591 Exhibition - Silviu Pavel










Photos © Silviu Pavel

The exhibition has ended

I am so glad to see this exhibition. You decide about the idea of "a good childhood", but I have a feeling that these kids sometimes have more fun than kids playing the latest and hottest videogames. It is an interesting subject, because they are obviously from a poor neighbourhood in a forgotten part of the country. So it is probably wrong to romanticise the lives of these children too much - Silviu is aware of this but nevertheless his pictures leaves you with a feeling of hope and joy.

Listen to what Silviu says about his work from Dobrogea county in Romania. I am very impressed by his efforts. - Mr Urbano



"The images that I sent last summer are part of a larger project that came to life last year during some trips to Dobrogea county in Romania. I've been there three times last year and I hope to continue to work on this in 2010 too.

Even if I didn't have the intention to create an essay about "childhood" I was impressed by the life of the young community from this part of the country. My first feelings were about compassion, but after staying , speaking, playing with them my feelings transformed in a kind of envy for the childhood that I didn't have in the city. I found a mix of joy and sadness, but also the true meaning of having a good childhod.

They created a world of their own full of dreams and enthusiasm. They were born in an area that still keeps a lot of marks from the dictatorship of the Ceauşescu regime. They transformed an old abandoned boat in a space ship, or an abandoned communal farm in a castle.

They invented games from the scars of totalitarian regime. They climb like monkeys or swim like dolphins, they are kings and queens in a reality that seems to have forgotten them and view the spectacle of life from the old sofa left outside their house.

But, what they don’t know is that for a city child their world can be found now only in fairytales. The beauty lays in the simplicity of being and their happiness relays in the course of nature. They enjoy the freedom of imagination and live in an environment that can be found now only in books. "

Text and photos © Silviu Pavel


Silviu Pavel
Born: 1980
Lives in: Bucharest , Romania
Latest exhibition: “Dobrogea” group exhibition at MTR Museum , Bucharest , Romania
Inspiration (photographers): Nikos Economopoulos, Cartier-Bresson, Alex Webb
Inspiration (other): Nick Cave (music), Fellini (film), Chagall (painting)
Film, digital or both: both
A favourite photograph: “ Greece ,Thrace region, near Xanthi. Muslim wedding. 1991” by Nikos Economopoulos from “in the Balkans” Series
Web site www.silviupavel.com

Comments

Paolo Saccheri said…
those are great photos, an interesting documentary on childhood, superb compositions and faces...!!
my compliments Silviu.
Jurek Holzer said…
Excellent work!
chalupczok said…
Zdjęcie nr 2 i 4 są super. Zwłaszcza 4. Podoba mi się i już.
Pozdrawiam.
W Wolsztynie - 19C
Mikael said…
Very good work, hope to see more of it here!!
Rhonda Boocock said…
lovely! yes childhood should be this!
tatiana said…
Pure joy !
mia said…
Romantic in it's best sense