Meeting Point 2026

This time last week, we were kicking off the 2026 edition of Meeting Point, the program through which we aim to support the development of Romanian photographers by sharing know-how, creating networking opportunities, and facilitating collaborations with professionals from the international photography and art industries. In other words, the very mission of CdRF.

Looking back, we can say that the four days of Meeting Point offered participants a complete educational, professional, and artistic development experience. Photographers learned from Marina Paulenka about the steps needed to grow their careers, from institutions and festivals to open calls and beyond. Complementing this, Wiktoria Michałkiewicz spoke about how to prepare for a portfolio review. Last but not least, the masterclass led by Wiktoria and Claudio explored how to break beyond national borders, while also confronting participants with a difficult truth: beyond a certain point, the photographs themselves matter less because technically they are all good; what truly matters is conceptualization, presentation, and visibility.

Rui Prata reminded us why a deep understanding of photographic history is essential to artistic growth, regardless of the photographic path one chooses, while Elina Heikka expanded on this perspective by showing how archival photography can be used within contemporary photographic practice. Participants already developing photographic projects also had the opportunity to work one-on-one with Claudio Composti on project editing, sequencing, and conceptualization, and with Gilles Cargueray on creating a photography book. (Incidentally, Gilles’ advice was to collaborate with a designer or with someone who can bring additional value to your images, such as a sociologist, anthropologist, architect, or another professional relevant to your project’s theme.) And finally, everyone took part in portfolio reviews, which already sparked the beginnings of future collaborations between some of the photographers brave enough to share their work and several of our invited guests.

Another important part of the program was the opportunity to host an exhibition curated by Marina Paulenka at CdRF. So, on the last day of April (in freezing cold weather and relentless rain) we installed Erika Guadagnin’s exhibition, Home Is Not a Question. Marina spent countless hours arranging every detail of the exhibition so that it would faithfully convey the way Erika’s idea of “home” is constructed through places, memories, and personal histories, creating both an ideal path for the viewer and a clear expression of the artist’s message. Through this process, we were once again reminded of how important the collaboration between artist and curator truly is, and how the very same body of work can take on entirely new layers and meanings through a curator’s edit. We invite you to visit us and see the exhibition anytime over the next two weeks.

And finally, many thanks.

Thank you to everyone who chose to take part in this event. We met or reconnected with photographers with whom we share so much in common. Beyond the formal structure of the event itself, all of this organic networking proved just as valuable, and it genuinely felt like a wave of positive energy.

We would also like to thank the six incredible people who accepted our invitation: Elina Heikka, Wiktoria Michałkiewicz, Marina Paulenka, Gilles Cargueray, Claudio Composti, and Rui Prata. Thank you to Erika Guadagnin for the trust she placed in us with the exhibition Home Is Not a Question. Special thanks as well to the entire CdRF team: Daria, Diana, Angelica, Raluca, Oana, Andreea, Ștefan, Sorin, Alex, Ion, Alex.

P.S. Planning for Meeting Point 2027 has already begun.

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