Join us at the Central Park for a fun look at biodiversity and AR magic!

On October 19th, we proudly launched LOC. Parcul central! This wonderful installation allows you to explore the park's vibrant biodiversity and will remain open for everyone to enjoy until November 16th.

To discover more about this exciting installation and the lovely works it features, we gathered insights from the talented artists who brought this project to life: Mihai Păcurar (initiator of the LOC platform, interdisciplinary artist, and creator of "Birds in the Park"), Ioana Hogman (interdisciplinary artist and creator of the installation "Monuments of Latency"), Marius Mornea (environmental activist and creator of "Palette of the Riverbanks"), and Orsolya Gál (visual artist and creator of "Labyrinth").

The LOC app can be downloaded completely free of charge from Google Play and the App Store! To install it, you have a few easy options: 1) via the website www.loc-cj.ro by scanning the QR code or clicking the download link on any mobile operating system, or 2) directly on Google Play or the App Store by searching for "LOC Cluj-Napoca". Once you open the app, head straight to Parcul Central, the second magical project hosted by LOC. Follow the step-by-step instructions and enjoy exploring the rich biodiversity of Central Park!

Mihai Păcurar: In 2023, together with Reactor of Creation and Experiment, I initiated the LOC platform – loc-cj.ro – an augmented reality app for art, education, and research for urban cohabitation. It beautifully brings together artists, activists, researchers, and anyone excited to explore alternative ways for different species to share and negotiate our common spaces!

I believe the LOC platform aims, among other things, to explore these fascinating relationships and investigate how city dwellers can become more conscious of the connections between themselves and this complex, living organism we call the city. Biodiversity is one of the most important conversations for our future, guiding how we integrate and find our own place within the environments we inhabit.

The process of getting closer to the idea of the park's biodiversity—as with any hybrid natural/urban space—developed very gradually. I remember times before the major landscaping, when I didn't live in Cluj yet but would visit, and I definitely wasn't aware of the non-human presence. Of course, it's there, but we usually just bundle it into the idea of a recreational area. The second stage of connection came with the permissive policies on green spaces, using hammocks, and that gentle wave of reclaiming a space we were deprived of for many decades. The third stage is where I began to pay closer attention to the traces left on the park's texture by human activities. This includes the loss of green space in the hammock areas, the unhealthy interactions with the lake's birds, and especially the footprint left behind by the wave of festivals. One phrase Marius used on our very first meeting for this project stuck with me: "technical floor." The park is often used as a technical setup for various recreational activities, and like a technical floor, it is repaired after every use. But these cycles of wear and repair, even if they keep up the illusion of a well-kept natural space, sterilize it over time, leaving an impact on what could be a much richer level of biodiversity.

This is exactly the deeper layer I wanted to explore alongside our invited artists and researchers.

Like any pilot project where we test a variety of exciting ideas, Central Park aims to explore new ways to connect with the city's residents as they interact with the installations. I hope that over time, these projects will grow even larger and become an essential part of how we educate ourselves and play, learning to live beautifully together!

Ioana Hogman: The series MONUMENTS OF LATENCY is an invitation to explore our relationship with Central Park through the lens of cohabitation. Latency is a playground of potential relationships. Depending on how we act upon the environment we share, many different scenarios and futures become possible! Just like these scenarios, the monuments are not frozen in time, but are in a constant process of transformation, shaped by the relationships we build with the other wonderful life forms sharing the park's space.

The starting point of the project was our relationship with insects, with the intent of using the park as an exploration zone for this connection through the lens of augmented reality. In the second stage, I realized that I had been building an incremental but steady relationship with plants and various forms of vegetation for some time, and perhaps the insects were just a wonderful pretext to dive deeper into this connection. These two phases were bridged by what we might call a key moment: a simple walk in the park where several threads came together, and I connected with the park's space in a truly intimate, concrete way. This intersection and weaving spontaneously generated what I now call monuments of latency.

Marius Mornea: For me, the process was completely open, without any rigid definitions or set expectations, which quickly made it beautifully unpredictable and divergent! Thematically, I started with the tension between the human-made and the wild, the visible and invisible, the implicit and explicit. For example: What does it actually mean that Central Park is green? It has trees, rich biodiversity, offers shade, peace, relaxation, fresh air, and a safe space to play and socialize. But what does this park offer to the other species living alongside us?

Gradually, larger themes emerged: the respectful distance that makes interaction with other species a friendly observation rather than a disturbance; the invisible maps of the park—warmth, noise, life, and time; and the personification of natural elements. Since I chose water as my theme, I became fascinated by the boundary between worlds: the riverbanks and how their design heavily impacts our connection with the underwater world and its accessibility for all species.

After a fascinating journey into the park's history, rich with transformations, personalities, symbols, and social roles, I realized that caddisfly larvae are impartial witnesses to the park's multi-species history. By using fragments of their environment to build their shelters, they beautifully gather and showcase all the traces left by humans, other creatures, and even natural phenomena. Their tiny homes become a neutral language that both humans and other living beings can interpret. And that is how the Museum of Caddisfly Houses was born!

Orsolya Gál: The idea of the labyrinth was born during inspiring discussions with the biologists on the LOC team, when I realized how wonderful it would be to introduce an "island" where different rules apply compared to the rest of the park. This helps foster a richer biodiversity and a friendlier, more natural environment for plants and animals alike. At first, I pictured this "island" as a place with clear boundaries, a sort of sanctuary where, due to the natural obstacles in its design, people would only have access under certain conditions.

Gradually, this sanctuary transformed into a delightful labyrinth with pathways lined by two-dimensional trees set close together. The two-dimensional nature of these elements highlights the idea of an "artificial" space with "different rules," standing out from the everyday. The rules are simple: you must follow the designated paths, and if you try to wander off, the screen dims, guiding you back to the trail. Inside the labyrinth, you will discover two "megaliths" positioned so that the drawings on their surfaces can be seen only partially. These drawings represent two variations of the tree of life: our current situation, featuring information gathered from our biologists, and a wonderful future scenario where, by following simple rules—just like staying on the labyrinth paths—we can help the park's biodiversity flourish! To follow these rules, all we need is a little respect for nature and a touch of humility from all of us.

Project initiated and developed by Reactor of Creation and Experiment. Partners: Sustainable Cluj, Cluj Cultural Centre, Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering at Babeș-Bolyai University.

Augmented reality module implemented by the Augmented Space Agency.

A cultural project co-funded by the National Cultural Fund Administration. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the program or how the project's results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grant beneficiary. Project supported by the Cluj-Napoca City Hall and Local Council.