HUMAN SCALE – Romanian Participation at the La Biennale di Venezia 

Romanian Participation at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia 

HUMAN SCALE, an exhibition and research project by artist Vlad Nancă and architecture duo Muromuro Studio, curated by Cosmina Goagea, represents Romania at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. HUMAN SCALE will unfold across the Romanian Pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale and the New Gallery of the Romanian Institute of Culture and Humanistic Research in Venice, inviting reflection on the intersection of visual arts and architecture, through a dialogue between drawings by 20th century Romanian architects and the work of contemporary artist Vlad Nancă. 

HUMAN SCALE highlights the various forms of intelligence – conceptual, historical, technological, artistic, emotional – embodied in architectural drawing as a form of thinking and modelling the built space. COSMINA GOAGEA, curator of HUMAN SCALE says: “HUMAN SCALE focuses on ‘Collective Intelligence’ – specifically, how we can critically revisit 20th century architecture seen through the lens of the human-as-a-sign present in architectural drawings, in the hope of finding new keys to re- inventing our existing buildings and adapting them for 21st century life. By questioning the various types of utopias which all say that people matter above all, the exhibition attempts to recover a direct, humane and just relationship with the built heritage and its surrounding environment.” 

Since 2017, the artist Vlad Nancă has been developing a series of works at the intersection of drawing and sculpture, inspired by scale models in architectural drawings. Nancă enlarges these figures to human scale in a gesture he perceives as one of ‘liberation’ from the sketch, drawing attention to the presence of humans in architecture and their importance as a central and essential element in the built environment. 

Inside the Pavilion, a selection of chronologically arranged drawings are on display, reconstructing a condensed social history of architecture imagined or built in Romania throughout the 20th century, marking moments, ideologies and schools of thought and controversies. These historic works are placed in dialogue with ten life-size architectural silhouettes by Vlad Nancă, extracted from architectural drawings. Reframed through Muromuro Studio’s installation design, the scale figures become nuanced lenses for understanding architecture, inviting the viewer to consider humans as a unifying element across architecture. The scope of the 

exploration widens through a selection of maps from the 16th to 18th century, where human presence is rendered allegorically. These maps turn drawing into a rhetorical tool, used to project political and social power. A large-scale ceramic map by Nancă, also featured within the Pavilion, deepens the dialogue between architecture and cartography. 

Artist VLAD NANCĂ, said: “Humans are the unifying element in architectural drawings, transcending time. By looking at how people are drawn throughout the 20th century, we hope to underline their relevance and centrality to architecture in the 21st century, challenging visitors to look at our built environment in a different way and think about how architecture works for the people.” 

Ioana Chifu and Onar Stănescu of MUROMURO STUDIO, said: “In the Romanian Pavilion, a central, immersive installation is defined by massive translucent sheets that fill the space. The installation reverses focus: architecture disappears, placing human interaction at the forefront. The walls serve as a dialogue space between human silhouettes drawn from architectural drawings and the blurred figures of visitors. The installation subtly alters perception through shifts in scale, focus, and ambiguity, creating a meditative space where visitors rethink their relationship with the built environment and critically reflect on the future of architecture.” 

The New Gallery of the Romanian Institute for Culture and Humanistic Research acts as an extension of the exhibition, turning the gallery into a space for research and experimentation. It showcases the documentary resources behind HUMAN SCALE in the form of an extensive archive of drawings by Romanian architects from the 20th century. The layout encourages engagement: a central study table sits between two pillars housing an archive and a chronological decade-by-decade presentation. Ten enclosed metal frames, hinged around a central pillar, present key works in chronological order. A circular library area offers over 300 reproduced drawings in custom folders—which visitors can explore.

HUMAN SCALE
Vlad Nancă & Muromuro Studio (Ioana Chifu, Onar Stănescu)

CURATOR
Cosmina Goagea

COMMISSIONER
Attila Kim

PROJECT COORDINATOR
Corina Bucea

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Ana Ciobanu

HEAD OF STRATEGIC FUNDING
Suzana Vasilesc

INTERNATIONAL PR
Sam Talbot PR

ART DIRECTOR
Otilia Fiastru

COMMUNICATION
Vlad Tăușance

PR
Simona Rădoi

SOCIAL MEDIA
Andreea Ilie

ARCHVIZ
bucharest.studio

PHOTOGRAPHY
YWP Studio

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT
Bureau Castel

CULTURAL MEDIATORS COORDINATOR
Tatiana Moise

CULTURAL MEDIATORS FACILITATOR
Maria Mălcică

RESEARCH
Andreea Ilie, Alexandra Statache, Ioana Zamfir

TRANSLATION
Michael Bird, Larisa Oancea

ORGANISERS
Ministry of Culture
Romanian Cultural Institute
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Union of Romanian Architects

PRODUCER
Arrogant Films

CO-PRODUCERS
Suprainfinit Gallery
Nodul Creativ Association

PRODUCTION
Kaustik

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS
Drawing Matter
The Tchoban Foundation / Museum for Architectural Drawing
Art Encounters Foundation
MARe / Museum of Recent Art
The National Museum of the Romanian Peasant
The National Museum of Maps and Old Books
Goethe-Institut Rumänien
British Council Bucharest
Artewiser Association
Scânteia +
Vellant 

EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS
Università Iuav di Venezia
Politehnica University of Timișoara – UPT / Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (FAUT)
The “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urban Planning in Bucharest
De-a Arhitectura Association

PRIVATE PARTNERS
Linde Gaz Romania
UniCredit Bank
Voxility
Procema
KPMG Romania
Greentek Lighting
Monumental Iconic
Mavericks
Ami Amalia
Mellow, MUSO, Normal Beer
Signal Iduna Asigurări, Asigest Broker Asigurare

MEDIA PARTNERS
Zeppelin
Igloo
Kajet Journal
Mindcraft Stories
Dilema
Matca

WORKS FROM THE COLLECTIONS
The Union of Romanian Architects
The Order of Architects, Bucharest Branch
The “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urban Planning in Bucharest
The National Museum of the Romanian Peasant Margarita Brender Rubira Archive, Monique Adrian Collection
Arh. Mădălin Ghigeanu Collection
Personal Archives of Hans Fackelmann, Vasile Mitrea, Ioan Andreescu, Vlad Gaivoronschi, Pompiliu Alămorean, Adrian Ionasiu, Mircea Morovan, Ștefan Davidovici, Alex Axinte
Maria Saba Collection
Roger Akoury Collection
Dragoș Marineanu Collection
MAPS FROM THE COLLECTIONS
Ovidiu Șandor Collection
The National Museum of Maps and Old Books
“Mihai Eminescu” Central University Library Iași
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
Boston Public Library
Museum Retz Austria
Sylvia Ioannou Charitable Foundation
Biblioteka Jagiellońska

VENUES
The Romanian Pavilion in the Giardini della Biennale
New Gallery of The Romanian Institute for Culture and Humanistic Research (Palazzo Correr, Campo Santa Fosca, Cannaregio 2214) 

EXHIBITION
10 May – 23 November, 2025 PREVIEW
8 – 9 May, 2025 

WEBSITE 
www.humanscale2025.ro 

SOCIAL MEDIA
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