FABRICS, WHISPERS, AND MURMURS: A Journey into the World of the Traditional Transylvanian Shirt at the M.E.T.

The “Art of the Needle in Cluj” Association, in collaboration with the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania, is organizing the exhibition “Fabrics, Rustling, and Whispers” as part of the “Transylvanian Shirt” Project

Exhibition opening: Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania, June 17, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.

About the project and exhibition

The exhibition “Fabrics, Rustling, and Whispers” offers a journey into the world of the traditional Transylvanian shirt, highlighting the diversity of decorative techniques, compositional refinement, and the aesthetics of the textile heritage. The exhibition is part of the “Transylvanian Shirt” project, initiated by the “Arta acului la Cluj” Association, which aims to recover and highlight the cultural heritage of embroidery through research on authentic textile pieces. The project’s work is based on the study of traditional garments, focusing on the techniques used to make the shirts and identifying elements specific to certain ethnographic regions.

Heritage on display:

Visitors can admire over 40 shirts from Transylvania, representing ethnographic regions such as: Țara Bârsei, Mărginimea Sibiului, the Târnava Region, the Hârtibaci Valley, Țara Moților, Mocănimea Văii Arieșului, the Gheorgheni Depression region, Țara Hațegului, the Pădurenilor Region, Țara Zarandului, Țara Năsăudului, the Sălaj region (Sub-Meseș, Valea Barcăului, the Huedin-Mărgău region, the Reghin region, the Banat Plain, the Cluj Hills region, Țara Lăpușului, the Orăștie region, and the Ghimeș-Palanca Csango region.

Partners:

The Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania, the Năsăud Border Guard Museum, the Zalău County Museum of History and Art, the Mureș County Museum, and the Cluj-Napoca Art Museum.

About the Association

The “Arta Acului la Cluj” Association brings together people passionate about Romania’s traditional textile heritage and the authentic restoration of traditional costumes through careful documentation, research, and reconstructions based on old patterns.

The group gradually formed around museums and meetings organized over time in unconventional spaces, and its official debut before the public took place in 2022 as part of the “Eșantioane” project, carried out in partnership with the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania. The project aimed to recreate old shirts from the museum’s collection, using original textile samples as sources of documentation and inspiration for new creations.

Starting in 2023, the association’s activities have focused on promoting textile heritage and strengthening a community dedicated to preserving the authenticity of traditional costumes. The group’s members, together with the Dezmir Rural Development Association, participated in the completion of the “Transition Through Tradition” project and, at the end of the year, produced the calendar “The Joy of Being Together!”, a visual project dedicated to hand-sewn shirts and the diversity of Romania’s ethnographic regions.

A key moment in the association’s work was its participation in the European “Textiles Month” project, carried out in collaboration with the National Museum of Romanian History, the ASTRA Museum, the Textile Museum in Băița, and the Romanian Academy—Cluj-Napoca Branch. The exhibition organized as part of the project featured 44 shirts sewn by the association’s members and included free guided tours for students, designed to help them understand the symbols and regional characteristics of traditional costumes.

Documentation is an essential component of the association’s work. Over time, the group’s members have conducted study and research visits to partner museums, such as the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania, the Năsăud Border Guard Museum, the County Museum of History and Art and the Mureș County Museum, the Brașov Museum of Ethnography, and the Brașov Museum of Urban Civilization, to study original artefacts and gain a deeper understanding of the specific characteristics of various ethnographic regions.

In addition to their exhibition and educational activities, the association’s members maintain constant contact with embroidery communities throughout the country and abroad, participating in meetings and events dedicated to Romanian cultural heritage.

Through all its projects, the “Arta Acului la Cluj” Association contributes to the preservation of textile heritage, promoting authenticity, research, and the appreciation of traditions from various cultural and ethnographic regions.

The exhibition “Canvases, Rustling, and Whispers” will be open to the public from June 17 to July 31, 2026, at the Transylvanian Ethnographic Museum, 21 Memorandumului Street.