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The (R)Evolution of Paintings is the first multimedia project in Romania that brings together recent Romanian art and history in a unique photo-video exhibition, featuring 11 renowned actors from the National Theatre of Bucharest (NTB). They recount the stories of the paintings that were shot during the 1989 Revolution and later restored, through videos created by NTB photographer Florin Ghioca.

The actors present the fortunate case of paintings that were saved and reintroduced to the exhibition circuit after years of meticulous restoration. They step into the roles of the paintings, becoming their voices. Through their narration, the project highlights the lasting effects of the events imprinted within the layers of color. The project includes performances by actors such as Emilia Popescu, Amalia Ciolan, Monica Davidescu, Ileana Olteanu, Cosmina Olariu, Ion Caramitru, Mircea Rusu, Alexandru Potocean, Lari Giorgescu, Richard Bovnoczki, and Daniel Badale.

Standing face-to-face with the restored paintings, the actors share their stories, convey emotions, and transmit the weight of the artworks. Reflecting on the tragic events from 35 years ago, reexamining each piece, and simply witnessing the stages before and after restoration transform this project into a historical manifesto, appealing to the collective conscience.

Shot directly, the paintings underwent an extensive restoration process, involving a series of rescue, reconstruction, and repair actions, thanks to the efforts of the restorers from the National Museum of Art of Romania (NMAR). For specialists, the interest lay not only in the restoration process itself but in the awareness of the "trauma" these works had undergone and in observing the deep marks left on their fates. The multimedia project, conceived and realized by the well-known photographer Florin Ghioca, was inspired by a temporary exhibition dedicated to the restoration of the shot paintings.

Among the painters whose works were restored and presented in this project are Ștefan Luchian, Theodor Aman, Ioan Andreescu, Sava Henția, and G.D. Mirea.

The (R)Evolution of Paintings marks the first direct collaboration between the I. L. Caragiale National Theatre of Bucharest and the National Museum of Art of Romania. The project was created during the pandemic to facilitate public access to the works featured in the temporary exhibition dedicated to paintings restored after 1989. Initially, the exhibition was inaugurated in December 2020 on the outer fence of MNAR, and later, in 2023, it participated in the Reunion of Romanian National Theatres in Mihai Eminescu Square near the National Theatre of Chișinău and was subsequently displayed at the Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy.