I have been writing a lot about Brasov along the time. One thing that I have never written about is the differences between Brasov and London. Now that I think better I know why I did not do it. It is because it’s pretty obvious, it is like comparing a watermelon to a bean. Even so, the only difference that I am interested in at this point is the lack of multiculturalism from Brasov, comparing it to London. When I lived in Romania it didn’t bother me, it still doesn’t, but from time to time when I come back home, I miss it.
There is of course a blending of religions and traditions, as throughout the history many nations fought, occupied, passed through Romania, and some of them still live here. Nevertheless their presence is being felt only in our food, literature, buildings, but not as humans anymore, and they are so old that we got accustomed with them and made them our own. What I really miss when I come to Romania is seeing how other cultures perceive ours through their experiences here. My only chance to see that is when the tourists are coming. As tourists pass by, you might rather observe how Romanians perceive them, but there is one thing that I especially love about photography, which is that you can capture their body language. I once had the opportunity to see a group of nuns walking around Brasov. At first I really enjoyed how their contrasting black and white clothes were again contrasting with the day to day clothes of the citizens. I focused on that, and after watching again the photos I realized another thing. They were all so very different from each other and they have peculiar expressions from what you would have expected from a nun.
I found contrasts between the religious clothes and what they imply, and the women dressed in them, being simple tourists, taking photos. I wonder how many times I have been photographed as tourist without knowing.
Elena Capel / BA Photography and Video Art Year 3 