WE, THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS
- RCI USA
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Celebrating 70 years of Romania at the United Nation
About the Event
In 1945, leaders from 50 nations convened in San Francisco to draft and sign the United Nations Charter, establishing a global institution dedicated to peace, cooperation, justice, and security. Romania joined the United Nations (UN) on December 14, 1955, and has since been a prominent member, demonstrating its commitment to the values and ideals of the world’s premier multilateral forum.
On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Romania’s accession to the UN, the Romanian Cultural Institute presents "We, the People of the United Nations", a conceptual exhibition of installations and objects by Romanian-American artist and designer Ioana Barac. Through their forms and symbolism, the works - crafted from metal, paper and plastic - evoke creativity, resilience, collaboration, transformation, and the potential for recycling, summoning founding ideals of the UN. At the same time, the exhibition alludes to the fragility of peace and democracy, which are often under threat, inviting viewers to reflect on the delicate balance between permanence and transience, between ideals and reality, as part of a constantly evolving, ever-challenged global community.
Project supported by the Permanent Mission of Romania to the United Nations.
Meet the Artist
IOANA BARAC is a Romanian-American designer, artist, and educator whose practice bridges architecture, art, and public space. Trained in architecture and urban design with a focus on drawing, geometry, and urban studies, she works at the intersection of form, narrative, and the built environment. Since 2015, she has served as an Adjunct Professor of Architecture and Design at the University of Hartford, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate design studios and advises thesis projects. Previously, she spent more than a decade as Principal Design Associate at BloomerStudio in New Haven, CT, leading projects in architectural ornament and public art, and also worked as a Senior Designer at OakPark Architects on institutional and commercial projects. Her creative work spans from graphic patterns to large-scale spatial installations, using rhythm, light, figure, and symbolism to evoke cultural meaning and embody the spirit of place. Her public projects can be found in Connecticut as well as in Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and Boston. Barac’s research interests include ornament and meaning, territory in public housing, authoritarian planning, and the relationship between self and society in urban contexts. She holds a Master of Architecture from Yale School of Architecture (2003) and a B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Hartford (1998), and previously studied at the University of Architecture and Urbanism "Ion Mincu".
