Vlad Nancă

Works

Future Perfect II
2025
Duo from Interbellum
2025
Untitled (Group of Three)
2025
Space Travel Devices
2023
Future Landscape IV (Plattenbau)
2023
3 Planets and 4 Comets
2022
Touch (12th Century)
2022
Vis a vis
2019
Un champ stellaire
2018
Nadia
2014
Vlad Nancă

“I work with sculpture, installation and archival material to explore how space shapes human experience, from the scale of the body to architecture, cities and imagined futures, often returning to recent history and 20th century modernism as tools for thinking about the present. My early use of political and cultural symbols addressed nostalgia, transition and the tensions of postsocialist realities and the rise of capitalism, gradually evolving into a broader investigation of public space, architecture and even outer space. Drawing inspiration from decorative and monumental art traditions, particularly mosaics, I engage with materials and techniques associated with permanence and public presence. Through archival references and speculative or poetic scenarios, I question how ideals, systems and built forms shape our lives, placing the human figure at the center of space, memory and responsibility toward the future.”

Photo by Alex Gâlmeanu

Website
vladnanca.com

CV

Born in 1979, lives and works in Bucharest (RO)

STUDIES

1999 – 2001

National University of Arts, Bucharest – Photography and Moving Image Department (RO)

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2025

‘Adsumus’, Galleria Il Ponte, Florence (IT)

2023

‘Corps Orbite’, Grotto Gallery, Bucharest (RO)

2022

‘A Map of the World as Seen by Him’, curated by Stefka Tsaneva, Institute of Contemporary Art, Sofia (BG)

2019

‘Vis-à-vis’, curated by Jonatan Habib Engqvist, Suprainfinit, Bucharest (RO)

‘The City and the City’, KVOST – Kunstverein Ost, Berlin (DE)

2018

‘In the Natural Landscape the Human Is an Intruder’, Sabot Gallery, Cluj-Napoca (RO)

2015

‘Souvenirs from Earth’, curated by Liviana Dan, Galeria Calina, Timișoara (RO)

‘From White Square to White Cube’, Alert Studio, Bucharest (RO)

2014

‘That ‘70s Show’, Boccanera Gallery, Trento (IT)

2013

‘Garden of Mary’, Sabot Gallery, Cluj-Napoca (RO)

2012

‘Contemporary Locus 3’, curated by Paola Tognon, ex Hotel Commercio, Bergamo (IT)

2011

‘The Way’, curated by Liviana Dan, Contemporary Art Gallery, Brukenthal Museum, Sibiu (RO)

2010

‘Works’, Sabot Gallery, Cluj-Napoca (RO)

‘The End’, Galeria Laika, Bucharest (RO)

2009

‘Commemora’, Galerie ArtPoint, Kultur Kontakt Vienna (AT)

‘My Space’, Universul Palace, Bucharest (RO)

2007

‘Happy Sunday’, installation and performance, Work of the Month at the Contemporary Art Museum, Bucharest (RO)

‘Galeria Noua Home Gallery’, Galeria Nouă, Bucharest (RO)

‘Boulevard Renault 12’, French Institute, Bucharest (RO)

‘Dream of Bucharest’, Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart (DE)

2005

‘Ups and Downs’, H’art Gallery, Bucharest (RO)

‘Errorism’, DSBA Gallery, Bucharest (RO)

2003

‘Vlad Nancă lives and works in Romania’, 2020 Home Gallery, Bucharest (RO)

‘Down to Earth’, CIRKUS Gallery, SKC, Belgrade (RS)

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2025

‘Human Scale’, Romanian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, together with Ioana Chifu and Onar Stănescu, curated by Cosmina Goagea, Venice (IT)

2024

‘Cover me softly’, BETA Architecture Biennial, curated by Oana Stănescu, Garrison, Timișoara (RO)

2023

‘The Horizontal Wall’ (duo show with Bora Baboci), curated by Mihnea Mircan, Suprainfinit Gallery, Bucharest (RO)

2021

‘Let Them Draw III’, curated by Vesselina Sariev and Pravdoliub Ivanov, Sariev Gallery, Plovdiv (BG)

‘When in Doubt, Go to a Museum’, curated by Tevž Logar, City Museum of Ljubljana (SI)

2020

‘The Meaning of Sculpture’, curated by Liviana Dan, Kunsthalle Bega, Timișoara (RO)

2019

‘Because in Our Dreams We Took Risks’, curated by Diana Marincu, Art Encounters Foundation, Timișoara (RO)

‘WeTransfer: Art and Politics in Appropriate Hands’, curated by Igor Mocanu, Arts House, Timișoara (RO)

’30 Years After. Art Collection Telekom’, curated by Nathalie Hoyos and Rainald Schumacher, Carré d´Art, Nîmes (FR)

‘EX-EAST: Histoires passées et récentes des Avant-gardes Roumaines’, curated by Ami Barak, Espace Niemeyer, Paris (FR)

‘Orient 2’, curated by Michal Novotny, Kunsthalle Bratislava (SK)

‘Orient V’, curated by Michal Novotny, Fotograf Festival, Prague (CZ)

‘Halfway House’, curated by Julius Pristauz, Exile, Vienna (AT)

‘LISTEN TO US’, curated by Nathalie Hoyos and Rainald Schumacher, City Art Gallery, Plovdiv (BG)

‘PERIOD’, ICA – Institute of Contemporary Art, Sofia (BG)

‘What Are We Made Of?’, curated by Nathalie Hoyos and Rainald Schumacher, Kunsthalle Darmstadt (DE)

2018

‘It Happens’ (duo show with Luca Resta), curated by Paola Tognon, Galleria Il Ponte, Florence (IT)

‘Manufacturing Nature / Naturalizing the Synthetic’, curated by Diana Marincu, FRAC des Pays de la Loire, Carquefou (FR)

‘CUT / REZ. Examples of collage in artistic practices in Central and Eastern Europe from the Avant-garde until today’, curated by Branka Bencic and Tihomir Milovac, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb (HR)

‘Orient’, curated by Michal Novotny, travelling exhibition, Kim?, Riga (LV); Bozar, Brussels (BE); Bunkier Sztuki, Krakow (PL)

‘DOUBLE HEADS MATCHES – A selection of contemporary artworks from four Romanian private collections’, curated by Diana Marincu and Zsuzsanna Szegedy-Maszák, New Budapest Gallery, Budapest (HU)

See more

2017

‘Półprawda | Half-Truth, Works by Central and Eastern European contemporary artists from Art Collection Telekom’, curated by Nathalie Hoyos, Rainald Schumacher, and Ewa Kozik, Warsaw (PL)

‘Aerial Roots’, with Nona Inescu, curated by Nikolett Eröss, Trapéz Gallery, Budapest (HU)

2016

‘Newrope’, curated by Omar Mirza, Nitranska Galeria, Nitra (SK)

‘NEXUS: Open Fusions’, curated by Simona Nastac, Craiova Art Museum, Craiova (RO)

‘Künstlich, Natürlich!’, Sabot Gallery, Cluj-Napoca (RO)

‘Neptune Terrace’, curated by Sui Fong Yim and Inti Guerrero, Neptune (HK)

‘Wisdom of the Earth. This is not a stone’, curated by Valentina Iancu, National Museum of Art of Romania, Bucharest (RO)

‘Shape of time – Future of nostalgia, works from the Deutsche Telekom collection’, curated by Adriana Oprea, Nathalie Hoyos, and Rainald Schumacher, The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest (RO)

‘Dada Games’, curated by Valentina Iancu and Radu Stern, Romanian Cultural Institute, Berlin (DE)

‘Nature. Arte ed ecologia’, curated by Margherita de Pilati, Galleria Civica, Trento (IT)

‘Eight Present Artists’, MAGMA, Sfântu Gheorghe (RO)

2015

‘The Sons and Daughters of Brancusi. A Family Saga (Act I)’, a project by Alexandra Croitoru, Galeria Plan B, Cluj-Napoca (RO)

‘Appearance & Essence’, curated by Rainald Schumacher and Nathalie Hoyos, Timișoara Art Encounters, Timișoara (RO)

‘Objects of Desire’, Sabot Gallery, Cluj-Napoca (RO)

‘Few were happy with their condition’, curated by Olga Ștefan, Kunstlerhaus Winterthur (CH)

‘Collecting for Tomorrow: New Works at Museion’, MUSEION – Museum für moderne und zeitgenössische Kunst, Bolzano (IT)

‘The Romanian-Bulgarian Union. A retrospective’, Salonul de proiecte, ANEXA MNAC, Bucharest (RO)

2014

‘Fragile Sense of Hope. Art Collection Telekom’, me Collectors Room, Berlin (DE)

‘Blurred Lines’, ABContemporay, Zurich (CH)

‘A few grams of red, yellow, blue. New Art from Romania’, Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw (PL)

‘Get up!’, curated by Ann Stouvenel, Mains d’Oeuvres, Saint-Ouen, Paris (FR)

2013

‘Gegenwelten’, Schloss Ambras, Innsbruck (AT)

‘Get up!’, curated by Ann Stouvenel, The Paintbrush Factory, Cluj-Napoca (RO)

2012

‘New Nomenclature’, Pies Gallery, Poznan (PL)

‘Ready, Set, Go!’, Nitra Gallery, Nitra (SK)

2011

‘Bucharest: City of Paradoxes’, Photo Espana, Madrid (ES)

‘DEMOC(K)RACY #1’, La Criée, Rennes (FR)

‘Bombastic Fantastic Plain Vanilla’, amt_project, Bratislava (SK)

‘Image to be projected until it vanishes’, curated by Mihnea Mircan, MUSEION, Bolzano (IT)

2010

‘Raising Dust’, Calvert 22 Gallery, London (UK)

‘Young Artists’ Biennial’, Ştirbei Palace, Bucharest (RO)

‘Mircea Pinte Collection’, Museum of Art Cluj, Cluj-Napoca (RO)

‘Social Cooking Romania’, Contemporary Art Gallery, Brukenthal Museum, Sibiu (RO)

2009

‘La condició de la imatges’, Institut d’Estudis Ilerdencs, Lleida (ES)

‘1989 – 2009. 20 years after’, MOYA – Museum of Young Art, Vienna (AT)

‘Dacia’, Galerie Commune, Tourcoing (FR)

‘Bad Times / Good Times’, Futura Gallery, Prague (CZ)

‘Land of Human Rights: Being Responsible for Resources’, <rotor>, Graz (AT)

2008

‘Overcoming Dictatorships’, Rotunda Gallery, University of Birmingham (UK); MNAC, Bucharest (RO)

‘Zarea / Made in Republica Moldova’, Apartamentul 17, Bucharest (RO)

‘New Bucharest Markets’, Romanian Cultural Center, London (UK)

‘Communism Never Happened’, Pavilion Normandie, Caen (FR)

‘Remix’ (with Janek Simon), Raster Gallery, Warsaw (PL)

2007

‘Social Cooking’, NGBK, Berlin (DE)

‘Art for Fun’, Casal Solleric, Palma de Mallorca (ES)

‘Back to the Future / Cu spatele la viitor’, Galeria Nouă, Bucharest (RO)

‘History Simulator’, curated by Mihnea Mircan, Donumenta, Galerie Leerer Beutel, Regensburg (DE)

‘Der Prozess’, Prague Biennale 3, curated by Marco Scotini, Prague (CZ)

‘Editing Project’, curated by Lorenzo Benedetti, Rome (IT)

‘Ideal Urbanities’, Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart (DE)

2006

‘WeAreTheArtists: Mixed Pickles 2’, K3, Zurich (CH)

‘Playing with Terrorism’, Kunstlerverein Malkasten, Düsseldorf (DE)

‘Polish Year in Madagascar’, Antananarivo, Madagascar; Atlas Sztuki, Lodz (PL)

‘Black Box’, Contemporary Romanian Video Art, House of Arts, Brno (CZ)

2005

‘WeAreTheArtists: Mixed Pickles 1’, K3, Zurich (CH)

‘Playing with Terrorism’, MASC Foundation, Vienna (AT)

‘Fake’, ATA Contemporary Art Center, Plovdiv (BG)

‘On Difference #1’, Kunstverein Stuttgart (DE)

2004

‘formate / moving patterns Bukarest ca. 2004’, Kunsthalle Project Space, Vienna (AT)

‘Romanian artists (and not only) love Ceauşescu’s Palace?!’, curated by Ruxandra Balaci, The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest (RO)

Lyon Septembre de la Photographie, Lyon (FR)

‘Academy / Shake Society’, Casino Luxembourg, Luxembourg (LU)

2003

‘Preview’, Kalinderu Medialab, Bucharest (RO)

Press

“What I try to do is communicate ideas and themes through my work. In this sense, I believe that any artistic act is political. My older works had a more direct and easily readable political message. My current works are more subtle, but for me they remain just as engaged. They may not mobilise people, but they can provoke reflection and discussion. And sometimes, that is the beginning of change.”
Read Original
“Mosaic art – especially the way mosaic is used in monumental art throughout the 20th century – is part of my artistic vocabulary. I’m also interested in Byzantine mosaic, object design and, more recently, the way the human body is represented in architectural drawing. (…) What I try to convey through my practice related to the representation of the human body is that no matter how society and architecture evolve, a constant element of the relationship to the built environment is the human presence. This transcends time. It is a constant throughout history.”
Read Original
The artist “constantly embarks on never-ending personal quests seeking to trace and recreate lost memories, as well as to critically tackle political and cultural semiotics that govern his everyday. There is a lot of digging and researching in Vlad Nancă’s practice—a foundational component is his ability to find novelty where no one expects it, to excavate meaning and various forms of inspiration in a sort of archaeological mining into the realm of collective nostalgia. Although his search remains a personal striving—one that is self-referential and almost autobiographical—, its relatability to anyone who remembers the 1980s and has lived through the long 1990s cannot be questioned.”
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Exhibitions

Memories and Prophecies