Balkan Baroque

“Balkan Baroque” explores the rich cultural tapestry of Timișoara, a city shaped by the influences of the Ottoman and Habsburg Empires. The project brings together handmade traditional macramé—symbols of domestic craftsmanship and cultural heritage—with mass-produced, globalized clothing in the form of sportswear.

Inspired by Timișoara’s Aurora flea market, where these eras, crafts, and products coexist on the same pavement, “Balkan Baroque” symbolizes the devaluation of cultural artifacts in the face of rapid modernization. By merging these contrasting elements, Dinu Bodiciu questions the impact of global capitalist identities on local traditions, encouraging viewers to reconsider the value and meaning of these cultural intersections in an ever-changing world.

Dinu Bodiciu is a Romanian designer and educator, founder of the sustainable fashion brand Made With Time. He is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of the Arts London.