The reconstruction of Lena Constante’s puppet workshop, the Jilava prison cell where Nicolae Steinhardt was baptized, Mihail Sebastian’s “apartment of solitude” on Calea Victoriei, Tudor Vianu’s library, or Gheorghe Ursu’s office will all be featured in a manifesto exhibition opening on Friday at La Mița Biciclista – Creative Establishment.

“Encounters. Or how a new world is born”, a celebration of authentic relationships in a divided world, presents seven emotional and lesser-known stories of friendship and love that have shaped Romanian culture, recreated through spaces of memory and reflection, scenographic reconstructions, and audio-video installations.

Starting October 31, the public will experience one of the most moving exhibitions of the year: “Encounters. Or how a new world is born”, hosted on the second floor and attic of the building on Biserica Amzei Street.

Visitors are invited to discover the intimate stories and spaces of friendships, loves, and human bonds that endured dictatorship, war, and the passage of time, and to reflect on their own decisive encounters.

Curated by Andreea Apostu and Edmond Niculușcă, the exhibition continues the tradition of large-scale shows organized annually at La Mița Biciclista – Creative Establishment, following the success of “The Country We Come From. The First 35 Years” (2024–2025) and “Monica Lovinescu. The Voice We Were Given” (2023–2024), each attracting over 30,000 visitors to the historic house on Biserica Amzei Street.

“As the world once again retreats into fear and mistrust, we bring to light several exemplary encounters — friendships and loves that survived the darkest decades of the 20th century,” the curatorial team explains:
 • Lena Constante & Harry Brauner – the love that survived political imprisonment.
• Alexandru Paleologu & Nicolae Steinhardt – the selfless friendship that made spiritual revelation possible.
• Ion Vianu & Matei Călinescu – a friendship begun in adolescence and continued for decades, between exile and memory.
• Horia Bernea & Irina Nicolau – the meeting that revived the Museum of the Romanian Peasant.
• Mihail Sebastian – the drama of solitude when encounters turn into the silence of ideology.
• Gheorghe Ursu – ultimate loyalty to friends, paid with his own life.
• Eugen Jebeleanu – on the courage of love and self-fulfillment through the other.

The exhibition’s concept was brought to life through a new collaboration between the curatorial team and architects Attila Kim and Cristina Iordache (exhibition design), and scenographer Velica Panduru.

Throughout a journey of emotion and reflection, visitors will discover:

• Witness-objects from these encounters – over 150 relics from the intimate universe of these stories, displayed publicly for the first time;
• Authentic reconstructions: Lena Constante’s puppet workshop, the Jilava cell where Steinhardt was baptized, Mihail Sebastian’s apartment of solitude on Calea Victoriei, Tudor Vianu’s library, and Gheorghe Ursu’s desk;
• Sound installations by Maria Balabaș, Andrei Raicu, and Andrei Dinescu;
• A birch forest in the attic – a space of encounter with one’s own memories and emotions.

Social and educational context

One in six people feels lonely, and loneliness and social isolation have serious consequences for health, according to a WHO report released this year.

“In a world where closeness is measured in likes, we chose to talk about real encounters — so vivid and sincere that they sometimes questioned the very meaning of life and humanity,”
 say the curators. The theme aims to spark conversations about building authentic relationships in a complicated world.
 The project’s educational program will also include thematic workshops, conferences, and round tables.

Visiting schedule and experience

The exhibition can be visited between October 31, 2025, and February 1, 2026, from Monday to Thursday, 5:00–9:00 p.m., and Friday to Sunday, 12:00–9:00 p.m.

Tickets are available online at bilete.lamitabiciclista.ro.
Prices: 25 lei for students and seniors, 50 lei general admission, and 100 lei for two-hour guided tours.
A 50% discount applies to general admission for students, pupils, and pensioners.