Romania asks citizens to fund Brancusi sculpture purchase

The Romanian state is attempting to acquire Constantin Brancusi's "The Wisdom of the Earth," one of the last available sculptures by the national artist, priced at €11 million. With only €5 million in public funds, the government launched a crowdfunding campaign under the slogan "Brancusi is mine" to raise the remaining €6 million from citizens. Currently, donations average €22,000 per week, far below the €35,000 per day needed to meet the September 30 deadline. The Ministry of Culture plans to boost fundraising with a Telethon and SMS donation campaign. The article contrasts Romania's approach with Italy's low cultural spending, noting Italy ranks second-to-last in Europe for cultural investment as a percentage of GDP.