Trajan 1900. A Contemporary Perspective on Two Millennia of History
Romanian Cultural Institute and Victoria and Albert Museum

The Romanian Cultural Institute and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) are proud to launch the joint anniversary programme “Trajan 1900” celebrating 1900 years from the dedication of Trajan’s Column in Rome, a timeless and crucially important monument for Romanian history, identity and heritage. Concurrently, the programme celebrates 140 years from the opening of the Museum’s Casts Court in 1873, purposely built to host a unique, massive cast of the original marble column in Rome, acquired during Queen Victoria’s reign.

The programme is the first major partnership between the Romanian Cultural Institute and the prestigious V&A, with the support of the Romanian Embassy in London.

Spanning over one month, “Trajan 1900” consists of six events taking place both at the Institute and the V&A, including film screenings, exhibitions and academic lectures.

The “Trajan 1900” series of events organised by the Romanian Cultural Institute and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and celebrating 1900 years since the consecration of one of the most impressive monuments of antiquity, opened in 1 Belgrave Square with the stereoscopic photography exhibition “Trajan’s Column” by architect Matei Filip, portraying the dramatic narrative of the great emperor’s conquest of Dacia in 3D.

A partnership with the National Museum of Romanian History, the exhibition presents 125 scenes from the cast of the Column in Bucharest, offering in more than one way a new perspective on the amazing story and sculptural detail of the timeless and crucially important monument for Romanian history and identity.

2,500 figures carved in the relief spiraling around the column, in a dynamic 200m long narrative of key scenes of Trajan’s two epic campaigns in Dacia, now Romania, come to life through 3D glasses, taking you to another world and dimension, full of military glory as well as artistic accomplishment. The exhibition also includes 3D animations of the Column created by architect Matei Filip and sound by Rochiţe, inspired by ancient sounds of flutes, harps and war drums.

The exhibition opened in the presence of HE Dr Ion Jinga, Ambassador of Romania to the UK, Mr Liviu Jicman, Vice-President of the Romanian Cultural Institute, and Dr Ernest Oberlander-Târnoveanu, Director of Romania's National History Museum.

The story of the Column is central to Romanian identity narrative, as Romanianness is considered as springing from a double linguistic and ethnical source, Roman and Dacian.

Trajan’s Column was the first of many such celebratory monuments and its design has inspired numerous victory columns, both ancient and modern. It is also an invaluable source of information, no less for the history of Romanians, with over 2,500 figures carved in the relief spiralling around the column, in a lively 200m long narrative of key scenes in which Trajan and Decebalus themselves are present in diverse situations such as leading the army, judging prisoners, and holding councils of war.

"Trajan 1900". Photography Exhibition in 3D by architect Matei Filip

Trajan 1900. A Contemporary Perspective on Two Millennia of History - ICR LONDON