About
Music Gallery is the first and only exhibition dedicated to music in Romania. The project utilizes the format of an art gallery to provide the public with an immersive and unique experience that unveils the process behind musical creation, emphasizing the auditory sense. Created by the organizers of Jazz in the Park, the exhibition is built around Jazz music and its distinct characteristics.
Music Gallery is structured around 3 main pillars:
- Listen
- Learn
- Explore
The Listen pillar has a dual significance: in the gallery, we emphasize both what to listen to and how to listen. We have curated a mediatheque featuring the most important jazz albums from the genre’s inception to the present, using high-quality playback equipment. In the gallery, vinyl records are predominantly used, and playback is conducted solely through high-quality speakers and headphones, ensuring a special user experience.
The Learn pillar addresses the aspects that have influenced and shaped Jazz as we know it, as well as how Jazz has influenced the world and the emergence of other musical genres. A clearer understanding helps everyone better grasp the underlying message, and we aim to convey through art or words the things that sounds alone cannot express as clearly.
The Explore pillar seeks to expose the public to audio equipment and artistic installations that are not easily accessible. We use Hi-Fi playback equipment, which most people cannot easily purchase, create instrument simulators to demonstrate the complexity of playing or creating music, and collaborate with visual and multimedia artists to showcase the multidisciplinary nature of music.
Exhibition Theme: Backstage Pass
“Backstage pass” is a term borrowed from the live events industry. The backstage area is reserved for artists, providing a space where the general public does not have access, allowing them to prepare for the live performance and get into the right atmosphere. Only artists and organizers are allowed back there. Occasionally, when the public is allowed in, it is usually through a favor or an expensive ticket, and the experience is particularly special: you get to know the artist as a person and see them in a different context than the one where they transfer their energy through their performance.
In the context of our exhibition, “backstage pass” represents our desire to show the audience what lies behind the music. We will provide glimpses into the life of an artist or concert organizer, the pressure of composing music or being a celebrity, and we will open up and share with the public the unseen aspects of music. Additionally, we aim to highlight the social and political context that often serves as a source of inspiration for art.
Jazz is a music of protest, a genre born from a community’s desire to have something of their own, and it has had a fantastic journey and evolution over time. Jazz has influenced the birth of other musical genres and served as inspiration for artists who have become world-renowned musicians.
“Backstage pass” is a theme designed to bring you closer to music, helping you understand the complexity of the thoughts and emotions behind an album, a piece, or even a few chords on an instrument.
The exhibition was created by Fapte. Founded in Cluj-Napoca in 2012, Fapte organizes cultural events with impact in the community. We believe in the power of example and the inspirational nature that an event can transmit to its audience. Our missions are to make art, especially music, accessible to the general public and to recontextualize public or forgotten spaces by integrating them into the cultural circuit. Our flagship project is Jazz in the Park, a landmark festival in Eastern Europe. Over our 11 years of existence, we take pride in having hosted over 450 concerts, welcoming more than 600,000 visitors, and building a positive reputation at the national level.
The Music Gallery experience is meant to be a moment of pause, an offline moment for each of us. Even though it can be visited in groups, the experience is a solitary one, where it’s just you, your thoughts, and the music you choose to listen to.
