EMA OMA

Authors’ Comment

EMA OMA is an experiment, an interdisciplinary project that aims to entertain and educate. The main object - a comic book on the topic of Bauhaus and Modern Architecture in Bucharest. The connections between the architects of the Modern Movement - locally, and the Bauhaus movement - internationally, unravel through the interaction of the two characters, Ema and Oma.

The uninitiated Ema doesn’t feel quite at home in a city she doesn’t understand. She has sharp angles and straight edges, and everything around her feels blurry and crooked. Once she encounters Oma - the teacher, she starts understanding the history behind the wavy facades and all the layers of the city.

But there is more to the book than the written story. From time to time, vignettes are augmented: scan them with your phone and animations will pop up, giving you further information about the topic the two characters are discussing.

The story is tailored around the research provided by the History and Theory Department of “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism. The plot follows the chronological development of the Modern Movement, and the proximity of the featured buildings allows an individual physical exploration of the city, besides the virtual one. EMA OMA can act as a personal tour guide.

The project was initiated and supported by the German Embassy in Bucharest, in celebration of 100 years of Bauhaus.