Metakitchen is an installation that brings together initiatives capable of rewriting the narratives of production processes. These practices share a common interest in recovering or innovating a specific material that has the potential to become a vector for sustainable development in relation to a particular community. They are pioneers of design due to their interdisciplinary nature, attention to materials and accessible techniques that have not yet been fully valued, and their visionary proposals, which also involve potential social networks.

Metakitchen 2.0 brings together the practices of Andreea Tron (Romania/Switzerland), Studio Flétta along with Ýrúrarí (Iceland) and Apai Emese (Romania).

Andreea Tron is a Romanian innovation designer and researcher based in Zurich, Switzerland. Her work explores the intersection of craft and technology, reimagining ancient techniques for the future. Integrating material research, sustainability, and digital innovation, she creates garments that honor tradition while embracing new possibilities.

With a background in architecture (BA, UAUIM Bucharest; MSc, TU Eindhoven/KTH Stockholm) and an MA in Fashion Design from FHNW Basel, she bridges disciplines to push the boundaries of craftsmanship and material innovation. Her research spans weaving, zero-waste design, bioplastics, and sustainable dye alternatives.

From 2017 to 2022, she led Atelier Tron, a textile design studio focused on circular and regenerative production. She has also conducted workshops on natural dyeing, ink making, and sewing. Since 2023, she has been designing functional apparel at a Swiss outdoor sports brand, integrating advanced materials and technology. Through her work, she challenges fashion conventions, exploring how craft can shape a more sustainable future.

In Metakitchen 2.0, Andreea coordinated the workshop The Future of Materials: Bioplastics Made in the Kitchen.

Flétta is an Icelandic design studio founded by product designers Birta Rós Brynjólfsdóttir and Hrefna Sigurðardóttir. Flétta’s focuses on circular design and crafts, transforming everyday discarded materials into unique products. Their approach to design is playful, yet critical of pressing issues of consumption and waste. This commitment to sustainability and creativity has earned them prestigious recognitions, including awards for the project Pizza Time and the Airbag cushion at the Icelandic Design Awards.

Ýrúrarí is an Icelandic textile designer based in Reykjavík. Ýrúrarí’s work is mostly created with textiles people have gotten rid of, where the materials are brought a new life and personality to bring them back to decorate everyday life. The main theme in Ýr’s work is the lifespan and presence of textiles in human environments and how character development can increase the felt value of materials.

In Metakitchen 2.0, Flétta and Ýrúrarí  coordinated the Pizza Time workshop.

Emese Apai has extensive experience in cultural and artistic mediation, having collaborated with organizations such as Fabrica de Pensule/Artbecedar, the AltArt Foundation, Casa Tranzit, Someș Delivery, the Cluj Cultural Center, România Remarcabilă, SOR Cluj, and has participated in artistic projects in the field of textiles, Creative Europe, and more. She has worked with various groups, including children, people from disadvantaged backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, elderly groups, and refugees.

In Metakitchen 2.0, Emese Apai lead a cultural mediation workshop that reinterprets the practices of artists Flétta, Ýrúrarí, and Andreea Tron.

Metakitchen 2.0 was hosted by Casa Tranzit from February 21 to 25 and later by the Contemporar space from February 27 to March 9.

Metakitchen 2.0 was selected following the open call for artistic projects on Sustainable Urban Living organized by the Cluj Cultural Center as part of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities: Planning, Piloting, Inspiring project.

The Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities: Planning, Piloting, Inspiring project is financed with EEA Grants and Norway Grants, through The Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI).

The project consortium was coordinated by the Municipality of Cluj-Napoca and includes the Cluj Cultural Centre (organizer of this call), the Babeș-Bolyai University (Romania), Cluj Youth Federation (Romania), Pont Group (Romania), Metapolis Architects (Romania), Reykjavík Art Museum (Iceland) and The Institute of Urbanism and Landscape at The Oslo School of Architecture and Design (Norway).