As part of the Unseen and Unspoken exhibition, an artist talk with Anna Bedyńska will take place on June 12 at 6:00 PM at CdRF Gallery, Popa Tatu 68. Anna will speak about her photographic practice, how she approaches difficult or uncomfortable subjects, and the projects through which she explores fragile areas of human experience: death, marginalization, vulnerability, the body, identity, and the ways photography can create space for empathy and dialogue. Anna Bedyńska is a photojournalist, artist, and lecturer with extensive international experience and a practice centered on documentary reportage and social issues. She has received major awards, including the World Press Photo 2013 award, the Grand Prix at Grand Press Photo, National Geographic awards, and other significant distinctions in documentary photography. She has worked and exhibited internationally, published photography books, and developed campaigns with social and educational impact. For photographers interested in documentary work, portraiture, visual storytelling, or long-term personal projects, this event offers a rare opportunity to engage directly with an experienced artist whose work lies at the intersection of photography, journalism, vulnerability, and responsibility. It is a conversation about the exhibition, but also about how to build a mature photographic practice that is relevant and connected to contemporary art. Artist Talk: Anna Bedyńska June 12, 6:00 PM CdRF Gallery / Popa Tatu 68 Free admission.

Anna Bedyńska turns her camera toward what contemporary culture often hides from view: death and otherness. By bringing into the light both fading funeral traditions and the portraits of people with albinism, she breaks through silence and invisibility, reclaiming space for empathy, dignity, and dialogue. Clothes for Death We live in more and more dehumanized times, family relations are more and more loose, people relationships are more and more depersonalized. Our life is automatised in many aspects, death and burial are among them. There is a tradition that is almost extinct in Poland, Eastern Europe. The tradition of preparing clothes for death. People who pass away these days at the age of 80 and over, are the last ones who cultivate this tradition. This is our heritage with deep roots in ancient times. If we do not document this now, the next generations will be deprived of it. As one of my characters said: it is not proper to go in jeans to meet the Lord. This is why many old people prepare clothes for death before they die. Sometimes they sew, sometimes they buy brand new and they collect them with pietism. Others say that it must be comfortable and used, as the journey to Infinite is long. Some want it black, others full of colors. Everything has its meaning. Underwear, stockings, skirts, blouses with long sleeves for women, suits and white shirts for men. Some want to take several goods for “the last journey”, pictures of saints, prayer books, rosaries, etc. Wife gives her husband his favorite walking stick and accordion. By selecting clothing that holds sentimental value or has significance in one’s life, the person can create a lasting memory for their family and friends. It's a way to preserve memories. It is said that we cannot ignore the will of the dead, who had declared beforehand what he/she wanted to wear and how he/she wanted to be buried. Otherwise, it is believed that the dead person cannot find comfort and the right way to Infinity. Moreover, the person, who did not fulfill the will of the dead person, can be hunted by the soul of the dead. Discussing and planning these preparations serve a profound purpose – they humanize the concept of death. In a world where discussions about mortality are often hushed and death itself is a taboo subject, these conversations open the door to understanding and emotional support among family members. It allows individuals and their loved ones to express their desires and concerns openly, fostering a deeper connection in the face of loss. This particular tradition is still cultivated in little towns and villages, mostly among the old, passing away generation. People in towns employ the funeral companies that take care of the dead bodies, clothes and other duties. Death is still a taboo. The contemporary society is much more into everlasting beauty and youth and are afraid to think and even talk about the death that is naturally embedded into lifespan. In this series, I hope to not only preserve a fading tradition but also to immortalize the essence of what it means to be human. Clothes for Death is more than a visual narrative; I invite the viewers to reflect on the intricate dance between life and death, reminding us of the beauty in embracing our mortality with grace and profound humanity. White Power There are many shades of beauty. In the glossy pages of magazines, social media and advertising, beauty is often the result of hours of make-up, styling, and digital retouching. Teams of specialists refine every detail to create the polished images we see in public spaces. What remains hidden from us is the unaltered, original face of the person being photographed. The portraits in the White Power series invite us to rediscover beauty shaped by nature itself. Albinism, caused by a recessive gene inherited from both parents, affects approximately one in every 20,000 people worldwide, while one in 70 carries the gene. An albino child can be born into any family, even if there is no history of albinism before. Because their bodies lack pigment, people with albinism have hair, skin, and eyes deprived of color. This absence of melanin makes them extremely sensitive to sunlight, with skin prone to inflammation and eyes vulnerable to conditions such as photophobia, nystagmus, and astigmatism. As a result, many withdraw from the light, both literally and symbolically. Too often, they face stigma, exclusion, and social ostracism. What is a real, genuine beauty?! Beauty that not everyone is able to see? Albinos live in the shade and shadow. “I wanted to pull them out of their shelters and put them on the stage and prove to them and others that the true beauty, is not manufactured by stylists or digital tools, but rooted in authenticity, in the resilience of the human soul, and in the truth of lived experience” – claims Bedyńska. In some African beliefs, albino are considered to be the incarnation of spirits of the dead, there is a superstition that albino body parts have magical powers that can bring happiness to the holder of amulets or potions made with albino body parts. This was the reason for the persecution of the community, including the murders on the trail: Tanzania-Zambia-Congo-Camerun-Nigeria. About the artist In her projects, Bedyńska delves into the world of the vulnerable and marginalized, the sick and disabled. The human experience is always at the core of her work. Her focus is reportage, often exploring taboo subjects. She has documented births and deaths. Among her notable series are Birth with Humanity and Clothes for Death, both of which challenge the taboos surrounding birth and death and have been featured in social campaigns. In 2024 she created the awareness campaign „Spot the Dot”, on skin cancer prevention, using her street photography from Japan inspired by Yayoi Kusama. She likes to detabularise topics that often are swept under the rug, the ones that seem to be uncomfortable or hidden from the public eye and puts women in the center of her attention. She has won numerous prestigious awards, including the World Press Photo 2013, the Grand Prix in Grand Press Photo (2005 and 2017), the National Geographic award, and the „It’s Worth Being Together” special prize in the BZ WBK Foto contest, Annual Award from the Minister of Culture of Poland and a laureate of honorable mention of Publication of the Year 2024. Her debut film, In Another World, premiered in Leipzig at the prestigious documentary film festival and received the main prize for Best Student Film at the Kinoproba Festival in Yekaterinburg. In 2024, she released two photobooks – Forever Mine and Spot the Dot – which not only earned her industry recognition but also sparked significant social and educational impact. Mother, photojournalist, lecturer, triathlonist, mountain climber and laughter lover. A member of the Canon Ambassador Program (2013-2018), Women Photographers and Polish Women Photographers. She has lived and worked in Warsaw, Moscow, Tokyo, Hong Kong, currently in Bucharest. annabedynska.com

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. Photo gallery:

Details Details Details Details Details Details NEWS Unseen and Unspoken - up next in the gallery Anna Bedyńska turns her camera toward what contemporary culture often hides from view: death and otherness. By bringing into the light both fading funeral traditions and the portraits of people with albinism, she breaks through silence and invisibility, reclaiming space for empathy, dignity, and dialogue. Clothes for Death We live in more and more dehumanized times, family relations are more and more loose, people relationships are more and more depersonalized. Our life is au Meeting Point 2026 Săptămâna trecută pe vremea asta începeam Meeting Point ediția 2026, programul prin care ne propunem să contribuim la dezvoltarea fotografilor români prin know how, networking și facilitarea oportunităților de colaborare cu specialiști din industria artistică și fotografică din alte țări. Exact misiunea CdRF. Home Is Not a Question - up next in the gallery "Home Is Not a Question" unfolds as a spatial and visual inquiry into belonging, shaped through the long-term negotiation between Italy and Romania that defines Erika Guadagnin’s practice. At its core, the project can also be understood as a personal navigation, an attempt by the artist to locate herself within and between these contexts, not by resolving the question of belonging, but by staying with its uncertainty. Working from archival traces, vernacular images, and fragm 1 2 3 4 5

Filter by Teacher Andrei Păcuraru Cristina Irian Greg Mo Ionuț Staicu Panos Kasiminis Sorin Florea Filter by Content Analiză critică Istoria fotografiei Storytelling vizual Studio Tehnică fotografică Filter by Nivel recomandat Avansat Intermediar Începător We propose a comprehensive program that can be adapted to your needs and pace. If you need help creating your own path, write to us at hello@cdrf.ro and we will guide you. Reset filters Completed courses "Strangely Familiar" Workshop Sat, May 16 Zoom Details Black & White Film Developing Workshop Sat, May 09 Bucharest Details Introduction to Studio Photography Wed, May 06 Bucharest Details Street Photography Workshop Sat, Apr 04 Bucharest Details Introduction to Documentary Photography Tue, Mar 31 Bucharest Details Street Photography Workshop with Greg Mo Sat, Mar 07 Zoom Details Introduction to Photographic Storytelling Wed, Feb 11 Bucharest Details Introduction to Photographic Technique Tue, Feb 10 Bucharest Details Introduction to the History of Photography Sat, Feb 07 Bucharest Details Photography and Creative Writing Fri, Nov 07 Photography Resources Center Details Visual anthropology workshop, an introduction Sun, Oct 12 CdRF headquarters Details PHOTOGRAPHY SCHOOL #5 Tue, Sep 16 CdRF headquarters Details Introductory Course: Photography in China and Japan: Visual Narratives between Tradition and Modernity Wed, Jul 16 CdRF headquarters Details The Photography Project - From idea to implementation Sat, Jul 12 CdRF headquarters Details Fine Art Photography - Project, Process, Market - Masterclass with Bogdan Gîrbovan Sat, May 24 CdRF headquarters Details Multiple Dates 1-on-1 Workshop in the Development Room Wed, Apr 16 CdRF headquarters Details Multiple Dates Black and White Development Introductory Workshop Thu, Apr 10 Sediul CdRF Details SCHOOL OF PHOTOGRAPHY #4 Mon, Feb 10 CdRF headquarters Details Load More

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Acest workshop online este conceput pentru a te ajuta să înțelegi fotografia de stradă dincolo de imaginile individuale. Prin studierea unor referințe-cheie din fotografia de stradă și printr-o temă de fotografiere ghidată pe durata a două săptămâni, vei învăța cum să creezi conexiuni vizuale și narative între fotografii, având la final o serie coerentă și bine secvențiată. Vei primi, de asemenea, feedback personalizat pentru a-ți rafina stilul și a-ți consolida portofoliul. Ce vei învăța / face: • să înțelegi fundamentele și principiile fotografiei de stradă • să creezi o serie de fotografie de stradă pe parcursul a două săptămâni • să obții claritate asupra stilului tău vizual personal • să dezvolți abilități practice de secvențiere și storytelling vizual • să primești feedback de portofoliu de la un fotograf de street consacrat Programul workshopului: • marți, 16 iunie 2026 – 11:00 – 14:00, online Introducere în street photography, scurte revizuiri de portofoliu și ghidaj pentru prima temă de fotografiere • marți, 23 iunie 2026 – 11:00 – 13:00, online Analiza unei selecții de fotografii realizate de la ultima sesiune Feedback personalizat și îndrumare din partea lui Greg pentru următoarea săptămână de fotografiere • sâmbătă, 27 iunie 2026 – 11:00 – 13:00, online Selecția imaginilor realizate în timpul workshopului, cu ghidaj din partea lui Greg Vizionarea fotografiilor selectate și critică de grup • duminică, 28 iunie 2026 – 11:00 – 13:00, online Lucru de secvențiere: crearea de legături vizuale sau a unui fir narativ între imaginile selectate Detalii despre workshop: Workshopul se desfășoară exclusiv online, prin Zoom, și este predat în limba engleză. Este ideal pentru fotografii care doresc să își aprofundeze abordarea în fotografia de stradă. Despre lector: Greg Mo este un fotograf specializat în fotografia de stradă și practici conceptuale. Stabilit în Cambodgia, munca sa explorează viața cotidiană, spațiile sociale și narațiunile urbane într-o manieră surreală. În 2025, a publicat „By the Mekong”, o serie fotografică ce documentează viața de-a lungul unui segment de 200 de metri al râului Mekong din Phnom Penh. Greg a colaborat cu branduri precum Xiaomi și Leica, iar lucrările sale au fost prezentate în CNN, France 2, Stern, Le Monde, Le Figaro, Fisheye și Geo Magazine. Seria sa „Tonle Soap” a fost expusă la Les Rencontres d’Arles (2023) și la Angkor Photo Festival (2025). Pe lângă proiectele personale, susține în mod regulat worksh