Press Release – Presentation of the reproduction Café Terrace at Night – Vincent van Gogh 1888 – by Mircea Codrea

PRESS RELEASE

Presentation of the reproduction “Café Terrace at Night” (Vincent van Gogh, 1888), created by the painter from Avrig, Mircea Codrea, presented by Historic Cafés Route at “Wedding at the Palace” – Bánffy Palace, Cluj-Napoca Art Museum, 9–11 January 2026

Mina Heritage Dining Room – Hotel Transilvania Cluj-Napoca – 9 January 2026

Cluj-Napoca, 9 January 2026 – In the noble setting of the Cluj-Napoca Art Museum (Bánffy Palace), the event “Wedding at the Palace” hosted, between 9–11 January 2026, a moment of strong cultural and emotional impact: the opening of the reproduction “Café Terrace at Night”, a masterpiece created by Vincent van Gogh in 1888, refinedly reproduced by the artist Mircea Codrea and presented to the public at the Historic Cafés Route stand.

A bridge between the European heritage of historic cafés and the art that ennobles and celebrates them

The presence of Historic Cafés Route at “Wedding at the Palace” brought to the forefront a coherent and elegant vision of the culture of encounter, of the historic café as a space of ideas, community, and European identity. Historic Cafés Route is a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, certified in 2022, and its mission focuses on the valorization of the heritage of historic cafés as landmarks of civilization, hospitality, and cultural dialogue.

In this context, the reproduction signed by Mircea Codrea represents the “artistic image” and contemporary symbol of the route: a work that, through light, atmosphere, and chromatic rhythm, reinterprets the charm of cultural evenings in which the city becomes a story and the café – a stage of life.

Two openings – a concept inspired by the spirit of the founders of Historic Cafés Route from Greece

The Historic Cafés Route stand offered the public a format rarely encountered at a thematic fair: two distinct openings, conceived as complementary cultural experiences – a first opening moment, followed by moments of presentation and dialogue with the public. The concept was inspired by the tradition of the cultural route and by the spirit of its founders from Greece, on the island of Crete, in the picturesque city of Chania, at Kipos Café, where Historic Cafés Route has its roots through the initiative of Mr. Vasilis Stathakis (administrator of Kipos Café, Chania, Crete), founder and honorary president of Historic Cafés Route.

At Mina Heritage Dining Room – Hotel Transilvania in Cluj-Napoca, on Friday evening, 09 January 2026, the artist Mircea Codrea offered a second opening for invited guests and hotel visitors.

Through this double opening, Historic Cafés Route conveyed a profound message: culture is not a “decor”, but an experience – one that can be naturally integrated into major public events, offering depth, identity, and value.

Mircea Codrea – mastery, artistic fidelity, and contemporary emotion

Known for his talent in creating reproductions after great masters, Mircea Codrea brought to Cluj-Napoca a work that impresses through the balance between fidelity to the original and personal expression, attentive to detail, vibration, and atmosphere. The reproduction “Café Terrace at Night” evokes the period when Van Gogh painted in Arles, in September 1888, building that iconic light which transforms urban space into a warm, almost cinematic scene.

Mayor Emil Boc – participates in the opening of the event and honors the exhibition of the European Historic Cafés Route through appreciation of the works presented by master Mircea Codrea

The moment was complemented by the presence of the Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Mr. Emil Boc, who visited the event and interacted with exhibitors, providing notable support for the HORECA industry in Cluj-Napoca through press statements inviting citizens to attend the event. During the meeting at “Wedding at the Palace”, Mircea Codrea’s work drew the attention of visitors.

In a period when European cities compete through identity, experiences, and the quality of cultural life, the gesture of Mayor Emil Boc – to stop, to look with interest, and to dedicate time to a European heritage project – becomes a sign of respect for culture and for initiatives that place Cluj in dialogue with the 47 member states of the Council of Europe. His presence conveyed a profound and powerful message: living heritage deserves visibility, and a European cultural route finds in Cluj-Napoca a natural space for affirmation and appreciation.

Historic Cafés Route in Cluj-Napoca: a European dialogue in full development

The presence of Historic Cafés Route in Romania and in Cluj-Napoca, starting in 2023, proposes projects that bring together historic venues, cultural tourism, traditional gastronomy, heritage, and the cultural-historical education of the general public – an approach aligned with the European directive on the valorization of Cultural Routes promoted by the Council of Europe as instruments for economic development and resilience through cultural tourism.

Statement

“We wanted the public present at the «Wedding at the Palace» event to experience more than a simple visit to a stand – to live an authentic cultural experience. «Café Terrace at Night» is not just a famous painting: it is a statement about urban life, light, and community. And Historic Cafés Route means exactly that – places that keep Europe’s heritage alive and transform it into contemporary emotion.”

Arnold Klingeis
President, Historic Cafés Route