Essay

The avant-garde Marcel Iancu - the well-tempered architect

The Avant-Gardist Marcel Iancu - the Well-Tempered ^Architect1

Romania has always been a country complexed by its cultural isolation at the eastern gates of Europe. However, in the stormy decades between the wars, a few Romanian-born artists made their contribution to the world art movement. Tristan Tzara and Marcel ^Iancu2 helped to create Dadaism in Zurich, that delightful breeze through European culture. Marcel Iancu was "the moral author of modernism in Romania"^3. As a multi-faceted artist - painter, graphic artist and sculptor, architect and urban planner, scenographer, memoirist, essayist, publicist and critic, he was an integrator of the arts in the Gesamtkunstwerk. As an architect, he introduced and developed the avant-garde in Bucharest. After his emigration, his universalist credo was to turn dramatically into regionalism. But we discern in his architecture of the modernist years a certain tension between tradition and modernity. How well tempered was modernism in Marcel Iancu's architecture in Romania and Israel?

A la guerre comme à la guerre

The artistic avant-garde at the beginning of the last century was the only avant-garde phenomenon that succeeded in radically, globally and irrevocably revising the object and aesthetic categories of architecture. But the avant-garde, by definition, goes beyond the receptive capacity of the society on which it seeks to impose itself. All avant-gardists know this, and so... à la guerre comme à la guerre!

At the fronde, it paraded with boldness and ostentation, shocked by its aggressiveness, called through proclamations and manifestos for a general intellectual and social mobilization, for architecture had to be saved from opportunist academicism, sclerosis, immobility, calcification into aesthetic dogmas, devaluation through routine. Down with referring forms to the Procrustean bed of styles! Down with bourgeois conventionalism!

Artistic Europe has been gripped by a general shiver. High alert. Discussions, polemics, campaigns of indictments and arguments. Controversies, disputes, denials, but also innovations. Dissensions and passions. The avant-garde trumpeters were to be followed by proselytes and epigones, mimes and opportunists, exalted Jesuits and vexed conservatives, and even the undecided.

With clash of arms and battle cries, they succeeded first of all in destabilizing the secular comfort of historicist certainties. Then to replace them.

Read the full text in issue 1 / 2015 of Arhitectura Magazine

NOTES:

1 The present edition is revised, updated and supplemented from the early 1990s versions published in AB magazine, vol. 117-188, 1993, Ljubljana, reprinted in Docomomo no. 10, 1993, Eindhoven and Óculum, no. 5-6/1999, Sao Paolo, as well as in Analele Arhitecturii, the publication of the Faculty of Architecture "Spiru Haret".

2 Marcel Iancu was born in Bucharest in May 1895 as the son of wealthy Jews and died in Ein Hod in April 1984 as a respected artist, teacher and activist.

3 So named by the avant-garde writer Jacques (Goldschlager) Costin, his brother-in-law.

Romania has always been frustrated with its cultural isolation at the Eastern gates of Europe. Nevertheless, in the stormy interwar years, a number of Romanian born architects made an important contribution to the global artistic movement. Tristan Tzara and Marcel Iancu2^playedan important part in the establishment of Dadaism in Zürich, that charming breeze which swept through the culture of Europe. Marcel Iancu was the "moral author of modernism in Romania"^3. As a versatile artist - painter, graphic artist and sculptor, architect and urban planner, stage designer, memoirist, essayist, publicist and critic, he dedicated the largest part of his career to the integration of the arts in the Gesamtkunstwerk. Furthermore, he was the one who introduced the avant-garde in Bucharest. After his imigration, his universalist creed turned dramatically to regionalism. One can feel that his works equally contain something of the tension between tradition and modernity. However, how well-tempered was his modernism in architecture in Romania and Israel?

At war as at war

The artistic avant-garde active at the beginning of the last century was the only avant-gardist phenomenon which succeeded in radically, globally and irrevocably revising the object and aesthetic categories of architecture. Only avant-gardes by definition surpass the capacity of reception of the society before which they wish to assert themselves. All avant-gardists are aware of this; consequently, they continue to act in the spirit of... à la guerre comme à la guerre!

La fronde marched defiantly, ostentatiously, shocking by its aggressiveness, calling out in proclamations and manifestos to the general mobilization of the intellectuals, because architecture had to be saved from opportunistic academicism, sclerosis, immobility, paralysis in aesthetic dogmas, devaluation through routine. Down with relating forms to that Procrustean bed of styles! Down with bourgeois conventionalism!

Artistic Europe choked with excitement. There was a general alert; there were discussions, polemics, entire campaigns of indictments and argumentations. There were controversies, contestations, negations, but also innovations. Disgraces and passions. The advocates of avant-gardism were to be followed by proselytes and epigones, mimes and opportunists, exalted Jesuits and frustrated conservatives, even by the undecided.

In the rattle of swords and cry of battle, they first managed to shake the centennial comfort of historicist certainties. Then, they replaced them.

Read the full text in the print magazine

NOTES:1 The present edition is revised, updated and extended from former versions issued in the early '90s- in the AB magazine, vol. 117-188, 1993, Ljubljana, taken over by Docomomo no. 10, 1993, Eindhoven and Óculum, nr. 5-6/1999, Sao Paolo, and in Analele Arhitecturii, the publication of the "Spiru Haret" Faculty of Architecture.

2 Marcel Iancu was born in Bucharest in May 1895, the son of wealthy Israelis, and died at Ein Hod, in April 1984, as a respected artist, professor and militant.

3 Thus called by his contemporary, avant-gardist Jacques (Goldschlager) Costin, his brother-in-law.