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 directed Lights On Romania since founding it in 2018.
For the full academic CV, portfolio or press kit, please get in touch via the contact page.
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)
Editions
Cluj-Napoca — every winter since 2018 · the 2024 edition was the largest to date
Bucharest — 2021–2023 · Timisoara — 2023, part of the European Capital of Culture programme
Mi-e Dor de Tine — the festival’s travelling neon, shown in London (2019) and Chicago (2021)
Conferences & Juries
2017–2019 — International GLOW Conference, Eindhoven (NL) — the future, quality and sustainability of light festivals
2017 — Lyon Light Festival Forum — Fete des Lumieres (FR)
2018 — Collumina, Cologne (DE) · 2019 — LICHTCAMPUS, Wismar (DE)
2019 & 2022 — IBSIC — Image Beyond the Screen, Lille (FR) — 2022 workshop co-moderator with Fete des Lumieres Lyon
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
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
2025 — Project director, Tri-Creates — Horizon Europe / EIT HEI grant, UAD
2020–2022 — General coordinator, Botnar Foundation research grant — OurCluj / Learning Hub Cluj
2024–2025 — Project director, Generation NEXT: Art of the Future & Artpreneur UAD — Cluj-Napoca cultural grants
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