Romanian architect, designer, and educator Oana Stănescu has been named the curator of Beta 2024 - Timișoara Architecture Biennial, now in its fifth edition. Based in New York and Berlin, Oana Stănescu is internationally recognized for her diverse portfolio of interventions around the world, challenging the confines of the profession and addressing significant societal issues. Last year, she was selected as part of 2023 New Practices by ArchDaily. As the curator of Beta 2024, Oana Stănescu will set the overarching theme of the biennale, happening in the Romanian city of Timișoara, setting the stage for an event that strives to “deliver a novel experience of architectural practice through an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach.”
Born in Romania and having finalized her architectural studies at the Faculty of Architecture in Timișoara, Oana Stănescu’s career spans a wide range of cultural and interdisciplinary projects, having opened studios in New York and Berlin. These include large-scale installations at MoMA and Coachella, an ongoing infrastructure rehabilitation project in her natal town of Reșița, Romania, and co-founding of the ambitious +POOL project in New York, aiming to reopen the river to open-air swimming. Additionally, last year she presented the Fresa pavilion as part of the annual event Concentrico in Logroño, Spain.
Through her experience, Oana brings a city-focused approach, reflecting her commitment to reimagining the potential of urban spaces while also acknowledging the limitations of architecture and the need to work beyond the confines of the profession to address the challenges of our times.
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"You Can't Do Architecture Just with Architects": In Conversation with Oana StănescuBeta represents one of the most important architectural events in the region, as the city of Timișoara, the European Cultural Capital of 2023, has strong relationships with the neighboring countries of Serbia and Hungary. The biennale is structured in two main sections, the Beta Awards, which promotes and supports professionals to contribute to the improvement of the built environment, and the Curated Exhibition, centered around the theme set by the curator and an encouragement to delve deeper into international relevant themes colored by the uniqueness of the local context. The theme is set to be announced at the beginning of spring.
I am deeply honored, excited and nervous, thrilled, and moved all at the same time. We live our lives within the confines of architecture, which makes it the perfect excuse for urgent socio-cultural conversations, especially in Romania’s unique position, with its simultaneous proximity and distance to the West. - Oana Stănescu
The previous edition of Beta, curated by Daniel Tudor Munteanu and Davide Tommaso Ferrando, centered around the theme “Another Break in the Wall,” aiming to explore the concept of commons and collective actions, striving to empower citizens to appropriate their city through subversive urban strategies. For the same event, Laurian Ghinițoiu and the Vice Versa Association presented a photographic installation documenting the landscape around the line that separates NATO anf non-NATO nations.
