Central Romania: Fortified church in Apold opens for program of live music, exhibitions, guided tours

The Fortified Church of Apold, in central Romania’s Mureş county, will open on May 17 for a performative evening that is meant to transform the historical site into a lively space, CasApold Association, the organizers of the event, announced.

The program of the evening includes community interventions, live music, candlelight tours, art installations and the launch of Green Enclosure (Incinta Verde), a garden highlighting local biodiversity, spontaneous flora and traditional micro-landscapes.

The public can see the research exhibition The Forest Girl, which explores the myth of the Forest Girl through a collective and interdisciplinary approach. It is coordinated by Ioana Cotulbea and gathers contributions from Ioana Cîrlig (photography), Maria Balabaș and Mihai Balabaș (sound installation), BIOMA (botanical illustration), and Sanda Veber & Ioana Cotulbea (video documentary). Also on display will be Anti Body / Foreign Bodies, an installation by Ioana Ardelean, probing the relationship between identity, craft, and resilience.

The evening also includes a live concert and guided tours by candlelight.

The Trans.FORT permanent exhibition spaces present the projects hiSTORY, about the transformations in fortified villages, especially the story of the Apold fortress; IN-meeting, about the cohabitation of traditions and cultural diversity over the centuries and traditions; and INtransilva, about the local ecosystem.

The May 17 event is part of Trans.FORT 3.0, a “multidisciplinary project for the artistic and community valorization of the heritage of southern Transylvania, combining contemporary art, cultural research and non-formal education.”

(Photo: Svlase/ Dreamstime)