This month, we are absolutely thrilled to welcome you to the launch of the third module of our LOC mobile augmented reality app! It features 3 brand-new installations and a wonderful book documenting the creative processes behind them. This year's theme focuses on the delightful idea of the "Playground" and was explored through exciting workshops dedicated to children and youth.
Coordinated by our wonderful colleague and artist Mihai Păcurar, the LOC platform has been bringing joy since 2023. It serves as a fantastic gallery of projects that can be accessed either on-site in Cluj-Napoca or from absolutely anywhere, following a different set of fun instructions. To find out more about this magical project, we caught up with Mihai for a lovely chat below.

1. How did this project come to life? What was the context for you, and where does this fascination with urban spaces and augmented reality come from?
Mihai Păcurar: The LOC project was born from two beautiful needs: one was the desire to translate into a shareable medium my thoughts on how the city grows around us, and the second was to create a safe, collaborative space for creative minds to explore how we live together. I realized that augmented reality could be a powerful tool for reflection and gentle critique, but also a fantastic way to offer interactive education! Plus, I just couldn't resist the fun temptation of populating our urban spaces with art, without "occupying" them in the physical sense.
2. You have been collaborating with Reactor for many years, and things have really come together beautifully! You've been part of various projects in different artistic roles, and you're also the visual wizard behind everything at Reactor. Does your role change now as the coordinator of the LOC platform, bringing to life a different, auxiliary side of theatrical activity? How do you see it connecting with what happens on the Reactor stage?
M.P.: I feel the LOC platform beautifully complements the artistic practices here at Reactor! In both cases, we are deeply rooted in the present world around us. Reactor’s plays offer a direct, heartfelt connection between the audience and the performance, mediating a wonderful exchange of feelings and ideas that touch on both personal and collective experiences. The LOC platform proposes a very similar, cozy gesture of bringing the audience closer to art—still anchored in real life, but free from the stage, opening up the exploration and reflection to the entire city! Once downloaded, the LOC app can be enjoyed anywhere, from bustling urban streets to the cozy comfort of your own living room.
Additionally, LOC offers a wonderful multidisciplinary collaborative space (just like Reactor’s stage projects) that welcomes brilliant specialists from diverse fields and participants of all ages. That is why I believe LOC beautifully expands the wonderful community of theatergoers and art lovers who connect with Reactor.
Since I have always been passionate about Reactor's relationship with our amazing audience and the unique ways we meet, coordinating the LOC project is a true joy! It gives me the perfect playground to experiment with new ways of bringing people together.
3. Beyond the coordinating role, what was it like for you to lead the workshop with the students? What were you aiming for, how did you design the workshop, and what are the exciting results?
M.P.: Alongside the general coordination of the LOC projects, this year I had the absolute pleasure of leading a three-day workshop with six brilliant students from the Digital Interactive Arts department at the Faculty of Theatre and Film. Since this year’s theme was "Playground", we set out to explore the wonderful, playful facets of this concept in relation to the city. This led us to look at playgrounds with a touch of sweet nostalgia, but also with a curious eye toward possibilities that can bring us back together in shared, non-transactional public spaces—turning urban areas into warm places of communion with endless possibilities for interaction! The result of this workshop blossomed into one of this year's three AR installations, a piece that beautifully balances nostalgia for the past with a hopeful look at the future of how we live together.
The other two installations inspired by the playground theme were created during workshops where we connected with two other very important age groups. The lovely Minitremu group worked with primary school children in a series of workshops exploring their dreams and ideas for a playground that is inclusive of all species! Meanwhile, Alex Halka and Vlaicu Golcea led a fantastic sound workshop for preteens, exploring the unique needs of this special age group, who find themselves in that long, often confusing transition from using children's playgrounds to developing more complex social and personal needs.
Together, we have created three wonderful AR installations that cover a beautiful spectrum of perspectives looking toward the future of our relationship with shared city spaces!
4. What will the experience be like for the audience coming to see the installations? What are your hopes, and what kind of reactions do you think this content will spark?
M.P.: For the grand launch on December 17th at Reactor, we will be offering a generous space for each installation, allowing everyone to explore them at their own happy pace! Generally, the AR installations on the LOC platform invite you to take a breath, practice a bit of patience, and dive into an active, immersive experience where you take your time to play and connect with each piece. Sound plays an incredibly magical role in these installations, and this year, it has truly become a main layer of the experience! I believe these AR journeys offer a wonderful invitation to slow down, allowing a reflective state to set in and leaving plenty of room for your own thoughts about your relationship with the city.
In addition to the three brand-new AR installations, at the launch on December 17th we will also have dedicated spaces to explore the beloved installations from previous years. Visitors will get to interact with the amazing world created by the 4th-grade students of the "Octavian Goga" school in the "City of the Future" installation, as well as the wonderful works of Gál Orsolya, Ioana Hogman, and Marius Mornea from the "Central Park" project.
All installations are wonderfully kid-friendly, which is why we are so excited to make the evening of December 17th a joyful night out for families and friends alike at Reactor!

A cultural project proudly co-funded by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the project results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.

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