Casa Darvas–La Roche, one of Oradea’s most treasured architectural landmarks, will fully reopen to the public starting 7 November 2025, marked by the inauguration of the contemporary and modern art exhibition The House with Golden Nostrils, organized by the Art Encounters Foundation in partnership with Oradea Heritage.
The opening will take place on Friday, 7 November, at 18:30, in the presence of curators Diana Marincu and Mihai Toth, alongside Ovidiu Șandor, founder of the Art Encounters Foundation. Earlier the same day, at 17:00, Șandor will take part in a public conversation dedicated to the subject of art collecting and its relevance today.
Bringing together works by artists who have shaped the course of Romanian and international art—Victor Brauner, Geta Brătescu, Ion Țuculescu, Tristan Tzara, Magdalena Abakanowicz—alongside influential contemporary voices such as Adrian Ghenie, Apparatus 22, Andra Ursuța, Ciprian Mureșan, Ioana Nemeș, and Alex Mirutziu, the exhibition traces a fluid dialogue between historical avant-gardes and today’s artistic practices.
By placing modern and contemporary works in direct conversation, The House with Golden Nostrils proposes a reflection on Oradea’s cultural identity—an identity in continuous motion, oscillating between heritage, cultural consumption, and reinvention. Representatives of the Art Encounters Foundation emphasize that the project continues the institution’s mission to bring contemporary art closer to the public, including through initiatives that reach beyond traditional exhibition venues. The partnership with Oradea Heritage provides a meaningful context for integrating significant artworks into one of the city’s most emblematic buildings, while also anchoring an extensive educational program.
This program will include workshops, courses, mentorships, and cultural mediation activities aimed at both young audiences interested in the visual arts and the broader public.
For Oradea Heritage, the collaboration with the Art Encounters Foundation marks an important step in strengthening its commitment to offering high-quality exhibitions and meaningful cultural experiences to residents and visitors alike. Representatives of the institution note that this initiative reinforces Oradea’s potential to become a national reference point in the field of contemporary art.
The House with Golden Nostrils will be open to visitors at Casa Darvas–La Roche (11 Iosif Vulcan Street) from 7 November 2025 to 7 February 2026, Tuesday through Sunday, between 10:00 and 18:00.