An old woman in an un-electrified household near Sighetul Marmației
Dakini Festival, Tuzla
Poienile de sub Munte
Funeral in Poienile de sub Munte. The deceased son is lighting a small bulb powered by solar panels
Villagers from Copaciu, Romania light fires at the village cemetery early on three days before the celebration of Orthodox Easter. According to popular belief, fires lit on Thursday help the souls of the dead to return to visit their homes and relatives
Rimetea, the annual celebration of the village
People are watching a rock concert in Rimetea
Rimetea, the annual celebration of the village
Chiril, from the lippovan community, plays harmonica, Sfistofca
Entertainment park at the seaside resort of Costinesti
Entertainment park at the seaside resort of Costinesti
Maria Campina, self-proclaimed the Queen of the witches, in her house in Bucharest
Birthday decorations
Rehearsals in Clejani village, a place famous for the big number of musicians
The village of Ocland in the night
Bosca Teodor from the un-electrified village of Valea Marea (Sighet) speaks on the phone
Decorations and public lights, Vadul Izei
An apartment block in Drumul Taberei, Bucharest
The parents of emigrants in the house they built back home, Negrești
Gusti, a shepherd which moves all the summer in the field to take care of the animals belonging to the local community
Guerilla Lighting, an event that uses light as a form of urban intervention
Flowers kiosk, Cluj
Spotlight festival, Bucharest
A girl uses a mobile phone to light her path in the night, seaside, Tuzla
Natural and artificial light, Rimetea
A newly constructed bridge near Campina
Restaurant near Campina
Air show in Tuzla
Dance festival in Tuzla
Recycling bulbs factory, Buzau
In 1884, Timișoara became Europe’s first town with electric streetlights. Now, over 130 years later, Romania still has 100.000 households with no electricity, according to the Minister of Energy. That means about half a million people living without electricity. On the other hand, Romania is also the country where over 30.000 lightbulbs are replaced and thrown away each day. Because of that, almost 55 kilograms of mercury end up in the soil each year. Following an invitation from Recolamp, we made a portrait of Romania after sunset, which grew into a book. We travelled across the country documenting the country by bulblight and how electric lighting, or lack thereof, shapes people’s lives and underscores their social status. Just like sunset over one part of the globe brings sunrise over the other, when darkness falls rural Romania remains still, as if plunged in a black, silent chasm. While people in villages go into their homes to sleep, on the seafront and in the cities the fun is just beginning: countless lightbulbs come on blindingly, in flamboyant advertising displays, to attract consumers much like natural predators attract prey.
With the support of Recolamp NGO. Recolamp.
