TheSculptural Ensemble of Constantin Brâncuși at Târgu Jiu (Romanian:Ansamblul sculptural Constantin Brâncuși de la Târgu-Jiu) is an homage to theRomanian heroes of theFirst World War. The ensemble comprises three sculptures:The Table of Silence (Masa tăcerii),The Gate of the Kiss (Poarta sărutului), and theInfinity Column (Coloana Infinitului) on an axis 1.3 km (3⁄4 mile) long, oriented west to east. The ensemble is considered to be one of the great works of 20th-century outdoor sculpture. The ensemble was inscribed as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 2024.^[1]

Brâncusi Monumental Ensemble of Târgu Jiu

UNESCO World Heritage Site
TheInfinity Column (Coloana Infinitului)
Location	Târgu Jiu,Gorj County,Romania
Includes	Masa tăcerii,Poarta sărutului,Coloana Infinitului
Criteria	Cultural (i), (ii)
Reference	1473
Inscription	2024 (46thSession)
Coordinates	45°02′22″N23°16′07″E / 45.0394°N 23.2687°E /45.0394; 23.2687
Location of Sculptural Ensemble of Constantin Brâncuși at Târgu Jiu in Romania

The monument was commissioned by theNational League of Gorj Women to honor those soldiers who had defendedTârgu Jiu in 1916 from the forces of theCentral Powers.Constantin Brâncuși (1876–1957) was at the time living inParis, but welcomed the opportunity to create a large commemorative sculpture in his homeland. He accepted the commission in 1935, but refused to receive payment for it.

The Endless Column symbolizes the concept of infinity and the infinite sacrifice of the Romanian soldiers. TheInfinity Column stacks 15 rhomboidal modules, with a half-unit at the top and bottom, making a total of 16. The incomplete top unit is thought to be the element that expresses the concept of the infinite.^[2] Brâncuși had experimented with this form as early as 1918, with an oak version now found in the collection of theMuseum of Modern Art inNew York City.^[3] The modules were made in the central workshop ofPetroșani (Atelierele Centrale Petroșani), assembled by Brâncuși's friend engineer Ștefan Georgescu-Gorjan (1905–1985), and completed on 27 October 1938. All 16 rhomboidal modules accumulate a total height of 29.3 m.^[4]

In the 1950s, the Romaniancommunist government planned to demolish the column and turn it into scrap metal, but this plan was never executed.^[5] After theRomanian Revolution of 1989 and the fall of the Communist regime, there was renewed interest in restoring the column, which by that time suffered from tilting, cracking, metalcorrosion, and an unstable foundation. For these reasons the site was listed in the1996 World Monuments Watch by theWorld Monuments Fund. The restoration was facilitated by the Fund, which organized meetings for the stakeholders in 1998 and provided funding throughAmerican Express. Subsequently, the site was restored between 1998 and 2000 through a collaborative effort of the Romanian Government, the World Monuments Fund, theWorld Bank, and other Romanian and international groups.^[6]

Two other pieces constitute theEnsemble.

The Table of Silence is a circular stone table surrounded by twelve hourglass-seats, which symbolize time. The significance of Brâncuși's sculpture has been subjected to many interpretations. Some^[who?] say thatThe Table of Silence represents the moment before the battle. Nevertheless, the seats are not located close to the edges of the table. Others^[who?] say that it represents The Last Supper, in which the twelve apostles are seated around Jesus. The chairs are for the apostles and the table represents Jesus himself.^{[citation needed]}

The Gate of the Kiss, ofBanpotoctravertine (marble), features two kiss motifs on the pillars. The entire gate has a width of 6.45 m and a height of 5.13 m.The transition to another life occurs throughThe Gate of the Kiss.^{[according to whom?]}

TheEnsemble was inaugurated on 27 October 1938. During theSocialist Realism epoch, Brâncuși was challenged as an exponent of "cosmopolitan bourgeois formalism". However in 1964, Brâncuși was rediscovered in Romania as a national genius and consequently theEnsemble of Târgu Jiu was restored from a long period of degradation.^{[citation needed]}

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  Infinity Column
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  The Table of Silence
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  The Gate of the Kiss

• Seven Wonders of Romania

• Newton, Richard (Summer 2006)."Reclaiming Sacred Space: Landscaping Constantine Brancusi's Endless Column Complex"(PDF).ICON Magazine. pp. 32–39. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 5 April 2012. Retrieved22 February 2017.
• Parigoris, Alexandra (21 January 2002)."Endless Column Restored".Sculpture. Retrieved22 February 2017.
• "The Restoration of Brancusi's 'Endless Column'".World Monuments Fund. June 2006. Retrieved1 March 2020.