Christian Jankowski Lets a Romanian Witch Curate His First Solo Show in Bucharest
Christian Jankowski's "The Promise," his inaugural major exhibition in Romania, is currently on display at Scânteia+ in Bucharest's Casa Scânteii. Curated by Mihaela Minca, who is regarded as Romania's most influential witch, their partnership commenced following the ritual slaughter of a pig during their initial encounter. The curation process was documented by Realitatea TV, which broadcast the opening live. The exhibition showcases Jankowski's sculptures alongside new photographs of Minca's witch family and includes pieces such as "Seitenwender," "Telemistica," "Magic Numbers," and "The Holy Artwork." Minca, who provides guidance on love and finances, has a clientele of 1,000 Romanian women. The exhibition delves into themes of belief, communication, and manipulation, prompting inquiries into the origins of belief in concepts.
Key facts
- "The Promise" is Christian Jankowski's first major exhibition in Romania, at Scânteia+ in Bucharest
- Mihaela Minca, who describes herself as Romania's most powerful witch, selected the works in a ceremony
- Realitatea TV filmed the selection session and broadcast the opening live; the footage is part of the show
- Scânteia+ sits in the Casa Scânteii, the former printing plant of Romania's Communist Party press organ, with ceilings almost eight metres high
- Minca says roughly 1,000 Romanian women work as witches
- Minca joined Los Angeles witches in cursing Donald Trump, later lifted, as reported by Vice
- Works include "Seitenwender" (October 2025, with the last print Taz), "Telemistica" (1999, 48th Venice Biennale), "Magic Numbers" (2013) and "The Holy Artwork" (2001)
- Jankowski developed the exhibition in just a few months and ceded curatorial decisions to Minca
Entities
Artists
- Christian Jankowski
- Mihaela Minca
- Antonio Minca
- Donald Trump
Institutions
- Scânteia+
- Casa Scânteii
- Realitatea TV
- Vice
- Die Tageszeitung
- Venice Biennale
- Dolce & Gabbana
Locations
- Bucharest
- Romania
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Venice
- Italy
- Texas