Every cloud has a silver lining
As it often happens in Romania (I lived there for eight years, so I know how things go! — and you can probably get a sense of that from my photos :)), everything came together at the very last minute and in quite a chaotic way.
But as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. The curator - and a Czech publisher, Lucie Černá - happened to be there. I was incredibly lucky that Lucie had some time and decided to take charge of hanging the works. She even changed their order, and it turned out beautifully.
Lucie giving the final touch, hanging the info about the project next to my photos.
The opening went wonderfully. I was genuinely surprised by how many people came - it was my first solo show, and I’d always imagined such events to be rather formal: the artist standing in the center, thanking sponsors, and everyone being a bit stiff. This one was nothing like that! Many of my former colleagues from the corporate world came - people who know nothing about photography - and they were truly moved by the images.
A lot of visitors came up to talk to me, saying they don’t usually notice such scenes in their daily lives but recognized them in my photos. Some even told me they felt inspired. I met so many wonderful people and left with a completely different perspective on what an exhibition can be.
I’ve never liked being the center of attention - I prefer it when the focus is on the photos - and I’ve always felt that exhibitions can sometimes become about photographers’ egos. Mine felt completely different; I had the sense that it belonged to the audience, and that made me really happy.
My photographs are in same gallery with the friendly company of the Michaela Pospisilova-Kralova’s collages.
The show is taking place at Agentia București, a gallery located in a typical Bucharest apartment block whose ground floor is shared by small cafés and creative spaces. The setting couldn’t have been more fitting for the theme of the exhibition. The photographs, framed in brushed aluminum, echoed the shape and texture of the gallery’s windows, creating a quiet dialogue between the space and the work itself.
Originally, the exhibition was planned to stay up for just a couple of days - but I’m thrilled to share that it will remain open until the end of October.
If you’re in Bucharest, stop by Agentia București, grab a coffee downstairs, and take a look.
I want to sincerely thank everyone who came - your presence meant the world to me. I’m especially happy that this exhibition allowed me to meet so many wonderful people, among them Ania Bedyńska, with whom I instantly felt as if we’d known each other all our lives.
I’m also deeply grateful to the Polish Institute in Bucharest, whose support made it possible for me to take part in this event.
