Daniel Popescu (b. 1990, Sibiu) is a Light Art installation artist, curator and researcher based in Cluj-Napoca. He heads the Sculpture Department of the University of Art and Design Cluj-Napoca and has served as Artistic Director of Lights On Romania since its first edition in 2018.
For the full academic CV, portfolio or press kit, please get in touch via the contact page.
Solo Exhibitions
2025 — Portal, Flow, Mirrored, in[visible] — permanent installations, Immersive Museum Sibiu (RO)
2024 — In-Between — Copenhagen Light Festival (DK) · Winter Lights Canary Wharf, London (UK) · Essen Light Festival (DE)
2023 — In-Between — Lights On: The Night Art Festival, Timisoara, European Capital of Culture (RO)
2023 — in[visible] — Winter Lights, Crossrail Place Canary Wharf, London (UK)
2022 — in[visible] — Light Night Leeds, Leeds City Museum (UK) · Lights On Romania, Bucharest & Cluj-Napoca (RO)
2017 — in[visible] & in[visible] II — Casa Matei Gallery & Untold Art, Cluj-Napoca (RO)
2016 — Mirror Street — Com’on Cluj, Cluj-Napoca (RO)
2011 — RGB.Network — Expo Maraton, Casa Matei Gallery, Cluj-Napoca (RO)
Group Exhibitions & Biennials
2023 — 1/4/4/144 — BWA Sokol Gallery (PL) & Colonia Pictorilor Contemporary Art Centre, Baia Mare (RO)
2022 — Parliament of Silence — Grand Palais Ephemere, Paris (FR) — EuroFabrique, under the French Presidency of the EU Council
2022 — Parliament of Silence — Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Etienne, 12th edition (FR)
2022 — Intertwined — Four Domes Pavilion, Museum of Contemporary Art Wroclaw (PL), European Museum Night
2022 — Parliamentary Ground — Nicodim Gallery, Romanian Design Week, Bucharest (RO)
2021 — Untitled & Invisible becomes visible — Museum of Art, Cluj-Napoca (RO)
2017–2018 — Electric Castle Arts — Portal, In-Between, Smoke Catcher, Synthetic Fireflies — Banffy Castle, Bontida (RO)
Curatorial
Conferences & Juries
2019 & 2022 — IBSIC — Image Beyond the Screen, Lille (FR) — 2022 workshop co-moderator with Fete des Lumieres Lyon
2018 — Collumina, Cologne (DE) · 2019 — LICHTCAMPUS, Wismar (DE)
2017–2019 — International GLOW Conference, Eindhoven (NL) — the future, quality and sustainability of light festivals
2017 — Lyon Light Festival Forum — Fete des Lumieres (FR)
Juries: Zsolnay Light Festival video-mapping competition, Pecs (HU, 2022) · Lumina Cascais light challenge (PT, 2018) · Art in the Park, Cluj-Napoca (RO, 2019)
Member of ILO — International Light Festivals Organisation — general assemblies since 2018
Publications, Grants & Projects
2025 — Project director, Tri-Creates — Horizon Europe / EIT HEI grant, UAD
2024–2025 — Project director, Generation NEXT: Art of the Future & Artpreneur UAD — Cluj-Napoca cultural grants
2022 — PhD thesis: Festivalization of Light Art — the refraction of light art from museum toward public space, UAD Cluj-Napoca
2022 — Urban Comics as a Research Method and Tool in Social Innovation — Journal of Media Research, 15(3)
2022 — Activating Values In Urban Transitions — PUNKT, collective volume
2020–2022 — General coordinator, Botnar Foundation research grant — OurCluj / Learning Hub Cluj
Education & Roles
2014–2021 — PhD in Visual Arts, University of Art and Design Cluj-Napoca
2012–2014 — MA Photo-Video · 2009–2012 — BA, UAD Cluj-Napoca
2005–2009 — Gheorghe Lazar National College, Sibiu — mathematics-informatics · international astronomy olympiad, Beijing 2005
2024 — present — Head of Sculpture Department, UAD · President, Schoolptura Association
2023 — present — Lecturer, UAD · President, UniversitArt Association
2017–2020 — Arts commission member, ARACIS — Romanian agency for quality assurance in higher education