The rebirth of Phoenix and the fountain of youth pursued by the alchemists share something inherently human and supremely elusive: a desire to control time. Haven’t you dreamed about that too? 

Yet, suspended in a moment, even one of glory, would we, could we truly be alive? Change is inherent in our biology.  It frees us to discover, to learn, to create, to fail and start over in a more meaningful way. Perhaps it is not repetition or a frozen state of bliss that we chase as much as faith in continuation. A way to reclaim endings. One that may not be restorative but transformative.

We inhabit the threshold between memory and aspiration. Our identity is a sum of the two, an evolving equation. Why would this matter? Because as we make our way through existence, what is behind grows larger and what is ahead appears to narrow. Because we are taught, from a young age, that “we can’t turn back the clock”, that “the ship has sailed” and that “what’s done is done”.  

How many times have we been told that? How often did we whisper it to ourselves? It is the go-to reconciliation strategy for broken dreams, for those abandoned too soon and for those never pursued at all. But is it true?

It highly depends – on the person, on the power of will, on the courage to reimagine. It isn’t about traveling back to a different era or magically modifying a younger self. It is about the things we allow ourselves to see, about long fallen sandcastles and unwavering foundations of values and friendships. Revisiting, under the wand of experience, reveals things we missed, those we were not yet capable of recognizing or accepting before. It can and should make us grow. This will not replace facts, but it can rewrite the endings of our stories.

Art gifts us interesting tools to master this game of perspective. One of the joys is to simply contemplate a painting. Peacefully, at ease, at length. To return to it. To let it speak for days in different voices. No color will disappear and none will be added. No line will shift. What matters is not movement on the surface but in the depth of your own mind. 

At WIN Gallery, we continue to refine themes and reconfigure exhibitions. We are adapting them to a greater variety of spaces, bringing Romanian art closer to a global public. We are likewise nurturing partnerships that put the spotlight on accomplished foreign artists, collectors and institutions. Over the next months, you will see this intent increasingly reflected in the newsletter as well as in our other activities within WIN Alliance. 

Habit can be comforting yet stifling. Art demands change. So does life. It is what allows the past to become a lighthouse guiding us into the future. 

Irina Stoenescu
WIN Gallery Chairlady