Cuvintele care au construit România, de Ciprian Cristea ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 08/2026 ▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract: In "The Words That Built Romania", published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026), Ciprian Emanuel Cristea reports on the international conceptual history conference HERC 2026 held in Timișoara, an academic gathering dedicated to the memory of Reinhart Koselleck. Under the scientific leadership of Professor Victor Neumann, the event laid the intellectual foundations for a landmark Lexicon of Fundamental Romanian Concepts, bringing together renowned scholars—including Andrei Marga, Hans Erich Bödeker, Ruxandra Demetrescu, Mihai Dinu Gheorghiu, Gheorghe Schwartz, Horea Corneliu Oprean, and Dacian Palladi—to trace how core ideas like liberty, nationhood, justice, Freemasonry, art, and conservatism have evolved over centuries. Moving beyond event-centered historiography, the text explores the semantic shifts, ideological reappropriations, and political weaponization of language across Romanian and European history. Highlighting a crucial dialogue with Prof. Bödeker on the dangerous contemporary redefinition of terms like Remigration, Cristea warns against the erosion of democratic values through corrupted vocabulary. Ultimately, the essay frames the upcoming Lexicon not merely as an ambitious encyclopedic project, but as a vital intellectual defense mechanism designed to preserve historical truth, foster critical discernment, and safeguard genuine democratic discourse in a world of rapidly distorted words.
FÂNTÂNI ARTISTICE ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE nr.108, 08/2026 ▲
LOCURI INEDITE DIN EUROPA by Adina Baranovschi (Foto: Bogdan Baranovschi) ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract: In "Unusual Places of Europe", published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026) as part of an ongoing monthly exploration of the continent's distinct cultural and natural wonders, Adina Baranovschi presents a visual and descriptive tour of Europe's iconic artistic fountains. Featuring photography by Bogdan Baranovschi, this August installment focuses specifically on the architectural masterpieces of Italy and France, celebrating how these monumental water features transform urban plazas and historic estates into vibrant cultural landmarks. Tracing a journey through Italy—from Rome’s legendary Trevi, Navona, and Spain square fountains to the grand installations of Tivoli’s Villa d'Este, Bologna, and Perugia—the text highlights their enduring magnetism for travelers worldwide. Shifting to France, the essay explores the dual charm of classic and modernist fountains, spanning from Parisian boulevards to regional gems in Nice, Bordeaux, Lyon, and Aix-en-Provence. Ultimately, the piece honors these dynamic sculptural works as enduring symbols of European heritage, aesthetic refinement, and public art.
CONVOIUL (XV) ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 08/2026 ▲
CONVOIUL (XV) by Gheorghe Schwartz Translated by Eugene Matzota ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract: In "The Convoy (XV)", published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026) as an excerpt from Gheorghe Schwartz's visionary speculative work, the narrative plunges deeper into the disorienting, meticulously engineered realities of life outside the collective march. Against a backdrop of silent surveillance, pervasive self-censorship, and automated transportation, the protagonist reflects on a tense encounter at a secluded niche table with a nervous, polarized-lens-wearing youth who has similarly abandoned the serpentine procession. Blending sharp existential philosophy with Orwellian institutional critique, the text examines the friction between assigned covert missions, the illusion of free will, and the haunting psychological vacuum left behind by erased memories and cashless societies. As the protagonist navigates urban traffic toward a rendezvous at Konrad's—haunted by fleeting glimpses of women seemingly vanished from the Convoy—the excerpt resonates as a profound exploration of human alienation, systemic control, and the desperate quest for individual identity in a totally programmed world.
CONVOIUL (XIV) ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.107, 07/2026 ▲
CONVOIUL (XIV) by Gheorghe Schwartz Translated by Eugene Matzota ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.107, 7/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract: In "CONVOIUL (XIV)", published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 107, 2026), author Gheorghe Schwartz and translator Eugene Matzota present an excerpt centered on the protagonist's profound disorientation, paranoia, and psychological exhaustion following his departure from the mysterious Convoiul. Plagued by unsettling dreams of marching alongside shadowy guards and shifting figures, the protagonist wakes in his hotel room to find his locked door mysteriously ajar. Amid blinking signals from a neighboring building and a pervasive fear of losing his sanity or failing an unseen psychological test, he navigates the hotel spaces and encounters fellow survivors. Blending surreal psychological tension with kafkaesque uncertainty, the narrative explores isolation, memory loss, and the fragile boundaries between reality and hallucination.
AZULEJOS DIN SPANIA ȘI PORTUGALIA ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE nr.107, 07/2026 ▲
AZULEJOS DIN SPANIA ȘI PORTUGALIA ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE nr.107, 07/2026 ▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract Title: “UNUSUAL PLACES IN EUROPE: Azulejos from Spain and Portugal” Text: Adina Baranovschi Photos: Bogdan Baranovschi Publication: ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE no. 107, 07/2026 “We still believe in culture!” Overview As part of an ongoing 2026 monthly series highlighting unique natural and cultural attractions across Europe, the July installment focuses on the iconic ceramic tiles known as azulejos. Originating from the Arabic term al-zulaydj (meaning "polished stone"), these decorative tiles serve as a defining visual identity and architectural landmark throughout the Iberian Peninsula. The article explores the history and craftsmanship of azulejos, tracing their evolution from Moorish heritage and 15th-century Italian majolica influences in Andalusia to 17th-century Dutch-inspired blue monochrome designs in Portugal. Featuring rich imagery, the piece highlights legendary tilework adorning churches, palaces, and facades across Spanish landmarks (Seville, Malaga, Granada, Córdoba) and Portuguese cities (Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Braga, Guimarães), where geometric patterns and vivid pictorial scenes capture historic, religious, and daily life.
CONVOIUL (XIII) ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 06/2026 ▲
CONVOIUL (XIII) de Gheorghe Schwartz Tradus de / Translated by Eugene MATZOTA ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 06/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract Title: “THE CONVOY (XIII)” — Part I: The Body of the Snake (23) Author: Gheorghe Schwartz Translated by: Eugene Matzota Publication: ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE no. 106, 06/2026 “We still believe in culture!” Overview Sitting isolated in a quiet hotel lobby, the protagonist observes former members returning from the massive, collective entity known as "The Convoy" to rejoin civilian life—reunions that appear noticeably devoid of warmth or joy. With only three days of accommodation vouchers remaining, he faces growing uncertainty about his future while grappling with the reality of his covert recruitment by a secretive system. Through a communication device concealed as a business card, the protagonist learns why Convoy attire is heavily targeted by criminals: impostors use the uniforms to pose as law enforcement, carrying out robberies and murders under the guise of official authority. As he continues his assigned mission to investigate why individuals abandon the security of the Convoy for a life of hardship, the protagonist discovers that his own thoughts—and those of all marchers—are constantly harvested, processed, and analyzed by advanced computer algorithms, revealing a pervasive system of total surveillance.
Metafizica iubirii între ieri și azi, de Ciprian Cristea ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 06/2026 ▲
Metafizica iubirii între ieri și azi, de Ciprian Cristea ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.106, 06/2026 ▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract: The Metaphysics of Love Between Yesterday and Today – A Reflection by Ciprian Cristea In this poignant essay, Ciprian Cristea explores the erosion of human depth in the age of instant connectivity. By contrasting the ceremonial, slow departure of the early 20th-century train with the sterile, high-speed travel of our era, the author illustrates a profound shift in the nature of human relationships. The central thesis is that while we have conquered distance and compressed time, we have inadvertently sacrificed the "sacred intervals"—those quiet spaces where love once grew through absence, patience, and longing. Cristea skillfully dissects the paradox of modern intimacy: - The loss of transience: The transition from the deliberate, emotional weight of letter-writing and waiting to the brutal, surgical speed of instant messaging. - The crisis of presence: The irony that we traverse continents through video calls while feeling more isolated than ever, and that the abundance of digital images has replaced the cherished, singular photograph. - The demand for slowness: The author argues that love, in its essence, is not a product of speed but of time—a slow, almost painful duration where the soul can breathe. The essay serves as a philosophical wake-up call, reminding the reader that true love begins precisely where the speed of the modern world stops. Cristea invites us to reclaim the value of silence and the sanctity of the "interval," challenging the reader to consider whether our technological "progress" is, in reality, a form of spiritual impoverishment.