Mosaic - Store - Chisinau

A pair of mosaics constructed in 1967 decorates the façade of a low rise building hosting an urbanism office and grocery store in Chisinau, Moldova. The works have protected status – maybe the urbanism folks had something to do with this. Although unsigned, I posit it may be a piece by Mikhail Burya, who was prolific during this early period of monumental art in Moldova. The left mosaic, presents a seated scientist in a lab coat, holding a sphere in one hand. A large compass or orbital form surrounds the figure, integrating a background of radiating arcs and nested shapes. The right mosaic shows a woman sitting cross-legged, turned in profile. She holds a ribbon or fabric strip. structure of concentric, wave-like segments. A tulip and a star complete the panel on the left. The star reminds me of the NATO star, which was unveiled in 1953, though this is almost certainly coincidence and wouldn’t fit with the narrative of the time, nor the imagery of the panel. Tessellation follows the motion of the figure’s limbs and garments, making this figure much more dynamic than the first. The alternating colors remind me of abstract and cubist styles. I love the slight variations in coloring of the fragments in certain segments, which creates another layer of depth and complexity. It’s possible some of these were added during restoration, though I believe it was also part of the original art. The palette includes beautiful pastels in beige, dark and pale greens and blues, and muted ochre with segments of pink, brown, and navy. Tesserae are factory-cut smalt, set into a flat mortar base flush with the wall surface. Grout lines are fine and consistent. Visible weathering includes streaking from water runoff, though the mosaic is in fine condition.