The Jury for the 2024 edition

  • DIANA MARINCU

    She is curator and art critic, Artistic Director of the Art Encounters Foundation Timișoara, member of AICA and IKT. She received her PhD at the Bucharest National University of Arts in 2017, at the Art History and Theory department, with a research on the curatorial discourses about identity and From 2012 to 2018 she worked with the Plan B Foundation from Cluj and with the Paintbrush Factory. Between 2015-2017she co-curated with Anca Verona Mihuleț the project in six parts The White Dot and The Black Cube, The National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest. Within the programs created for Art Encounters Foundation, Diana Marincu aims to strengthen the link between the regional artistic scenes, to establish artistic connections based on co-production, and to support the young generation of artists.

  • DARIA GHIU

    Daria Ghiu holds a PhD degree in Art History and Theory with a thesis on the history of the Romanian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (UNARTE Bucharest). She is an art critic and historian, journalist at Radio România Cultural and, occasionally, a curator. In November 2015, IDEA Publishing House published her volume ”În acest pavilion se vede artă”, as a result of her doctoral research. Between 2016 and 2023 she was an associate lecturer at CESI - Center for Excellence in Image Studies. She is the producer of the radio shows ”Arte frumoase” and ”Orașul vorbește” (Radio Romania Cultural). Since 2007, she has been writing art chronicles in various cultural and art publications in the country and abroad.

  • SANDRA DEMETRESCU

    With an academic background in both art history and theory and photography and video, she curated exhibitions in museums, galleries and independent spaces across Romania and abroad and contributed in, or co/edited various art publications. Over the years, she has produced, independently or in collaboration, a series of exhibitions with varied themes and stakes, from large retrospectives to group exhibitions with complex themes.

    Sandra is since 2022 Director of Exhibitions and Programmes at MNAC – The National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest, where she works since 2014.

Honorific Members

  • ANCA UNGUREANU

    IDENTITY & COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR UNICREDIT BANK ROMANIA

    Anca Ungureanu boasts 21 years of experience in marketing and communication. She has held the position of Director of Identity & Communication at UniCredit Bank Romania since 2009, overseeing the bank's internal and external communication, retail and corporate marketing, brand management, as well as community engagement and CSR projects.

    She is also supervising the marketing & communications activities for UniCredit Leasing and UniCredit Consumer Financing at country level.

    Anca graduated from the EMBA program at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership and is an Aspen Young Leader (2013) and a Certified Sustainability Practitioner of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA).

    She additionally co-established Beans&Dots Specialty Coffee Shop & Kitchen in January 2017 driven by her enthusiasm for specialty coffee and gastronomy. Anca has served as a jury member in a multitude of advertising, digital communication, PR, and design competitions throughout her professional career.

    Anca has spent over 15 years immersed in the world of contemporary art, driven by a genuine love for its creativity and ever-changing forms. She finds joy in supporting and uplifting artists, always striving to create spaces where new voices can thrive. Whether it's through encouraging emerging talent or engaging with bold, innovative projects, Anca's passion for contemporary art is deeply rooted in her belief that art has the power to transform pur world, especially in the Romanian art scene she holds so close to her heart.

  • FLAVIU (AVI) CICIREAN

    Entrepreneur | Creative Director | Branding Expert

    BRAND MINDS & BRAND EMOTION

    As an entrepreneur, Flaviu Cicirean founded two landmark companies in the business environment, both in Romania and Europe: BRAND EMOTION and BRAND MINDS. The first company develops and curates the sonic identity of some of the biggest brands in Romania (BMW, Mini, Hornbach, Băneasa Shopping City, Radio21, VibeFM, Antena1, RadioZU, ZU TV), having created over 25,000 audio promos.

    BRAND MINDS aims to be an authentic source of inspiration for the global business environment, encouraging people to create a better world for future generations.

    The company is now a market leader in the business events industry in Central and Eastern Europe, attracting thousands of participants annually from over 80 countries. In the fall of 2017, BRAND MINDS expanded to Asia with its first event held in Singapore, and in 2023, it launched the first business tour in Romania dedicated to Romanian entrepreneurs – the Romanian Entrepreneurs Tour.

    His lifelong love for art was nurtured from an early age, shaped by his artistic surroundings, including his grandfather's paintings and sculptures. Over the past 14 years, Avi's approach has evolved into a profound exploration of art as a means of personal expression and identity. His collection is an ongoing journey fueled by passion, featuring works from some of the most well-known Romanian artists.

  • MIHAI NICODIM

    FOUNDER OF NICODIM GALLEY IN (BUCHAREST, LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK)

    Mihai Nicodim opened his first gallery in 2006 in Los Angeles with a focus on exposing emerging and overlookedAmerican, African, Asian, and European artists to an international audience. Nicodim opened a Bucharest gallery in 2014 and expanded to an additional location in New York in 2021. The artists on the gallery's roster share a common interest in reassessing art history from an outsider's perspective and challenging its established framework. The gallery was the first to show Adrian Ghenie (Romania), Ciprian Muresan (Romania), Devin B.Johnson (United States), Dominique Fung (Canada), Isabelle Albuquerque (United States), Katherina Olschbaur(Austria), Rae Klein (United States), and Moffat Takadiwa (Zimbabwe) in major solo exhibitions stateside, placing their works in important private and public collections, and helping their careers blossom into global prominence. Other notable artists who have shown with Nicodim early in their careers include Kris Lemsalu, Oscar Murillo, Jorge Peris, Anna Uddenberg, Ambera Wellmann, Hugo Wilson, and Zhou Yilun. The gallery maintains relationships with prominent institutions and has placed works by the gallery's artists in the collections of Denver Art Museum, the Hammer Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, the Studio Museum in Harlem, Centre Pompidou, Rubell Museum, SFMOMA, the Yuz Museum, Pond Society, the Longlati Foundation, and the East West Bank Collection, and many others.

  • MARIANA FLORESCU

    CONTEMPORARY ART COLLECTOR

    Mariana Florescu is a passionate collector of contemporary art, already recognized as one of the active figures on the Romanian art scene. For over a decade, Mariana has enthusiastically supported and promoted contemporary art, showcasing significant segments of her impressive collection in museums and art centers.

    Her interest in collecting art began in childhood when she discovered the beauty and diversity of art through a philatelic stamp collection. Her curiosity and fascination for art gradually grew, fueled by visits to museums, exhibitions she attended, and the art books she studied.

    "Art gives me an energy that I feel I need more and more. It is a way to live better, surrounded by creative spirits, beauty, and a different understanding of the world."

    Mariana Florescu continues to explore the world of contemporary art with the same passion, actively supporting the art scene by acquiring and promoting valuable works. With a meticulous approach and an insatiable desire to learn, Mariana engages in the research of each piece, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding and contextualization of contemporary art.