Panel: EXHIBITION - 30 YEARS, 30 CATHEDRALS



578.2 - PRESENTATION OF THE EXHIBITION

AUTHORS:
Tateo G. (Università Roma Tre ~ Roma ~ Italy)
Text:
The 30y30c exhibition presents a photographic and audiovisual exploration of Romania's new Orthodox cathedrals, built over the past three decades to mark pivotal moments in post-communist religious revival. Through landscape and architectural photography, the project traces a journey across major urban centers like Bucharest and smaller towns, capturing both everyday religious life and landmark liturgical events, including the feast of St. Paraskeva (October 14) and the inauguration of Bucharest's National Cathedral (October 26). Visual materials form the core of the exhibition, systematically documenting each cathedral's imposing scale and contextual integration: - Top-down aerial images in landscape (East-West) orientation, - Contextual aerial shots illustrating environmental embedding, alongside ground-level images of city/park integration. - Interior views - Polaroid portraits focusing on representative details or elements. These images are enriched by concise interviews with local worshippers, architects, clergy, and urban planners, offering multifaceted perspectives on the cathedrals' social, spiritual, and architectural significance. Together, they weave a vivid narrative that inquires into the cathedrals' grandeur while critically examining their environmental footprint, political symbolism, and societal impact in contemporary Eastern Europe. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on how these monumental structures reshape Orthodox identity, urban landscapes, and interfaith dialogue in a rapidly changing region. 30Y30C is part of "RELINFRA:Tracking the Boom of Religious Infrastructure in Romania (1990-2024)", a project led by Dr. Giuseppe Tateo and financed by Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), promoted by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Seal of Excellence scheme.