Grotto Gallery

New season - new projects.
Stay tuned.

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Today is the last day to visit Corps Orbite diorama by Vlad Nanca.
We invite you to join us for the finissage event between 18:00 and 20:00.

CORPS ORBITE by Vlad Nancă still on display until 12.01. For appointments and enquiries DM us.
Blending 20th-century design elements with Byzantine mosaic, the sculpture envisions a chair as a teleportation device for humanity’s potential move to another planet. The choice of a chair adds a human touch, prompting contemplation about space travel possibilities. An invitation to imagine a future where humanity gracefully transcends the confines of space, the sculpture beckons us to dream of a boundless realm where our habitation extends beyond earthly limits.
Space travel device (red), 2023
steel, ceramic tiles, Murano glass mosaic
180 x 31 x 31 cm

Future Landscape IV, 2023
UV print PVC, Murano glass mosaic
60 x 60 cm
Vlad Nancă adds a handmade mosaic representing a celestial body over enlarged scans of 1970s pictures from art and architecture albums, proposing future landscapes in an imagined inhabitation of a new planet.

Meet artist Vlad Nancă and enjoy a private tour of his exhibition.
Gallery schedule for the next few days:
14T 20-21PM
15F 16-19PM
16S 15-17PM
17S 15-17PM
Blending 20th-century design elements with Byzantine mosaic, the sculpture envisions a chair as a teleportation device for humanity’s potential move to another planet. The choice of a chair adds a human touch, prompting contemplation about space travel possibilities. An invitation to imagine a future where humanity gracefully transcends the confines of space, the sculpture beckons us to dream of a boundless realm where our habitation extends beyond earthly limits.
Space travel device (blue), 2023
steel, ceramic tiles, Murano glass mosaic
180 x 31 x 31 cm

Join us this Saturday, December 9th, starting 6PM, to discover Vlad Nanca’s solo show CORPS ORBITE.
[The title of the exhibition is a line borrowed from Ilse Garrnier’s 1979 concrete poem “Blason du corps féminin”.]
Vlad Nancă proposes a new series of works that continue his older interests and working methods, such as the colonization of space and research of 20th century architectural archives. His work is positioned at the intersection of contemporary and decorative art languages. Two sculptures with an aura of functionality become portals to a possible colonised planet, where architectural modernism is given a new chance.
Posthuman figures derived from scale models in architectural sketches from the 1990s recall the legend of human sacrifice in construction and at the same time place us at an uncertain distance from the present.
Thus, Grotto becomes a diorama through which the artist encourages a re-evaluation of our relationship to the planet, ecosystems and the built environment, reflecting the teachings of modernism in light of the current climate emergency. The suggestion of relocation to a new cosmic context expresses, in reality, a desire to give our planet a new chance.
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Our last show for this year is called ‘Corps Orbite’ highlighting Vlad Nancă’s latest work starting 9 December.
[The title of the exhibition is a line borrowed from Ilse Garrnier’s 1979 concrete poem “Blason du corps féminin”.]
Born in 1979 in Bucharest, Vlad Nancă studied Photography and Moving Image at the National University of Arts, Bucharest. His early visionary work not only showcased artistic insight but also catalysed the cohesion of Bucharest’s emerging young artist community.  Nancă’s early artistic expressions, set against the backdrop of Bucharest’s cityscape, were equally humorous but also poetic and political. Departing from studies of architectural drawings and photographic archives, his recent work signals a resurgence in spatial exploration. This exploration extends from architecture and public spaces to the vastness of outer space, forging constellations of new bodies of works.
Photo by Andreea Ilie

Join us this Saturday starting at 4 pm for the closing event of Oval’s exhibition, ‘The Way Out Is Through’.
If you have any inquiries, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us via direct message.
Do visit us!

The aftermath of our inaugural exhibition featuring Oval’s “The Way Out Is Through”. We are delighted to highlight one of the functional art pieces within the collection - the OUT vase. Crafted from welded galvanized steel concealing a glass vessel, this piece seamlessly blends industrial aesthetics with functionality. The accompanying flower arrangement, thoughtfully curated by our dear friend Vlad Nanca, adds a touch of natural elegance to the setup design. The way out is through will be on display until 18 November.
For visits check the gallery’s schedule.

Detail from our current exhibition showcasing Oval’s new collection of jewellery and object design.
The way out is through will be on display until 18 November.
For visits check the gallery’s schedule.
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Otilia Fiastru is a jeweler and graphic designer. She graduated from The National University of Architecture and Urbanism ”Ion Mincu” in 2002 and has been a graphic designer since 2001.
In 2013 she founded the contemporary jewelry brand Oval and works as a designer and maker. Oval creations were distinguished with MNAC Award in Autor Contemporary Jewellery Fair 2014 and with The Special Accessory Design Award during IFS 2016, at London Fashion Week.
www.oval.store