of over 39,000 pieces, including of ancient, medieval and contemporary art. The main headquarters based in the historic Dadiani building designed by architect Alexandru Bernardazzi, has become a cultural pole of reference. Over time, the museum has undergone multiple transformations and modernization, including the integration of new technologies, maintaining its mission to preserve and valorize the artistic heritage for future generations.