Vault One Gallery is a space dedicated to contemporary art, founded in 2024 as a conceptual and well-established extension of the former Artwise Gallery. The new identity was created out of the desire to separate artistic practices in the field of visual arts from those in decorative arts and fashion, focusing exclusively on contemporary visual expressions. Located in ClujNapoca, the gallery’s mission is to support and promote visual artists from Transylvania who are in the process of professional development and artistic affirmation.

The exhibition program of Vault One Gallery is built around the idea of mobility and openness. In addition to the exhibitions held in its own space, the gallery collaborates with local and international partners to organize events in alternative locations: repurposed industrial spaces, creative offices, pop-up venues, or other unconventional settings adapted to the presented artistic discourse. This flexibility contributes to the creation of relevant contexts that stimulate
dialogue between the artist, the space, and the audience.

The gallery actively participates in major cultural events in the country and across Europe, representing artists at art fairs and in collective or thematic exhibitions. The goal is to bring before as diverse an audience as possible forms of contemporary expression that resonate with the reality of the present – through emotion, reflection, memory, or artistic gesture.

Vault One Gallery functions both as a platform of visibility and support for artists and as a meeting space between the public and the sensitive universe of contemporary art. Through each curated project, the gallery aims to create an authentic framework for understanding the artistic process and its role in everyday life. Thus, art becomes not only a form of individual expression but also a universal language that contributes to the consolidation of a coherent and relevant cultural discourse.

Vault One Gallery has its roots in 2017, when a group of ambitious young people – Oláh Ildikó, Molnár István, and Bába István – won an award in a Startup Pitch competition. As a result, the Artwise Association was founded, with the goal of supporting visual artists and fashion designers. At that time, the intention was not to open a gallery per se, but rather to create a creative network that would facilitate the integration of emerging artists into the fields of contemporary art, design, and fashion.

The absence of a rigid structure allowed for the organic development of the project. Over time, the team expanded its vision and decided to establish a contemporary art gallery, as a response to the needs of the artistic community and to the opportunities encountered. Thus, as a natural step in Artwise’s evolution, a platform dedicated exclusively to the visual arts was born.

Starting in 2023, the activity was shaped along two distinct directions, developed under the names Artwise Fashion and Artwise Gallery. This separation naturally paved the way for the official launch of Vault One Gallery in 2024. The gallery’s name draws inspiration from its
first location, a former bank vault, a space rediscovered and brought to life through the partnership with Xponential Transylvania Coworking & Office in Cluj-Napoca.

Through the involvement of Szőcs Endre, CEO of Xponential Transylvania and also an art collector, the project acquired a new momentum. His contribution not only facilitated the realization of the gallery’s programs but also reinforced its ambition to evolve into a sustainable and forward-looking cultural platform.

Also in 2024, Pop Roxana-Neli joined the founding team, becoming actively involved in the curatorial processes and in the management of the gallery. Under this formula, the gallery consolidated its identity as a dynamic space, oriented towards the discovery and support of
contemporary artists from Transylvania.

Change and adaptability are defining characteristics of Vault One Gallery, yet consistency in the quality of artistic exhibitions remains its fundamental virtue. In the same year, the gallery participated for the first time in the most important contemporary art fair in Romania – MoBU
International Art Fair Bucharest, 2024 edition – where it presented the works of 11 artists: Bába István, Chițimuș Costel, Havadi-Nagy-Dávid István, Kentelki Gábor, László Dániel, Fodor Marius, Marincaș Mira, Ritli Róbert, Szabó Ábel, Szentes Zágon, and Tivadar Andrea.

Through each stage of transformation, Vault One Gallery has remained faithful to the idea of building a bridge between artists and the public. The gallery functions not only as an exhibition space but also as a catalyst for creativity, where interdisciplinary dialogue is encouraged and
cultivated. Each exhibition is the result of a carefully considered curatorial approach, which seeks conceptual coherence, thematic relevance, and openness to new forms of visual expression.

In the spirit of openness and diversity of perspectives, Vault One Gallery aims to collaborate with independent curators, art critics, and specialists from related fields who can contribute to enriching the gallery’s artistic program. We believe in interdisciplinary dialogue and in the collaborative potential of curatorial projects, which can bring new visions and connections between artists, spaces, and the public. We are interested in relevant curatorial proposals, anchored in the contemporary context, which support critical reflection, visual experimentation, and the current artistic discourse. The gallery is open to national and international collaborations, building cultural networks based on trust, professionalism, and shared values.