27 1/2 x 39 3/8 in
PRESS RELEASE
Alina Aldea presents his solo show „Germinations: A Laboratory of Forms” at Altes Dampfbad Baden-Baden
Marktplatz 13, 76530 Baden-Baden
July 24 – August 30, 2026
Opening: Friday, July 24, 2026, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
The opening will take place in the presence of the artist.
Admission is free.
Alina Aldea returns to the cultural scene of Baden-Baden after a two-year hiatus with his second solo show “Germinations: A Laboratory of Forms” hosted at Altes Dampfbad. The exhibition, curated by Diana Dochia, PhD, opens on Friday, July 24, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and will be open to visitors until August 30, 2026, inviting the public to a profound, engaging, and provocative experience.
The exhibition "Germinations: A Laboratory of Forms" transforms the central hall (Marktsaal) of the Altes Dampfbad into a living organism - a transitional space where the boundaries between interior and exterior, solid and immaterial, dissolve. The building's history, marked by the memory of water, steam, and physical transformation, resonates deeply with this site-specific intervention, conceived especially for the Marktsaal.
The monumental installation, crafted from down and feathers, completely reconfigures the hall’s architectural dynamics. Its hybrid materiality - a dense fragility - suspends the weight of the historical building and invites reflection on volatility. Floating at the center of this sensory topography is a suspended "Neo-cocoon," a generative core that animates the entire ensemble through the rhythm of an imperceptible yet persistent breath. Connected to the ground by cables and technical structures that suggest irrigation or life-support systems, this biomorphic structure acts through deeply organic sculptural movements and presences.
In counterpoint to the installation's soft monumentality, a new series of drawings titled "Laboratory Journal" functions as a seismograph of artistic thought. Displayed like pages from a lab diary, these works on paper form the theoretical core of the exhibition. Alina Aldea’s line is simultaneously clinical and poetic, fixing onto the immaculate surface of the paper rigid geometric conduits and tubing, invaded by delicate inflorescences, capsules, and drifting test tubes. The drawings serve as direct conceptual extensions of the experiment in the Marktsaal—a graphic inventory of hybrid forms, hovering at the boundary between biology and engineering.
On the occasion of the opening, the artist will also launch a limited edition of silk handkerchiefs (nine pieces), featuring prints specially created after the exhibited works.
Opening Hours:
● Tuesday – Friday: 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
● Saturday – Sunday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
● Visits outside regular hours: By appointment at info@anaidartgallery.com or phone: +49 (0) 172 40 44 166.
About Alina Aldea:
Alina Aldea (b. 1974) is a University of Art Bucharest graduate, Faculty of Sculpture. Alina Aldea's more than a decade-long creation, developed in successive series of site-specific installations, depicts a world on the border between the rational and the irrational. Fascinated by the hypotheses of quantum physics theories and the formation of matter, the artist often creates an intrusion into the exhibition space she takes over, by parasitizing or hybridizing it with site-specific installations that combine elements from the organic and inorganic worlds. The artist has participated in major international events such as the Contemporary Art Biennale Mdina, Malta in 2020; Arte Laguna Prize Venice in 2018 or the Venice International Festival of Experimental Art in 2016. She was awarded the 2023 Sculpture Prize by the Romanian Fine Artists’ Union. In 2024 she presented her major solo show “The Dream of the Great Black Butterfly” at the Craiova Museum of Art. Works signed by the artist can be found in the permanent collection of MNAC - National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest and in important public and private collections in Germany, USA, France, Suisse, UK. Alina Aldea has been represented by Anaid Art Gallery since 2019.
About Altes Dampfbad:
The Altes Dampfbad, located in the heart of Baden-Baden, is a historic venue renowned for its cultural significance and architectural beauty. It provides a unique setting for contemporary art exhibitions, blending classical elegance with modern artistic innovation. Baden-Baden is a UNESCO-protected town, offering a beautiful blend of historic architecture, museums, and contemporary art exhibitions.
About Anaid Art Gallery:
Founded in 2004 by art historian Diana Dochia, the gallery celebrates over two decades of presence on the international market. With a journey that began in Bucharest, continued in Berlin in 2015, the gallery established its headquarters in Baden-Baden in 2024. In 2025, the gallery launched the pop-up exhibition program Anaid Art Gallery: It's time for Paris!, aimed at promoting its represented artists over the next two years within the vibrant contemporary art scene in Paris.
Contact:
Diana Dochia, PhD
Curator
Anaid Art Gallery
Mobile: +49 172 40 44 166
E-mail: info@anaidartgallery.com
Baden-Baden, Germany – 17.07.2026
