Metakitchen 2.0 is an idea lab where design, sustainability, and crafts converge to transform ordinary materials into valuable resources. The installation highlights initiatives that rewrite production processes and develop solutions for a more sustainable future. These practices explore material recovery and innovation, with the potential to contribute to community development. Through their interdisciplinary approach, the use of underutilized techniques and materials, and integration into social networks, the involved artists redefine the relationship between art, design, and sustainability. Metakitchen 1.0 was previously exhibited at Kunsthalle Bega (Timisoara) and MNAC (Bucharest) as part of the Chronicles of Future Superheroes exhibition, curated by Anca Verona Mihuleț. The Metakitchen 2.0 installation is curated by Anca Nechita-Cioarec and Brîndușa Tudor (Stardust Architects), with the object design signed by Atelier Vast. The project brings together the practices of Andreea Tron (Romania/Switzerland), Studio Flétta & Ýrúrarí (Iceland), and Apai Emese (Romania).

📍 Exhibition custodians: Călin Anisia and Crîstoiu Maria

📅 TRANSIT HOUSE SCHEDULE:

Friday, February 21
19:00 | Metakitchen 2.0 Opening

Saturday, February 22
10:00 - 11:00 | Installation presentation – with curators Anca Nechita-Cioarec and Brîndușa Tudor (Stardust Architects)
11:00 - 14:00 | Workshop: The Future of Materials – Kitchen-made Bioplastics, with Andreea Tron
16:00 - 18:00 | Workshop: Pizza Time – coordinated by Flétta & Ýrúrarí Sunday, February 23 - Tuesday, February 25
14:00 - 21:00 | Visiting hours

Tuesday, February 25
18:00-19:00 | Cultural Mediation Workshop – coordinated by Emese Apai

About the artists:
⚪ Andreea Tron is a Romanian researcher and innovation designer based in Zurich, Switzerland. Her work explores the intersection between craft and technology, reinventing ancient techniques for the future. By integrating material research, sustainability, and digital innovation, she creates garments that honor tradition while embracing new possibilities. With studies in architecture (BA, UAUIM Bucharest; MSc, TU Eindhoven/KTH Stockholm) and an MA in Fashion Design from FHNW Basel, Andreea Tron merges various disciplines to push the boundaries of craft and material innovation. Her research covers areas such as weaving, zero-waste design, bioplastics, and sustainable alternatives for textile dyeing. Between 2017 and 2022, she led Atelier Tron, a textile design studio focused on circular and regenerative production, where she organized workshops on natural dyeing, ink making, and sewing. Since 2023, she has been designing functional clothing for a Swiss outdoor equipment brand, integrating advanced materials and technologies. Through her work, she challenges fashion conventions, exploring how craft can contribute to a more sustainable future.

📌 At Metakitchen 2.0, Andreea Tron will coordinate the Future of Materials workshop: Kitchen-made Bioplastics.
⚪ Flétta is an Icelandic design studio founded by Birta Rós Brynjólfsdóttir and Hrefna Sigurðardóttir, known for its innovative approach to circular design and crafts. By transforming discarded materials into unique products, Flétta combines playful aesthetics with a deep critique of excessive consumption and waste. Their creativity and commitment to sustainability have earned them international recognition, including awards for their projects Pizza Time and the Airbag pillow, which were distinguished at the Icelandic Design Awards.
⚪ Ýrúrarí is an Icelandic textile designer based in Reykjavik, known for his works made from reclaimed textiles. The main theme of his creations is the lifespan of materials and their presence in the human environment, exploring how developing a unique character can increase the perceived value of materials. 📌 At Metakitchen 2.0, Flétta and Ýrúrarí will coordinate the Pizza Time workshop, a creative experiment exploring sustainable design in an accessible and interactive manner.
⚪ Emese Apai is a specialist in cultural and artistic mediation with extensive experience in interdisciplinary projects. She has collaborated with Brush Factory/Artbecedar, AltArt Foundation, Transit House, Someș Delivery, Cluj Cultural Center, Remarkable Romania, and SOR Cluj, and has participated in artistic projects in the textiles field, Creative Europe, and community development. She has worked with various social groups, including children, people from disadvantaged backgrounds, seniors, people with disabilities, and refugees. Currently, she is a museum educator at the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania and coordinates workshops on recycling, creation, mediation, and self-awareness within projects such as Remarkable Romania, Flux Project, Pillot, and Nelles Institute Transylvania. Her passion for art, exploring human nature, and connections between people is reflected in her artistic practice. Emese is interested in forms of expression that occur at the intersection of perception, form, play, and exploration, emphasizing the multisensory experience and inner resources of participants.
📌 At Metakitchen 2.0, Emese Apai will coordinate a cultural mediation workshop, reinterpreting the practices of artists Flétta, Ýrúrarí, and Andreea Tron.

About the project:
Metakitchen 2.0 was selected following the open call Sustainable Urban Living, organized by the Cluj Cultural Center as part of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities: Planning, Piloting, Inspiring project. 📢 The project is funded by EEA and Norwegian Grants, through the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development, and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI). The project consortium is coordinated by the Municipality of Cluj-Napoca and includes partners from Romania, Iceland, and Norway: Cluj Cultural Center (call organizer) Babeș-Bolyai University (Romania), Federation of Youth from Cluj (Romania), Pont Group (Romania), Metapolis Architects (Romania) Reykjavik Art Museum (Iceland) Institute of Urbanism and Landscape (Oslo, Norway)