Ionuț Caras in the History Court
On December 22, 2019, at The National History Museum of Transylvania an event happens. Not an exhibition opening, not a debate on the Revolution, but a theater show, followed by a rock concert. If this seems to you to be somewhat outside the realm of history, well, no. MNIT tried a collaboration with the theater-reading project Good lyrics in crazy places, coordinated by the actor Ionut Caras, which took shape in the show The black sheep from Cluj. We invited Ionuț to the #court of history, to tell us about the challenge of translating historical facts into scenarios and, implicitly, into art.
IC: - I don't know... I don't know where this history thing comes from. It is possible that from school, I remember that I was in the 5th or 6th grade when the conductor, who was a history teacher, used to take us out to memorial houses and to various objectives, on the streets... We were very excited, it was something other than textbook history. Once, his wife told him that "this boy loves history". I was there and I felt very proud of it. It was, however, an alternative method for that time, for the 90s. After which, over the years, this passion melted in me. In high school that history was already boring, we were bored. After years, it seems that I have rediscovered the pleasure of history through the projects of "Good Texts".
- Where did this need to design projects around historical facts come from?
IC: – I think that from a desire to express myself on some issues, from a desire to revolt, using other revolters.
– That is, you express yourself somehow, but at the same time, you are more sheltered behind the words of others than assuming your own words?
IC: – In the end, maybe they said it better than you. And yes, art gives you a certain shelter. But it's also a professional flaw, somehow, to assume in this way, through the character or through the script. Alexandru Dabija, who is a fan of the project "Good texts in crazy places" and who supported the idea from the beginning, told me something: "You will get to a certain point to talk about yourself and then you will see if people accept and listen.”
– It is not easy to create scenarios around historical facts. Well, on the contrary, it's quite delicate. You work with "truths", with objective facts that you subjectively translate into something. How do you manage to create a story from a puzzle of several facts or information that you have?
IC: – For me there are some challenges. Anyway, I'm passionate about Sherlock Holmes, I really like "digging" and I took these projects as "detective work", so to speak. I like to discover what is around a piece of information. Because I don't do such shows only out of a duty to talk about these moments, but also out of pleasure. The joy of choosing and matching pieces. And it was exactly the same with the show about Călin Nemeș, "The Black Sheep of Cluj".
– How much did you know about him before the problem was put "in your hands" by MNIT?
IC: – I didn't know much about him. Except that he was a revolutionary from `89, an acting student, who committed suicide. He was more of a legend, as you know of all who have had stranger fates through this guild. But digging, all sorts of things started to appear. When I first heard of Nemeș, I remembered Chubby Zaharia (Dorin -Liviu Zaharia). He was the guy who made the music for the movies "Crucea de piatra" and "Drumul aurului". What was he doing... processing folklore. He was a curly-haired guy, who walked around in a white shirt, walked around restaurants, climbed on tables, always experimented. Somehow, he had the same bohemia as Nemes. Or at least that's how I saw it. This is how I imagined Nemeș. And Nemeș was careless, he was poor. Even in the way he dressed he was of a studied carelessness. These are people who find themselves in a hole and educate themselves to get out.
– How do you reproduce that balance between historical facts and art in the script?
IC: - Yes, well... There are, indeed, scenes for which you have no text and which have to be invented at the dialogue level. For example, in "The Black Sheep of Cluj", there is that scene with the Securitate phones. She is indeed mentioned somewhere in the studied materials, but there is no text. It had to be created. It's a risk to take on that text, but it's a nice risk. Some will agree with the variation, some won't, but at the end of the day, I'm doing the show and I own it.
– The figure of Călin Nemeș is, anyway, controversial. The construction of this character is very sensitive, in order to keep the reality as well, but still not to affect his memory.
IC: - Yes, he is a controversial character, but, in principle, there are two big debates surrounding him: 1. whether he did well or not to go out into the streets, here discussing whether it is a gesture of heroism or a drunken gesture; 2. the interpretation of the suicide, namely whether it came as an effect of disappointment with the state of things after the Revolution or whether it was a choice of a romantic nature. But it's clear that the truth is always somewhere in the middle.
– You told me in December that you thought of writing a poem in verse, as you imagine he would have written it. Why did you come up with this and why didn't you write it again?
IC: - From everything I had learned about him, it is clear that he was a man conquered by poetry, who conquered even women with poetry. Please, he was trying, but friends say he wasn't very successful. But that's why I chose everything he says to be in a poetic form. Let it be in verse. So I asked myself: if he lived now, how would he write, how would he answer in his poetic way about what is now? But I didn't write it in the end. After I found the end of the piece, it didn't seem like the poem was going any further.
– Can you imagine Nemeș in today's times?
IC: – I'm imagining it. I sometimes see him either lost, misfit, in a corner, in a tavern. Either, if he had someone to take care of him, I can imagine him playing. There are people who do not succeed unless they are cared for by others. He thought it was so.
– Tell me something about him that you found out and that surprised you. Something that history does not say.
IC: – A strong image remained in my mind. He would go to the station, buy a loaf of bread with the last of his money and give it to the pigeons. It is a romantic image, of a man who lived from today to tomorrow, who did not project into the future. And I am very attracted to wandering characters. In the end, he was a dreamer defeated by the system. Which, later, with all the honors and gifts, could not adapt.
– Why do you think he didn't know how to use all these privileges that came his way?
IC: Because, most of the time, in the absence of a concentration system, the protest disappears. Few create with a full stomach.
On Saturday, February 29, from 18.00:XNUMX p.m., at the National History Museum of Transylvania, there will be the second performance of the show "The Black Sheep of Cluj", with Ionuț Caras in the role of Călin Nemeș. It's an experience that's hard to put into words, hard to take both from the stage and from the audience. But a necessary and transformative experience.
- Published in THE COURT OF HISTORY
Barry Gamble in the Court of History
During December 13-14, 2019, the 8th edition of LIMES FORVM takes place, in Timișoara, at the House of People of Science. Perhaps, if you are not historians or if you have no tangent to this field, you do not know exactly what LIMES is.
LIMES represents the borders of the Roman Empire and has meanwhile become one of the great international historical projects, in which the countries on whose territory the borders of the Roman Empire are found collaborate. The Romanian border on the territory of our country is one of the most spectacular. Every year, LIMES FORVM aims to disseminate the results of the research carried out within the LIMES National Program and the stage of the preparation of the documentation for the inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage of the sites on the Romanian border in Romania.
In this context, I spoke with Mr. Barry Gamble, UNESCO World Heritage expert, who came to visit the National History Museum of Transylvania, precisely to collaborate on the preparation of the file for the inscription of the sites on the Romanian border into UNESCO World Heritage.
Barry Gamble has over 25 years of experience in the field and has also collaborated with the Romanian authorities on other cases: the Brâncusi complex from Târgu-Jiu and Roșia Montană.
– What is the importance of LIMES in the context of World Heritage?
BG: – LIMES is one of the truly international projects, involving many countries. It is, indeed, "world heritage".
– How is the value of a monument or an area as eligible for UNESCO "World Heritage" determined?
BG: – An academic judgment is simply applied, based on the World Heritage Convention, adopted in 1972. According to it, there are six broad criteria for evaluating files. This doesn't mean that a site has to meet all of them to be classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site, but it has to get a decent score.
– How many such areas in Romania have entered the UNESCO World Heritage Site?
BG: – 8. And two pending files.
- Which are those?
– The Brâncusi file and the Roșia Montană file.
– Why is Roșia Montană so important in the world context?
BG: – Because there is enormous potential here. Roșia Montană owns the most important Romanian gold mine in the world, located in an area where tourism can develop extremely favorably.
– What do you think about the restoration of World Heritage sites or monuments? There are some specialists who advocate full restoration, others who advocate protecting the area and minimal intervention. What position do you have?
BG: – First of all, any restoration must pass two important tests: 1. that of integrity and 2. that of authenticity. I'm not a follower of lines. Replicas do not mean restoration. They are fakes, however we look at things. And they are good in other contexts, perhaps educational. There are certain guidelines and rules by which the restoration must be done. Especially since there are some reconstructions that completely destroy the authenticity. For example, if one intervenes too much and completely rebuilds a UNESCO World Heritage monument, it could be disqualified.
– Did something like that happen?
BG: – Of course.
– A monument or an area that entered the UNESCO World Heritage could, therefore, lose its status?
BG: – If the protection rules are not applied properly, yes.
– Were there any cases?
BG: – Although it seems hard to believe, it was the case of Germany, for example. With the Dresden area of the Elbe basin. They built a bridge in that cultural area that they were warned did not favor the area from the point of view of heritage value and yet they built it. They lost.
– What do you mean by restoration or reconstruction in relation to the LIMES project?
BG: – Certainly not the complete rebuilding of those towers on the border, as we have seen in other countries. Any reconstruction must be minimal and, above all, reversible. To be able to be taken from the Roman wall without damaging it.
– What are the peculiarities of LIMES in Romania?
BG: – It is phenomenal. One of the most complex and best preserved Roman frontiers. In Romania, impressive "standing" structures can still be observed, while, in many other countries, we talk about LIMES only from an archaeological point of view. The scale and length of the structures is incomparable. Plus, it's the longest piece of LIMES. It has over 1000 km.
– Can only a piece of LIMES be inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage or should it be inscribed as a whole?
BG: – There is no way to be included as a whole, not everywhere is as spectacular, but the one in Romania really has a chance.
– What benefits derive from the inscription of this area in the World Heritage?
BG: – First of all, the most important benefit is actually saving the area. Because the authorities responsible for protecting her will have to follow some rules. So, first of all, CONSERVATION. Second, we are talking about an explosion of the local economy. Any monument or area included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site attracts visitors. These visitors generate tourism and consumption. The economy is growing. The LIMES in Romania represents an area with enormous potential, which can encourage the economy of a fairly extensive region.
An exhibition related to the LIMES project is being prepared for 2020 at the National History Museum of Transylvania. The work has already started, so we invite you to watch the launch.
- Published in THE COURT OF HISTORY
Malvinka Urák in the Court of History
I sat on the bench in the courtyard of the National History Museum of Transylvania, for a story with Malvinka Urák, about her and the exhibition "I want to believe", built around the secret tablets from Tărtăria, a project on which she worked with Monica Bodea. The exhibition can still be visited at the museum only until October 6.
Malvinka is a museographer at the National History Museum of Transylvania, being a specialist in prehistory, specifically in the Iron Age.
– Malvinka, for the general public, can we explain in two words what "prehistory" means?
MU: – Prehistory ends at that moment when the written sources begin to appear (the accounts, the histories written by the ancient authors). According to the predominant material used by people, prehistory is divided into three ages: stone, bronze and iron. It took place thousands of years before Christ.
– What are the oldest historical evidences of human existence, found on the territory of Romania?
MU: – It dates from about 30.000 years ago. Hr, there is some evidence from the Paleolithic and it refers to discoveries made in the cave.
– How did you become a specialist in the Iron Age? Of all the periods of human existence, what made you focus on this period?
MU: – It was a rational decision. I focused more on the second part of this era, as I want to reconstruct the lifestyle of the people of that time. But not by researching the graves and what was found there, but by researching the settlements, the habitat.
– What is the area of research that you specifically chose?
MU: – Banat. New discoveries have been made due to transport infrastructure works. On the highway. And now we are researching there, as at least three settlements have been discovered.
– How do you reconstruct the habitat of these people? What do you rely on?
MU: – It may seem strange, but the reconstruction is done from the garbage puzzle that was left behind. And the most interesting is that archaeological site where the "garbage" discovered is the most varied.
– I actually saw a report about some people who worked at a garbage dump and had to sort the garbage for recycling. They used to say that you can get the best idea of how a family or community lives by analyzing the garbage produced. But for that, first of all, the existence of a community landfill is needed. Were there landfills at that time? How do you know it's trash and not other objects?
MU: – From the Bronze Age we can even talk about certain areas that are used specifically for this. And you realize that it is "garbage" because it is what was left behind, what was not transported in case of a move, for example. The most precious things were either taken with them or hidden.
-What is the certainty regarding the reconstruction of such distant eras?
MU: – The certainty is quite small, but the archeology and the connection of the information found with those existing in other countries, and which refer to the same period, lead to a certain standardization of the information.
- We start from here. From the small certainty. This is probably the reason for the mystery surrounding the tablets from Tărtăria. This mystery is already suggested by the title of the exhibition - "I want to believe". What about these tablets? Why this title?
MU: – The title of the exhibition starts from the controversial nature of the famous tablets from Tărtăria. Having been formulated during the last five decades many skeptical or contrary, exalted opinions, the exhibition wants to present not only the pieces, but also the story that is hidden behind these discoveries. The tablets can be seen in a wider context, with other Neolithic specimens also on display, such as the tablets discovered in Turdaș as early as the 19th century, clay discs discovered in excavations in Cluj-Napoca, but also a fourth tablet of at Tărtăria, the Secret Tablet, discovered during the last years.
– Do you want to believe and make others believe the mystery behind them?
MU: – No. I have a skeptical position. I, rather, want to believe whatever stands, not necessarily one of the hypotheses circulated. I want to find any element that might tip the balance towards true or false. Visitors also have the opportunity to observe and compare the representations of the tablets and form their own opinion about these discoveries, with information panels providing a step-by-step presentation of the outbreak and escalation of a scientific dispute that has had an effect on our perception of the pieces.
– Did you find the element that makes you believe in a particular hypothesis?
MU: – No. I'm still working on it. But still, reading the arguments of several specialists, I am inclined to believe that it was a mistake made at the archaeological site in 1961, when the situation was not satisfactorily documented and there were certain mistakes in interpretation.
- What you mean?
MU: - Well, look, for example at the fact that you don't know exactly in which era to place them. Soil stratigraphy is like a Doboș cake for an archaeologist. The lowest layer is the oldest layer and the layer closest to the ironing level is the newest. But these layers are not very clearly separated. That's why the pit it supposedly contained is hard to pin down. It is assumed that the tablets from Tărtăria were part of the Vinča-Turdaș culture, 5000 – 3000 BC. BC Because, in this pit where they were discovered, there were still some figurines that contributed to the connection with this culture. It is an important culture from the Middle Neolithic, which expanded on the current territory of some countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia. This situation would support the hypothesis that they belong to the oldest writing – the Danube Writing, the common writing of the Vinča-Turdaș culture. The problem is that the pit could come from a younger start, which would be a more logical explanation, because the pictographs are not unique, they are found on seals and clay tablets from Mesopotamia, in the Djemdet Nasr culture, 2900 – 2700 BC. BC That is much later. This second hypothesis claims that they would make economic sense.
– And is there no way to properly date these pieces?
MU: – Classical C14 dating procedures cannot be applied because when they were found, to be cleaned, they were subjected to substances that now make dating impossible.
- So, from here it is up to the visitor whether he chooses or not to believe in one hypothesis or another. From the impossibility of verifying it at a scientific level.
- Exactly. This is where I got the title, „I want to believe”, which is an expression that appeared on the poster of „The X-Files”. I thought it fit. And the UFO in the dice had the shape of a tablet like this. :)))
If you want to make up your own mind about what these tablets represent that have fascinated so many historians, visit the exhibition until October 6. At the moment, within the exhibition, you can also see Dana Fabini's artistic intervention on this subject.
- Published in THE COURT OF HISTORY