Nihil Sine Deo
Erholungs-Gesellschaft Aachen
Consensus
Conference of Emil Ciocoiu - 14th of May 2014
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While getting in the ground floor’s foyer, we were surrounded by four large works of Emil Ciocoiu thematising the four religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and Islam, paints with an intense emotional charge. The culmination of this theme can be found in the painting “Consensus” presented in the great hall where the artist’s conference was taking place.
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Back at the beginning of the evening: a large crowd of Erholungs’ representatives and guests were in the ballroom, cheerful, enjoying an evening full of inspiration. And so it was! After the welcome speech of the company president and a good dinner, Emil Ciocoiu’s conference began. He translated us into the thoughts, visions and intentions expressed in his paintings. A small brochure listing the paintings exposed was put at disposal.
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He subsequently introduced the conference with a short biography: born in Sasa in 1948 in southwestern of Romania. After high school, he began studying at the Academy of Arts in Bucharest, graduating in the "Painting" section. He became an art teacher at a high school and got a substantial scholarship. However, despite his success, because of his lack of initiative and enthusiasm for the communist ideology, he became suspect for the authorities and in order to keep his freedom of artistic expression, he decided to leave the country. He emigrated and arrived with his family, fortunately, in Aachen. There he opened a workshop and his wife became a member of Aachen’s Symphony Orchestra. They did it!
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The paintings "Hello Aachen” (painting also exposed in the foyer) and "Charlemagne the Great", exposed in Aachen’s town hall, is a tribute to the city which became his city.
Afterwards, Emil got back to the main topic of his conference: "Consensus". Peace in Europe, in the world, is only possible through dialogue, consensus appears between people who are part of the same universe. "Universum" is also the name of the painting reproduced on the prospectus’ first page, the first image that the artist decided to introduce us. He says: the universe is in constant evolution and we, human beings, as an integral part, are evolving with it. To be able to understand the intention and will of the Creator, we must begin to replace jealousy, violence, religious disputes and wars by peace, harmony and love. The dream comes from a burning desire that Man, Nature, and Universe find, by consensus, the state of communion with the spirit of the Creator.
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His paintings are his deep emotions expression. The fall of the Berlin Wall or the prayers at the foot of a wall - the Wailing Wall - and those of Muslims being on the other side of this same wall aren’t, regarding his interpretation, necessarly separation symbols but rather a possibility of reunification. Over time, his emotions have become visions expressed again and again in his paintings: a world without walls, without jealousy or hatred.
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As we go along the conference, the artist revealed the symbolic meanings of the paintings:
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>> Judaism: religion of words, each character in the painting is reading a book but, all together, they form the shape of a menorah
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>> Christianity: The crowd forms a cross, symbol of faith, love and hope
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>> Islam: A convoy of men is walking
in the desert, traveling to Mecca, Muslims’ holy place.
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>> Buddhism: The paintings’ characters form a symbol of the passage of time and life, the subject of reincarnation
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The big painting "Consensus" contains all the four different beliefs symbol: the Menorah, the Cross, the Way to Mecca and the Hourglass. Every man is a part of a whole. To understand this, we must look like a man among men, regardless of religion or skin color, so as to eliminate any pretense of superiority of one over the other. Emil Ciocoiu recognizes the utopian character of his paintings but he insists in his visions for a world promoting peace and understanding as ethical values, the foundation for a better future.
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That was followed by loud applause, enthusiasm, thanking for the conference, for the permission to enter into the thought, for incursion into the upbeat and bright content of the paintings. The artist captured us in his system of thoughts and emotions, and through his subtle suggestions, he offered us several reasons for deep reflection. At the end of the conference, a session of questions and comments was organized, and in the end it was said: this is a happy mix of emotions and inspirations, and the two combine themselves with the intention and the vision.
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It was an evening with an exceptional artist, an evening full of wonderful experiences! Thank you!
My thanks also go to Mr. Olaf Neuwirth for his efforts in organizing this special evening.
Beate Rottmann-Ruland
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Extract from" Erholungs-Nachrichten, p. 5, Beate Rottmann-Ruland"