The Line of the Valley program, 3rd Edition opens August 15, 2026

In August The Romanian Association for Contemporary Art/ARAC will launch the third edition of the Linia Izei program and begin transforming the former Săcel Train Station, now a train stop, into a permanent contemporary art center. Through exhibitions, artist residencies, community-focused activities, and the involvement of local artisans, the project breathes new life into a building that has been part of village life for decades and is now reclaiming its role as a public space.

The program runs from August 15 to October 31, 2026, and brings together fourteen invited artists, whose works are created specifically for Săcel Station and its surroundings.   

This year’s edition marks the beginning of a long-term project through which the railway heritage is revitalized through culture and reintegrated into community life.

The building preserves its history while discovering a new purpose. The station continues to be a meeting place, where the community, artists, and visitors come together around culture and coffee.

The Izei Line presents cultural heritage as a resource for the present, restoring a permanent cultural function to the Săcel Train Station and creating a new gathering place for the community, artists, and visitors.

Contemporary Art in Dialogue with Place

The 2026 edition, titled Rhythms of Continuity, invites reflection on the relationship between water, landscape, heritage, and community. The art center is named Linia Izei, a reference both to the railroad that crosses the Iza Valley and to the Iza River and the network of waterways that define this territory.

Drawing on the unique character of the Iza Valley and the memory of the place, the works created specifically for Săcel Station explore the connections between nature, infrastructure, and local practices, fostering a dialogue between contemporary art and the region’s cultural heritage.

The exhibition will bring together works designed specifically for Săcel Station and the surrounding areas, transforming the entire complex into a journey of discovery and encounter.

Participating Artists

Matei Bejenaru, Iosif Király, Aurora Király, Ioana Cîrlig, Megan Dominescu, Iulian Bisericaru, Mihaela Moldovan, Dan Vezentan, Radu Marțin, Anton Király, Ilie Mihali, Adelina Ivan, Delia Popa, and Anetta Mona Chișa. The program is under the artistic direction of Anca Poterașu, and the curatorial team consists of Lorena Marciuc and Daria Corlățan.

Project: Linia Izei, 3rd Edition

The program runs from August 15 to October 31, 2026

August 15 – opening of the Linia Izei public program, 3rd Edition;

August 16 – Animest and TIFF film screenings;

September 3 – opening of the “Rhythms of Continuity” exhibition and conference;

October 31 – closing of the exhibition.

Location: Săcel Train Station, Valea Izei, Maramureș County

Organization: Asociația Română pentru Artă Contemporană (ARAC) / Galeria Anca Poterașu

Partners: Săcel Local Council, Săcel Elementary School, Guido, Orzac Design, Animest, TIFF, Greentek