Night Owls at the Castle / Official Opening of TRANS.FORT 3.0 / THE GREEN ENCLOSURE

Trans.FORT 3.0 Reopens Heritage to the Public: Apold Becomes a Stage for Contemporary Art, Biodiversity, and Local Mythology
Fortified Church of Apold, Mureș County
May 17, 2025

On May 17, 2025, CasApold Association officially launches Trans.FORT 3.0, a multidisciplinary project focused on artistic and community-based valorization of heritage in southern Transylvania. The project blends contemporary art, cultural research, and non-formal education in the unique setting of the Fortified Church of Apold.

This year’s edition opens with “Night Owls at the Castle”, a performative evening that transforms the historic site into a vibrant space reimagined through artistic installations, community interventions, live music, candlelit tours, and — for the first time — the launch of The Green Enclosure, a landscape and educational regeneration initiative that turns the church garden into a biodiverse and creative habitat.

THE GREEN ENCLOSURE: NATURE AND HERITAGE IN DIALOGUE

A central feature of Trans.FORT 3.0 is the inauguration of The Green Enclosure — an ecological and interpretive garden spotlighting local biodiversity, spontaneous flora, and traditional micro-landscapes. The Green Enclosure serves as:

a non-formal education space
a site for ecological and aesthetic reflection
a platform for temporary artistic interventions

This project invites a contemporary engagement with nature through visual interpretation, thematic pathways, and sensitive landscaping adapted to the historical context of the fortification.

NIGHT OWLS AT THE CASTLE: OPENING EVENT

The opening event, “Night Owls at the Castle,” offers a nocturnal and sensory experience where heritage merges with art and research. The program includes:

“Forest Maiden” – a research-based exhibition curated by Ioana Cotulbea, exploring the local myth of the Forest Maiden through an interdisciplinary collaboration featuring:

• Ioana Cîrlig (photography)

• Maria Balabaș & Mihai Balabaș (sound installation)

• BIOMA (botanical illustration)

• Sanda Veber & Ioana Cotulbea (video documentary)
  Curator: Ioana Cotulbea / Research: Ilinca Micu, Gina Săndulescu, Oana Cristina Verdier, Gabi Cherciu / Project team: Ioana Cotulbea, Claudia Cloud, Maria Mora, Cosmin Tănase, Mihai Barabancea

“Anti Body / Foreign Bodies” – an installation by Ioana Ardelean exploring the relationship between identity, craftsmanship, and resilience.

️ Permanent Trans.FORT Exhibition Spaces:

• hiSTORY – tracing changes in fortified villages, especially the story of Apold’s fortress

• IN-tâlnire – about the cohabitation of traditions and cultural diversity over the centuries

• INtransilva – focused on the local ecosystem

Live Concert: ENFERMA
DJ Set: Tripster
️ Candlelit Guided Tours: immersive night tours offering an initiatory journey through space and the senses

PARALLEL ACTIVITIES: GLOBAL BIG DAY

The event coincides with Global Big Day, an international initiative focused on birdwatching and avian biodiversity. Participants are invited to explore the protected area of the Hârtibaciu Plateau in teams and contribute to the global map of observed species. This activity is organized in partnership with the Open Landscape Federation.
At the end of the day, participants will gather in Apold for a joint session and award ceremony for the team with the most observations.

Trans.FORT was launched as an experimental platform for the cultural reactivation of fortified churches in southern Transylvania. It offers curatorial formats that integrate local communities, contemporary artists, and vulnerable heritage into a co-creative, research-based, and civically engaged process.

Trans.FORT 3.0 is about:

Heritage as a living, not just preserved, space
Nature as a source of education and expression
Art as a tool for regeneration and community reimagining

The project is supported by the Order of Architects of Romania, through the Architecture Stamp, and The King’s Foundation.
Main partners: Fortified Church Foundation, Open Landscape Federation, Collective Memory Mining (CMM), Apold Town Hall

Exhibition spaces are open to the public from May 17 to September 30, 2025:
• Tuesday – Saturday: 9:00–13:00 / 14:00–18:00