Canopy

an installation at Politehnica University of Timișoara, Romania

‘Canopy’, is a temporary art installation installed at the Politehnica University of Timișoara as part of the city's ongoing celebration of its year as the European Capital of Culture 2023.

Garbed in vibrant orange spires, the main entrance canopy of the university's primary building takes on a new life. The spires are inspired by the Casa Ernö Neuhaus on Strada Gheorghe Doja, a prominent architectural feature that mirrors the historical and cultural intricacies of Timișoara. With ‘Canopy’, visitors witness a dialogue of visual elements that captures the spirit of the city.

The installation acts as a compelling fusion of history and art, embodying the city's rich architectural transitions from the Artist Secession at the turn of the 20th century to brutalist architecture that encapsulates its Communist era. This large-scale project serves as a vibrant visual symbol, connecting key periods of Timișoara's history through every spire and creating a 'microcosm' right within the university grounds.

‘Canopy’ is a testament to the city's story and its continuous evolution. It sets out to open a space for dialogue, reflection, and renewed appreciation for Timișoara's multi-layered architectural and social narrative.

Starting from July to December of this year, the campus of the Politehnica University of Timișoara becomes a platform for social, cultural and urban regeneration. UPT Creative Campus is a programme initiated by the Politehnica University of Timișoara. What is an university campus? A physical space that aims to belong to a community of students, but in the case of the campus of the Politehnica University of Timișoara it is also a symbolic space that stores countless histories, roles and meanings gathered over the last 100 years. In the next 6 months, the UPT Creative Campus project will try to recover these histories and stories and outline a present identity of the space. The project opens up the process of the regeneration of the UPT campus, as a built space, but also as a social space, through a holistic approach which includes community development through creativity, the historical identity and the scientific heritage, the care for nature and the orientation towards a sustainable future, thus orienting the educational process on openness, inclusion and multidisciplinarity. "UPT Creative Campus" is part of the national program "Timișoara 2023 - European Capital of Culture"