Dr. Adela-Iuliana Muntean (née Negustor, b. 1988) is a media designer, researcher, and curator specializing in the evolution of immersive media in the digital age. Her PhD research focuses on the development of planetarium media, exploring representations of the Anthropocene and integrating non-Western storytelling traditions within these unique and immersive environments. Her work critically examines how planetariums have transitioned from purely scientific tools into spaces for artistic and cultural expression engaging with global narratives and environmental concerns. From 2016 to 2018, she introduced dome-shaped cinema for the Romanian public through initiatives such as The Future is Now (Astra Film Festival, Sibiu, Romania) and The Dome of the New World (Electric Castle, Cluj, Romania). These projects combined experimental films, documentaries, and children’s stories, all projected onto curved screens. Her current research emphasizes diverse artistic practices within domes and planetariums. Adela’s work bridges traditional narratives with cutting-edge technology, inviting audiences to reimagine the planetarium in innovative and meaningful ways.

Interview by Mira Marincas

14.10.2025

M.M.: You’ve explored the transition of classical cinema into the digital age through your research and artistic practice, as documented on the website transcinemaexpress.ro. Have you continued to observe similar transitions in other domains as well?

G.: That’s a great observation. While my earlier work focused on the transformation of classical cinema, I’ve since observed similar shifts in other domains, most notably in planetariums. Today, there are around 4,000 planetarium installations worldwide, functioning as bridges between inner and outer realms. These spaces have evolved beyond their original educational purpose and are now versatile cultural venues offering fresh experiences, fostering communities, and hosting a range of events.

Following the digital revolution, planetarium technology has advanced significantly. The newest models are equipped with high-end digital projection systems tailored to a unique technological standard. This has enabled the emergence of a new genre of immersive media projects. While rooted in the traditions of film and theater, they share distinct qualities. These projects explore reality in innovative ways and present audio-visual content through new, multisensory approaches. In this sense, planetariums have become key platforms for expanding access to both technology and contemporary art. They offer new tools for addressing urgent topics in society and have opened up exciting creative possibilities. I personally use the planetarium as an immersive media space, a unique environment where I can continue to explore the evolving language of storytelling.

M.M.: What motivates and what fascinates you in immersive dome installations?

G.: My fascination with this medium stems from my background in photography, cinematography, and fine arts. I see immersive dome installations as a natural evolution of these mediums, an opportunity to redirect and expand that knowledge into a form that speaks to both history and the present moment. The dome, particularly the planetarium, is more than just a space; it’s a medium that allows for full sensory engagement. Its capacity to envelop the viewer creates a unique setting for storytelling, reflection, and exploration. What fascinates me is how this environment unites scientific progress with artistic expression and cultural memory. It embodies the convergence of disciplines, inviting audiences to question, imagine, and experience the world from new perspectives. For me, the planetarium is a metaphor for possibility, a reminder that at the meeting point between art, technology, and personal journey, we can discover new ways of understanding the beauty and complexity of the universe. It also serves as a space to reflect on pressing contemporary questions: How do we address the environmental crises of our time? How can we foster deeper connections between technology and humanity, and explore new models of coexistence in an increasingly interconnected world? In these explorations, the planetarium invites us to imagine solutions, broaden our perspectives, and challenge the boundaries of what we know.

What truly captivates me is how these spaces explore and continue the evolution of spherical perspective - a way of seeing that is ancient, yet incredibly contemporary in its digital reinterpretation. Unlike the linear perspective dominant in Western art history, the spherical perspective acknowledges the viewer’s body and movement as integral parts of the visual experience. Inside the dome, your gaze is not directed but invited to roam. You are not just observing, you are surrounded, immersed, participating.

This reorientation breaks down the passive spectator model and opens up new possibilities for empathy, connection, and reflection. Whether engaging with environmental themes, memory, or cultural heritage, the dome becomes a vessel - technically and metaphorically - for collective experience and embodied knowledge. It’s this alchemy between technology, space, and emotion that continues to drive my work.

M.M.: You mentioned that you build upon your background, please elaborate.

G.: Building upon my past experiences has been a journey of deepening my understanding and relationship with new-media art. My studies in cinematography and media design allowed me to cultivate a strong sense of media consciousness, a recognition of the powerful role this field plays in shaping both personal and collective narratives. Over time, I realized that each medium, photography, film and digital design, was invented by someone with a unique desire to share something meaningful with others. What fascinates me is how each generation inherits, transforms, and redefines these mediums, adding layers of innovation and reflection to the original ideas.

This understanding became a pivotal moment in my practice, highlighting the dynamic nature of media and the responsibilities involved in creating work that resonates with and impacts others. My academic path, starting with a BA in Film, Photography, and Media from Sapientia Hungarian University from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, followed by an MA in Photography/Media Design at Moholy-Nagy University in Budapest, Hungary, and culminating in my doctoral research at the Theatre and Film Department of Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, has been a continuous process of refining my thoughts and skills within this ever-evolving landscape. It’s through these experiences that I strive to bridge the gap between traditional media and contemporary immersive practices, aiming to push boundaries and open new dialogues with audiences.

M.M.: Let's start at the beginning. What is the story behind your immersive art practice, and how has your journey evolved?

G.: I began exploring immersive media art in 2013. A turning point came when I encountered a virtual tour of an exhibition on abortion during the communist era. This tour used a 360° space to blend photos, videos, and text testimonials, vividly illustrating a pivotal historical moment. While pursuing my master’s degree in Budapest, I embarked on a similar project. I curated the Media Design department’s archive, integrating objects from student videos into classrooms. By taking 360° photos, I allowed future students to view these projects by clicking on the displayed objects, offering a compelling glimpse into the department’s work.

My journey took me from Budapest to the innovative spaces of Bristol (UK), each step being fueled by a determination to explore the frontiers of immersive media. The Mirror Dome and the Data Dome in Bristol weren’t just architectural marvels; they were beacons of possibility, demonstrating the power of digital environments to connect us with the data and stories that shape our world. After my master’s degree, I wanted to go to Bristol to pursue my PhD in immersive media. My subject was immediately accepted and I traveled to England to attend the i-Docs symposium at the Watershed in Bristol on March 2-4, 2016. I visited the Mirror Dome at the Millennium Square. Yet, life had other plans, a personal crisis brought me back home when my mother suffered a heart attack, followed by the passing of my father the next year. This deeply impacted my journey, altering its course but not its direction. I chose to focus my energy on introducing the fulldome industry into the Romanian film festival circuit, recognizing it as a powerful framework through which I could bring innovative, international content into local cultural spaces. If abroad the projections in the dome and the planetariums present a diversified program that includes programs on Earth Science, climate change, and astronomy of other cultures, in Romania the Problem description for the planetariums is briefly as follows: although there are 13 planetariums in Romania, there are no cultural projects created specifically for planetariums.

M.M.: The starting point of implementation of the immersive digital storytelling in Romania was at Astra Film Festival. How did you join the team and why was the entire project called Future is Now?

G.: Yes, the first milestone in introducing the fulldome concept to Romania was in 2016, when I brought this technology into the local film festival circuit by establishing a new media section called The Future is Now at the Astra Film Festival in Sibiu. This marked the beginning of immersive digital storytelling in a dome format within a Romanian cultural context, laying the foundation for future projects that explored the intersection of technology, narrative, and spatial experience. This initiative marked a significant step forward, featuring immersive media projects such as interactive 360° webdocs, VR works, and 360° videos. The centerpiece of the program was a geodesic dome installed in the city’s main square, where fulldome films were projected onto its interior surface, offering audiences a truly enveloping experience. Over the past few years, the dome program has been a successful feature of the Astra Film Festival, making its mark from 2016 through 2024, and it continues to evolve. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the project’s suspension in 2019, making it the only year when the Astra Film Festival could not feature the dome project. I am confident that my efforts to incorporate the fulldome industry into the Romanian festival circuit have been fruitful and hold great potential for the future.

I joined the Astra Film team under quite personal and unexpected circumstances. In 2015, my mother suffered a heart attack, which forced me to make a difficult decision: I had to interrupt my PhD studies in Bristol and return home. I also moved back from Budapest to be closer to my family and take care of my mother.

Being back in Romania, however, opened up new paths for me. I began reconnecting with the local artistic and cultural scene and came across an open call from Astra Film Festival, which was seeking Romanian content. I submitted my project titled Memory Reel, and shortly after, I was contacted by Kató Csilla, who had reviewed the applications. We arranged a personal meeting in Sibiu, where I presented not only my submitted work, but also spoke about my broader research into immersive media and my belief that such formats could bring a fresh, innovative dimension to the festival.

Our conversation evolved into a larger discussion about how immersive technologies could enrich documentary storytelling. Eventually, Dumitru Budrala, the director of Astra Film Festival, became involved, and he was enthusiastic about my idea of bringing a dome cinema to the festival. That marked the beginning of my collaboration with Astra. I accepted their offer to join the team and dedicated myself to developing the dome cinema program—an initiative that would bring together my academic interests, curatorial practice, and personal journey in a truly meaningful way.

And before you scroll any further, here’s a little secret I’d love to share: The Future is Now - the name I gave to the new media department - was originally coined by Nam June Paik, the visionary artist often referred to as the father of video art. Paik first used this phrase in the 1970s to challenge our perception of time, media, and technology. It was more than a slogan; it was a provocation, a call to recognize how emerging technologies were already reshaping culture, identity, and the human experience.

For me, adopting this phrase was not only a tribute to Paik’s legacy, but also a way to anchor the department within a lineage of media experimentation and forward-thinking art practices. In the context of the Astra Film Festival, The Future is Now became a platform to explore how immersive and interactive technologies - once seen as futuristic - are already influencing the ways we tell stories, understand reality, and engage with one another. It reflected a commitment to breaking boundaries between disciplines, and to embracing the dome not just as a projection surface, but as a space of critical and creative encounter.

M.M.: Could you walk us through what went on behind the scenes? What did the preparation process for the dome cinema project actually involve?

G.: To bring the dome cinema project to fruition, I undertook extensive preparations at various stages. Initially, my efforts focused on locating suppliers for the dome structure and the projection system. This involved detailed correspondence with various companies to obtain technical specifications, cost estimates, and logistical requirements. Beyond the technical side, I also collaborated closely with the team responsible for securing the necessary permits to install the dome in the city square, as well as ensuring proper power connections. It was a meticulous and multifaceted process, requiring both creative vision and practical coordination.

M.M.: Was this the difficult part or why did your focus shift towards the challenges of curating the content for these projections? What was the curatorial approach you used in the selection of the presented films?

G.: Once the technical aspects of the dome were in place, the next major challenge was curating the content, a task that required just as much dedication. This phase involved extensive research: I explored a wide range of databases and viewed countless films and immersive experiences to carefully select works that would resonate both with general audiences and younger viewers as part of the Astra Film Junior (AFJ) program.

The program showcased a series of immersive media projects created using various technologies and presented across different platforms, including interactive 360° web documentaries, 360° videos, and virtual reality experiences. While the logistical setup was certainly complex, the real challenges emerged during the curatorial phase. Unlike traditional screenings, immersive content like VR and web documentaries came with specific technical and spatial requirements that were entirely new, not just for me, but also for the experienced staff of the festival. Each piece needed its own configuration for viewing: some required seated arrangements, others needed standing or even moving spaces; some required headsets, others 360° projection. This meant we weren’t just curating a program, we were designing entirely new viewing environments. The process involved constant adaptation, technical experimentation, and close collaboration with creators to ensure their work could be experienced as intended. It was both a curatorial and architectural challenge.

The Future is Now aimed to enrich the festival’s existing programming by introducing documentaries made with emerging technologies, while also reflecting the diversity of immersive environments currently in use. I later delved deeper into these formats in my academic article Spherical Encounters of Human Rights (Muntean 2021), which focused specifically on the 360° webdocs, video, and VR projects presented at AFF.

My curatorial approach centered on crafting a thoughtful balance between education, artistic expression, and immersive impact. I sought out fulldome works that weren’t just visually captivating, but also thematically rich, films capable of evoking reflection, curiosity, and even wonder. The goal was to select productions that expanded the audience’s understanding of both the medium and the world around them.

For the general program, I curated a mix of documentary and experimental pieces that explored themes such as science, the universe, nature, and the human body. Meanwhile, for the Astra Film Junior section, I selected content that was not only age-appropriate and visually engaging but also capable of sparking young imaginations and encouraging learning through experience. In 2016, we featured eight fulldome productions, three for children and five for general audiences. From 2017 onwards, the program evolved significantly. In addition to documentaries, I began including musical and experimental pieces, and by 2018, the selection had expanded to include works that explored science, the universe, nature, the human body, and abstract concepts through experimental art. Each edition of the festival offered a unique curatorial narrative, pushing the boundaries of what immersive cinema could communicate and experience.

M.M.: Similar to the concept of a pop-up gallery, your fulldome traveled to different locations. Could you tell us more about these collaborations?

G.: Absolutely. Much like a pop-up gallery, the fulldome format allowed for remarkable flexibility and mobility, which opened up opportunities for site-specific collaborations and cross-disciplinary engagement. One of the most notable examples was in 2019, when I worked with Dragoș Brașov to implement a 4K Digital Planetarium in Romania. This collaboration enabled us to bring the Dome of the New World to the Electric Castle Festival in Bonțida, Cluj county, Romania, a highly dynamic setting that welcomed innovative approaches to media and storytelling. The dome became a space of shared wonder and discovery, situated right within the cultural energy of the festival.

That same 4K Digital Planetarium was officially inaugurated on July 19, 2019, at the Slănic Moldova, Romania, salt mine, as part of the global celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing. The setting, a salt mine deep underground, added another immersive layer to the fulldome experience and resonated beautifully with the themes of space exploration and human curiosity.

In Baia Mare, Romania, I took part in the 50-year anniversary celebration of the local planetarium’s activity. There, I proposed expanding planetarium programming beyond traditional science content and advocating for a dialogue between scientific and artistic disciplines. This meant incorporating diverse artistic practices, such as experimental films, performance and immersive storytelling, into planetarium spaces and mobile domes, thus rethinking the planetarium as a cultural venue.

Another pivotal collaboration was the Synergy Dome project, which took place in August 2019 in Botiz village, near the Hungarian-Romanian border. As part of the Retek camp, we transformed an abandoned communist-era furniture factory into a site of architectural and artistic experimentation. Together with the Építész Szakkollégium, a Hungarian group of architecture students, we led a workshop where participants constructed a 4-meter geodesic dome using found materials from the area. The dome wasn’t just a structure—it became a conceptual and practical platform for utopian thinking, community building, and creative exchange. It culminated in the projection of an experimental film inside the dome, bringing together performance, architecture, and cinema in a powerful interdisciplinary convergence.

In 2020, I also curated content for the Eugenides Foundation Planetarium as part of the Athens Digital Arts Festival’s Extending Reality program. In the same year, the LabInter InterArtec Foundation invited me to contribute with my work for the projection at the Planetarium in Brazil. As these practical events occurred in succession, my focus shifted solely to theoretical research after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when most events were canceled.

M.M.: While presenting your selected portfolio I noticed the title My Dome Projects: 2016-2024, which makes a very personal claim of ownership. As an artist, your vision in these works is also your inner world? Is your inspiration self-referencial?

G.: Yes, my work with the planetarium and its immersive installations is deeply personal. The Planetarium, for me, became more than just an object of study, it became a sanctuary, a space for healing and reflection. After experiencing personal loss - my father has passed away - the dome offered me a way to navigate grief and find a balance between memory and the present, between the Earth and the universe. It became a metaphor for my journey, encapsulating the dualities of my experience: the academic and the personal, the technological and the emotional.

In this sense, the dome itself also functions as a metaphor for uterine space, enclosing, protecting, and offering a space for rebirth. Just as the womb is a space where life begins and is nurtured, the dome became a place where I could process loss, reflect, and reimagine my connection to the world. It is within this enclosed, nurturing space that I have been able to find meaning and creative renewal. So yes, my inspiration is self-referential, it speaks to my own journey through grief, technology, and the endless search for meaning in a universe that is both vast and intimate.

M.M.: Message in a Bubble and Geo-Spheres are other approaches that appear in your conceptual art. Could you elaborate on these interactive installation projects?

G.: The concept behind Message in a Bubble was an interactive and multi-sensory installation presented in a geodesic dome structure. Equipped with a special projection system, the installation utilized a convex mirror to reflect 360° digital material onto the entire hemispherical surface. The title Message in a Bubble draws inspiration from the concept of a Message in a Bottle, in which a message is sealed within a container and sent adrift, often used for communication in various contexts such as distress signals, scientific exploration, memorials, or even as a method for sending messages from perilous situations. In this case, the water symbolizes a communication medium, where hidden messages float beneath the surface, perhaps even representing the overlooked or discarded elements of our environment, such as pollution in water.

This installation reverses the traditional relationship between humans and water, giving voice to the aquatic and underwater worlds. Rather than humans sending messages, it is the rivers - such as the Someș or the Danube rivers - that communicate their stories. The smooth or disturbed flow of the water, the textures of its surface, and the objects floating on it all hold messages that are worth contemplating. What secrets do rivers conceal beneath the surface? This installation sought to create a meditative and reflective experience, where viewers could intellectually and emotionally connect with the aquatic world through visual and auditory elements that conveyed the rivers' stories. The tactile interaction with objects sourced from the Someș River area further enhanced this experience, subtly addressing themes of pollution and our interaction with water.

Message in a Bubble was proposed for the Someș Delivery event, a project dedicated to showcasing local art. However, due to space limitations, the installation was unfortunately not exhibited. Despite this setback, the project aimed to engage the audience in a deeper conversation about water pollution, environmental awareness, and the often-overlooked messages carried by our natural world.

On the other hand, Geo-Spheres is an installation that vividly represents the Earth's four interconnected spheres: the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. This project uses the semi-spherical geometry of four geodesic domes, with each dome dedicated to one of these natural spheres. The lithosphere dome immerses the audience in the Earth's solid foundation, showcasing rocks, minerals, and molten magma. The hydrosphere dome envelops participants in the various forms of water on Earth, such as oceans and vapor, illustrating water's crucial role in our ecosystem. The atmosphere dome presents the gaseous layers surrounding the Earth, helping participants understand their composition and importance. Finally, the biosphere dome highlights the interconnectedness of life on Earth, showcasing the diversity of living organisms. Through these experiences, Geo-Spheres fosters both environmental awareness and an appreciation for Earth's intricate systems, with the local environment's unique features contributing to the global message of interconnectedness. Originally, Geo-Spheres was conceived to be collaboratively developed during the In Context residency in Slănic Moldova, hosted at the Centrala Artelor. As the only space dedicated to contemporary creative experimentation in the region, Centrala Artelor played a pivotal role in supporting innovative artistic practices. Unfortunately, the residency was abruptly interrupted when the venue was permanently closed in December 2024 to be converted into a swimming pool. This unexpected closure marked not only the loss of a vital cultural hub, but also brought the collective development phase of Geo-Spheres to a sudden halt. Nevertheless, the conceptual foundations and community-driven vision behind the project remain strong. Geo-Spheres is envisioned to evolve and adapt in new environments, continuing to nurture collaborative, environmentally engaged artistic practices wherever it takes shape.

M.M.: Based on what you’ve described, it seems there’s a strong connection between the planetarium and the pop-up fulldome gallery. Could you clarify upon the differences between a traditional planetarium, a geodesic dome, and a fulldome immersive art installation?

G.: That’s a great question, yes, while they all share the same spherical or hemispherical architecture, their purposes, contexts, and audience experiences can differ significantly. A traditional planetarium is typically a fixed, institutional space dedicated to astronomical education. It uses a dome-shaped ceiling to project star fields, planetary movements, and cosmic phenomena, often with a scientific narrator guiding the experience. The content is usually curated with a strong emphasis on astronomy, science communication, and public education.

A geodesic dome, on the other hand, is a structural form, an architectural shell made up of triangular elements. It can be mobile or permanent and doesn’t inherently include projection capabilities. Its geometry makes it lightweight yet strong, and highly adaptable for various uses, from greenhouses to temporary event spaces.

A fulldome immersive art installation combines elements from both worlds but shifts the focus to artistic expression. It typically uses a projection system that covers the full inner surface of the dome with 360° visuals. Unlike a traditional planetarium show, these installations often blur genres, blending documentary, abstract art, performance, sound design, and audience interaction. The goal is to create a multi-sensory experience that can be poetic, political, emotional, or philosophical, moving beyond scientific narratives into immersive storytelling and experiential art.

In short, the planetarium teaches the stars, the dome offers the space, and the fulldome immersive art installation transforms both into a canvas for contemporary imagination.

M.M.: The process undertaken from creation to innovation is seen in your portfolio and leads you to some conclusions. Please tell us more.

G.: The journey from creation to innovation within my dome projects - from 2016 to 2024 - has been a continual exploration of how geodesic dome structures and fulldome content can be integrated into educational, cultural, artistic and academic contexts. These projects have demonstrated how immersive art and innovative spatial designs can create spaces for interdisciplinary collaboration, environmental consciousness, and cultural dialogue. Over the years, these endeavors have illustrated the evolving role of domes as dynamic platforms for education, artistic expression, and societal innovation. Each project has pushed the boundaries of what is possible, continually adapting to the complexities of our modern world and reflecting the diverse needs and aspirations of contemporary audiences.

For me, the dome is much more than a technical or architectural element, it’s a living, transformative environment. It has the power to catalyze connection and foster new modes of thinking. When people enter a dome space, they are not just interacting with projected content; they are entering an immersive world that invites them to engage with ideas, emotions, and new perspectives. These spaces challenge the boundaries of traditional media and create new experiences where intellect, imagination, and emotion can coexist.

The projects I have undertaken illustrate this transformative potential. They are not isolated experiments but part of a continuous effort to expand the cultural and educational capabilities of immersive media. These experiences bridge gaps, whether between scientific exploration and artistic creativity, between the past and the present, or between different communities. What I have found is that immersive spaces do more than inform; they build connections between people and provoke deeper reflection on shared human experiences.

Looking ahead, my research is not simply academic, it’s a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and a recognition of technology’s capacity to transcend time and space. Immersive media has the unique ability to engage with complex global issues, challenge existing narratives, and inspire people to reflect on the world in profound ways. It is an art form that can address societal concerns, reimagine history, and help us better understand memory, identity, and culture. Ultimately, immersive media offers the potential for meaningful, transformative experiences that connect us as individuals and as communities, fostering healing, growth, and mutual understanding.

Thank you for sharing this to Nophto Magazine. Photography is also movement in intention. Intermediality is also a fascinating extension of static imagery. As we seek to preserve and gather coherently this type of initiatives, the next featured artist approach will be about video-art.