I started a series of interviews with the artists of Via Transilvanica. But before that, I realized I want to, no, I need to share with you a little bit about Via Transilvanica & Tasuleasa Social, the organization that started this beautiful, ambitious project, its people, and the mirific place they call home.
I visited Tasuleasa in Bistrita, Romania in the fall of 2021, together with my partner Cris, a sculptor himself. It felt like stepping into a fairytale. Nature is breathtaking, and the people are full of heart, (“inimosi”, the way we say it in Romanian) and passionate about their work.
I’ve been familiar with the organization Tasuleasa Social since before 2010, during my days of 121.ro, my women’s community website. Even so, I only met Alin Uhlmann Useriu, the Founder and President of the Foundation, and the Executive Director, Anna Szekely, in December 2019, at the Fundraising Gala organized by the Romanian United Fund in Chicago. At that event that night, there were over $110,000 raised for Via Transilvanica, Tasuleasa’s most recent project that was taking the world by storm. It was a powerful, emotional evening with a lasting memory.
I started learning more about it. The 1,400 km trail that unites over 400 communities from North-North-East to West-South-West of Romania is the most notable trail in Eastern Europe and, arguably, the longest art exhibit in the world. All of its milestones are hand-carved by sculptors on the premises in Bistrita. The work started in 2018 and by now over 1,100 of these pieces of art have been finished and installed on the trail. The artistic part of it had a powerful impact on me as well since my partner is an artist and I appreciate what passion and creativity do to turn stone into sculpture.
At Tasu’ (as the people from the organization call it), we’ve discovered the amazing people of Via Transilvanica: excited by the project, proud of their work, motivated to continue, and aware of the long-lasting impact it has on the people that go on it and places it unites. Alin and his team have created an amazing space in Pasul Tihuta, near Bistrita Nasaud, the gateway between Transilvania and Moldova, not very far from the Ukrainian border. The place is cozy, full of a creative vibe and youthfulness. You feel alive and animated as soon as you step into the vast yard. All of them talk about the entire project and their role in it with sparkles in their eyes. But then it could not be otherwise, knowing Alin and Ana. Alin is a charismatic person that, with his passion for what he is doing, turns every person he meets into an evangelist. I watched him interact with the 300 people gathering at the RUF Gala in Chicago, or with just me and Cris when we’ve met him in Bucharest last September, before our visit to Tasu’. Anna is a strong woman that talks less but follows through. Her physique might mislead you, petite at 5 ft 3 and willowy, but you can read her determination in her eyes and the passion in her voice talking about anything Tasu’.
We were welcomed at the camp by Iulia Muresan & Stefan Ichim. Iulia is the word whisperer of the team, the communication wizard with a computer degree in Cluj that helps to spread the word about all the magic that comes out of Tasu’. She has a curious mind and a hunger for new, she is eager to learn and do big things, I recognized myself in her. We talked for hours about strategy and future projects and it was hard to stop. Stefan also studies computer science, but in Iasi, and is in charge of partners relations. We appreciated both of them spending time with us, touring around the campus, the “Learning Forest” and the Tasuleasa Hill, even picking up mushrooms.
Andrei Boitan is a sculptor from Cluj in charge of organizing the artists-in-residence that come at Tasu’ over the years. Together, they have created more than 1,000 milestones so far, and I know that Andrei’s contribution was substantial in organizing the entire process. I appreciate his wit and his sense of humor, I liked watching him interact with everyone.
Paul Borzo is a future architect that has walked most of the VT trail, together with the team of people that work at marking it. He is a jovial guy, with a self-deprecating sense of humor that only an intelligent person can pull off. His stories during our dinner made everybody laugh and his banter with the rest of the team just showed me how tight they are as a team. He makes a mean grill and I would not hesitate to put him in charge of any of our get-togethers or future projects.
The dinners at Tasu’ are an event in itself, in the generous room that turns into a film screening room, if necessary. Aurica Danea’s cooking skills are well known among the volunteers or VT hikers that choose to stay overnight in the camp. Her stew made with mushrooms we picked from the forest a few hours before was amazing and the ‘papanasi’ (cheesy doughnuts with sour cream and berry preserves) to dye for! I wish we could’ve tasted also Tante Efti’s pickles, but they were not ready yet.
We’ve met several of the artists-in-residence that were at the camp last September. We’ve talked to some of them to find out more about their experience and work on the project, Iuliana Gradinaru, Csevetelina Angelova, Alexandru Burlacu, Ivan Ivanov. I hope you will enjoy getting to know some of them better by reading their thoughts about the project on this blog in the following days. And when you walk on Via Transilvanica and pass one of the milestones, please stop and think of the love and dedication that went into each and every one of them. Watch this space for the interview that will follow.
I wished we had more them 48 hours to spend there at Tasu’, but that only means we have to go back. From the Humans of Tasu’ to the cool dogs, everyone is welcoming the guests that are stepping into this place.
If you wish to submit a design for a milestone, you can do it by accessing the call to art organized by Corvin Art.
Go visit Tasuleasa and hike Via Transilvanica.
