Temporary Exhibitions
The current exhibition presents 41 photographs by Dumitru Corduneanu, born in 1980 in Chișinău. He pursued university studies at the West University of Timișoara, followed by a Master’s degree in Sociology. He lives in Wheathampstead, United Kingdom, where he divides his time between social engagement and creative practice. He is married and a father of two.
“I first picked up a camera when I found myself without friends. In the early 2010s, I was living in Bucharest, rushing through life—working from morning until night, and celebrating from night until dawn. That whirlwind came to a halt when I arrived in London, having moved here for work. I was expecting a child.
In the evenings, I would drink tea at home. Out of boredom, I started browsing the internet. Quite quickly, I discovered platforms showcasing high-resolution photography by professionals. Until then, I hadn’t taken photos—not even with a phone. I was still using a Nokia. I bought my first camera and went out into the streets to rediscover the world. That’s what I still do today.
In 2017, I experienced Easter in Jerusalem. I was traveling in Jordan, planning to visit Israel and Jerusalem, but I had nothing booked and no idea how to do it. I crossed the border from Jordan to Israel on foot. In Jerusalem, I found the last available room. It had a single light bulb hanging from two uninsulated wires.
In the days that followed, I witnessed how the Abrahamic religions can coexist. Christian crowds gathered at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jews at the Western Wall, and Muslims at the Dome of the Rock.
I somehow found myself inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, carried along by a stream of pilgrims. The Old City was blocked. Israeli soldiers maintained order. Barriers were everywhere. From time to time, one would open, allowing a few dozen more pilgrims into the area from which you could reach the church.
I saw Armenians entering the church to receive the Holy Fire. Then I saw them leaving after receiving it. In fact, they didn’t simply leave—they burst out, running to reach the plane that would carry the fire home. I wasn’t used to such sights.
Inside the church, I saw people of all races: white, mixed-race, Black, Asian. I also saw people dressed in white who seemed to have stepped out of an Old Testament film. I later learned they were Ethiopians, many of whom had walked on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. At night, they all slept together on the floor of the Ethiopian church. I was fascinated by these incredibly beautiful people.
Then I went to Ethiopia. In 2023, I experienced Easter in Lalibela, in the Christian north of the country. Ethiopia is a land of ethnic diversity, where Muslims live in the northeast near the Somali border, Christians in the center and north, and indigenous tribes in the Omo Valley and the south.
Lalibela is known for its churches carved into monolithic rock below ground level. In the 12th century, King Lalibela built 11 churches to create a New Jerusalem in Ethiopia. Easter in Lalibela is completely different from that in Jerusalem. It is…
In fact, the photographs will tell you much more than words. You can stop in front of each one and imagine that you are truly there—in Jerusalem, in Lalibela.
Where Easter on earth mirrors that of heaven. Where a hundred silent paths shine.”
Dumitru Corduneanu
