New Oradea Contemporary Art (NOCA) is emerging as a new center for contemporary culture in the northwestern region of the country, dedicated to the presentation and production of visual art with local depth and international reach. Located in a prominent position on the banks of the Crișul Repede River, it serves not only as an exhibition space, but also as a vibrant meeting point for local residents and visitors. Framed by the recently restored architectural heritage of the City of Oradea, in Baroque, Secessionist and Neo-Romanian styles, this initiative positions contemporary art as a vital force in shaping the evolving character of the city. It enriches the daily lives of residents and attracts an increasing number of tourists.
New Oradea Contemporary Art (NOCA) offers a professional platform for experimenting with innovative curatorial and artistic premises. Through its curated exhibition program, led by cultural entrepreneur and gallerist Suzana Vasilescu and curator Cristina Vasilescu, NOCA invites artists and audiences from diverse backgrounds and generations to reflect on what it means to live in today's society.
The program aims to include two major exhibitions each year, along with a third dedicated to students from the University of Arts of Oradea and the surrounding region. These are accompanied by discursive and performative events that will support multidisciplinary practices, reinvigorate historical collaborations, and encourage new approaches to contemporary culture in small and medium-sized cities.
Within the center, diverse artistic voices and disciplines converge, drawing on the vast experience of the Patrimoniuol Oradea Foundation, both as an initiator and as a key facilitator. The program will bring together local and international artists, both emerging and established, as well as rediscovered and new voices, in exhibitions and discursive programs that deepen the close relationship between art, culture and society.
Taking a locally sensitive approach, the center aims to challenge the past, interrogate the present, and focus on the future. It also intends to foster collaborations with artistic communities in neighboring countries, basing its program on a strong local context, equally open to international exchange.
With this in mind, New Oradea Contemporary Art (NOCA) aims to create connections between artists, galleries, art universities and museums, contributing to the development of a sustainable cultural ecosystem for contemporary art in the Bihor region and throughout Romania.
