Discover the street art interventions made by J.Ace during his secret visit at Cinema / Teatrul de vară Capitol

Discover the street art interventions made by J.Ace during his secret visit at Teatrul de vară Capitol

The British artist J.Ace has visited Bucharest four times recently, but every time incognito. Together with the Save or Cancel team, we were able to get in touch and invite him to participate in the awareness campaign for abandoned cultural heritage, with a focus on the Cinema / Summer Theatre Capitol.

J.Ace placed small ceramic portraits in unexpected places, all of which have a connection to the history of the theatre, the cinema or the area. Some of them help tell some of the stories of the people who contributed, directly and indirectly, to the history of the Cinema / Capitol Summer Theatre.

One of the remarkable little portraits depicts architect Nicolae Nenciulescu, who designed and built in 1916 the Alhambra Summer Theatre, now bearing the name of Capitol. The Pan god, who is a central ornamental element gracing the Capitol open-air stage, has been downsized looks friendly in J.Ace’s interpretation. On the street bearing his name, you can discover Constantin Mille‘s portrait, a Romanian journalist, socialist, human-rights activist and editor-in-chief of Adevărul and Dimineața newspapers, credited with the introduction of coloured print and images and Linotype machines in the country.

Another milestone highlighted by J.Ace is the Capitol Cinema façade radical re-design undertaken by architect  Henriette Delavrancea in 1938. Close-by, one can find Henriette’s portrait, alongside Queen Elisabeth of Romania, who lends her name to the boulevard where the cinema is located.

Scroll to discover the 12 interventions placed by J.Ace on the streets surrounding the theatre and cinema. Enjoy! 🗺

“Goonies’ Sloth meets Christopher Columbus” – J.Ace

Cristofor Columb

“Vampire spotting in Sector 1” – J.Ace

Vampire

Casa OAR, Arthur Verona

⚔️ Mini Vlad ⚔️

Cărturești, Arthur Verona

Club Eden, Calea Victoriei

Nosferatu

Știrbei Vodă

“Revolution Vampire!” – J.Ace

Vampire

Biblioteca Cental Universitară, Calea Victoriei

“Another landmark of Bucharest – look up!” – J.Ace

Vampire

Pasajul Englez, Calea Victoriei

“The god Pan is a central figure in the decor of the Capitol Summer Theatre (Teatrul de vară Capitol) located on Strada Constantin Mille. Here hidden amongst the trailing green foliage just a short walk from the theatre was the perfect spot for this god of the wilds and rustic music.” – J.Ace

God Pan

Club Control, Constantin Mille 3

“This little vampire has been given a nose job 👃🏼😂 🇷🇴” – J.Ace

Alien (and vampire) invasion 👾

Club Kristal, Constantin Mille 11

“In 1916 Architect Nicolae Nenciulescu designed the Alhambra Summer Theater in Bucharest, now called Capitol. Constantin Mille who gives his name to the street where the Capitol Theatre is located – was a Romanian journalist, novelist, poet, lawyer, and socialist militant, as well as a prominent human rights activist.” – J.Ace

The architect and the journalist at the CAPITOL!

Teatrul de vară Capitol, Constantin Mille 13

“Architect Henriette Delavrancea redesigned the façade and Cinema Capitol entrance on the Boulevard of Queen Elisabeth of Romania (Regina Elisabetta) in Bucharest, 1938.” – J.Ace

Queen Elisabeth of Romania (Regina Elisabeta) and Architect Henriette Delavrancea

Cinema Capitol, Bd Regina Elisabeta 32

“Small faces in great places. Sector 3.” – J.Ace

Alongside Cristian Pass, Calea Victoriei

Pasajul Vilacrosse, Calea Victoriei

“Thank you to Teatrul de vară Capitol and feeder.ro for this unique commission; it was a pleasure to create these remarkable characters linked to the story and history of Capitol and surrounding area.” – J.Ace

In October, as part of the street art project Un-hidden Bucharest, we organised two guided tours by Paul Dunca and Open Doors. On these occasions, we observed some of the ceramic masks placed by J.Ace around the Cinema / Summer Theatre Capitol ensemble. We encourage you to explore the city and discover the mysteries of Bucharest and the exciting stories embedded by the artists in their works.

Stay tuned.

https://www.instagram.com/j.ace_street

Learn more about the CAPITOL Cinema / Summer Theatre and the awareness campaign here

The cultural program “cultural hub Cinema / Summer Theatre CAPITOL” is co-funded by AFCN. The program does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the program or the way the program results can be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.

Organizer: Save or Cancel
Partners:Amural, CNDB, Teatrul Mic, Cinema Marconi, RADEF, Monumente Uitate/ Asociația ARCHÉ, Calup, Mellow Drinks, Plaja de Carte, Someș Delivery, Augmented Space Agency, Universitatea de Arhitectură și Urbanism “Ion Mincu”, Anuala de Arhitectură
Media partners: Zeppelin, IQads, Smark, Assamblage, Dizainăr, Iqool, anyplace.ro, feeder.ro, the Institute, designist

Graphic design: Acme Industries
Text: J.Ace, Cristina Popa (random) și Andrei Racovițan (ubic)

Project coordinators: Cristina Popa (random) și Andrei Racovițan (ubic)

About Save or Cancel
Since 2008, Save or Cancel is a medium of communication and propagation of the arts and culture, promoting and facilitating their role in contemporary society.
The self-initiated multidisciplinary programs of Save or Cancel aim to identify sustainable and adaptable opportunities for (re) valorization of the existence through architectural, cultural and editorial projects.