Statement
LINDA SASKIA MENCZEL
S C U L P T O R
Born in 1972 in Romania, she studied at the Johannesburg Art, Ballet, Drama, and Music School until 1989. Upon returning to Romania she studied sculpture at the Western University Timişoara, from which she later obtained a Ph.D. Summa cum Laude in 2023. Member of the Romanian Union of Fine Arts since 1998. Founding member of the “Dor” artists’ group since 2001.
Selected to represent Romania at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and at the EU Parliament in 2005. Awarded Excellence in Fine Arts awards in 2005, 2009 and 2015.
“Drawing inspiration from the medieval artist’s pursuit of translating the divine into human forms, where beauty and goodness were closely intertwined within Christian ideals, as well as from the Renaissance emphasis on incorporating natural knowledge into art — “the divine nature of the painter’s science transforms his intellect into a divine intellect” (Leonardo da Vinci, Trattato) — and further influenced by recent scientific discoveries, I have created a body of work meant to be both pedagogical and well as esthetic.”
Merging Art, Science, and Music:
The Sculptural World of Linda-Saskia Menczel
“Linda-Saskia Menczel is a Romanian sculptor whose career began with her formal studies at the Johannesburg Art, Ballet, Drama, and Music School in South Africa and culminated in a Ph.D. in fine arts from the Western University Timişoara. Over the years, she has consistently developed a multidisciplinary practice, blending art with music, science, history, and spirituality. Her extensive body of work reflects this deep intellectual and emotional investment, exploring the boundaries of these fields through both conceptual and highly detailed physical sculptures. Menczel’s work has been widely recognized, earning her numerous awards, including Excellence in Fine Arts distinctions in 2005, 2009, 2015, and 2017, and representation in prestigious exhibitions across Romania and internationally.
Menczel’s work is often characterized by its profound symbolic use of inscriptions, particularly seen in her signature series of sculptures that reference science and music, including the celebrated “Celestial Mechanics of Providence.” These intricate bronze forms are not just visual objects but intellectual journeys where inscriptions—formulas, dates, symbols—become an integral part of the storytelling. Her use of inscribed surfaces invites viewers to explore deeper philosophical and metaphysical questions. This reflective and multi-layered approach is particularly seen in her sculptural piano series, which incorporates not only physical beauty but also conceptual depth, linking celestial themes with the mechanics of sound and the cosmos.
The interdisciplinary nature of her work places Menczel at a unique intersection of artistic and scientific inquiry. She draws comparisons to artists like Jean Arp for the organic abstraction in her forms and Isamu Noguchi for the balance between form and function in her works. However, her emphasis on inscriptions as a form of intellectual storytelling sets her apart. In “The Celestial Mechanics of Providence,” gears and mechanics reference not just the universe’s motion but humanity’s attempt to understand the divine, mirroring the quest of both scientists and philosophers. Her work bridges the gap between the material and immaterial, evoking the spiritual in a way reminiscent of Constantin Brâncuși’s modernist pursuit of the essence of form.
Menczel’s sculptures, while deeply embedded in intellectual discourse, are also highly accessible in their tactile and visual appeal. Her meticulous attention to detail and ability to merge physical texture with conceptual meaning make her work highly collectable. Pieces like “Beyond Space-Time” or “The Celestial Mechanics of Providence” transcend traditional sculpture by inviting viewers into a space where art, science, and spirituality coalesce. These works are not only visually striking but also thought-provoking, urging collectors to engage with the intellectual and emotional depths they offer. Menczel remains a vital contemporary sculptor, with her work standing as a testament to the enduring relevance of sculpture as a medium for exploring profound human questions.”
Myrina Tunberg Georgiou Circle Foundation for the Arts, Director
Exhibition Works
GALLERY
Exhibition Works
Sculptures in Motion
Artistic Activity
EXHIBITIONS
AND PROJECTS
CODA
The Helios Gallery Timisoara is the host of an exhibition event signed by the sculptor Linda-Saskia Menczel, between 11.10.2022-27.10.2022. The exhibition titled CODA brings together 82 pieces, two of which are object pianos, which bring together the author’s interdisciplinary research.
The artworks contain inscriptions and symbols from different fields of human knowledge, from cosmology to particle physics, from the philosophy of nature to theology, from the music of the spheres to polyphonic music.
On 24.10.2022 at 6 p.m., there will be a book launch of Linda-Saskia Menczel-in her own words and the CT Project concert – Coda by the composer and pianist Cári Tibor, who will perform for the first time on an art object, together with the cellist Szabó J. Attila. In the opening, Conf. Univ. Dr. Gabriel Kelemen will take the floor.
Inscriptions and symbols: https://bit.ly/3esVQRo
MUSICA
UNIVERSALIS
