Diana Nicolaie took over as CEO of Art Safari New Museum on October 20, the Bucharest cultural institution announced. She succeeds Ioana Ciocan, who had led Art Safari since 2015.
During Ciocan’s tenure, Art Safari developed into a national cultural project, organizing 19 editions and attracting more than 1 million visitors.
Diana Nicolaie has already worked extensively with the organization. She designed the architectural concept for its new venue at 13 Amzei Square in Bucharest and coordinated several exhibitions.
Her projects include Bags: Inside Out, organized in partnership with London’s Victoria and Albert Museum; Enescu and the Minotaur, developed with the George Enescu International Festival; Romanian History in 100 Portraits; and R: Eminescu. The Rational Poet.
She has also coordinated exhibitions in the museum’s current season, including War and Peace, Pop Art. A World in Color, and Cristian Mungiu. Fjord, Photographs.
“I am honored to receive the baton from Ioana Ciocan and lead Art Safari New Museum, a landmark on Romania’s artistic and cultural scene,” Diana Nicolaie stated.
“I fully feel both the joy and the responsibility of continuing the team’s work over the past 12 years.”
She also said the institution would continue developing exhibitions based on audience interests, forming partnerships with Romanian and international museums and artists, and making art accessible to younger generations.
A graduate of the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urban Planning and the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Nicolaie has nearly two decades of experience in design. She expanded her practice into visual art in 2023, presenting exhibitions in Bucharest and New York.