Julio García
The photographic exhibition Romania’s treasures of Unesco World Cultural Heritage, by Romanian photographer Tudorel Ilie, this year is the focus of the events of the National Culture Day, which every 15 January are celebrated in Romania and Moldova, as the occasion of the anniversary of the birth of the Romanian national poet Mihai Eminescu (1850-1889).
The Instituto Rumano de Cultura, under the auspices of the Embassies of Romania and Moldova, and with the official sponsorship of the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO, presented last Thursday this exhibition, which brings together 24 works by Ilie, The aim of this event is to promote among cultural lovers at home and abroad the most important values of Romania’s cultural heritage.
The exhibition, which presents the most valuable sites, monuments or archaeological sites of Romania’s material, intangible and natural heritage recognized worldwide in the UNESCO World Heritage List, will be open to the public until 23 February 2025.
During the opening ceremony of this exhibition, Maria Pop, director of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Madrid, explained that this initiative is part of the activities organized by the Institute to celebrate a cultural week, on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the birth of the poet Eminescu.
Thus, he commented that the Ateneo de Madrid has hosted a tribute to this Romanian author and that the Municipal Library Iván de Vargas hosts an exhibition of traditional costumes of Romania. Pop stressed that all these activities are intended to make known the various “nuances” of culture and heritage in Romania.
For his part, the Moldovan ambassador to Spain, Eugen Revenco, stressed that “culture not only connects us with our roots but also opens doors to mutual understanding, diversity and promotes respect between peoples”.
Finally, photographer Tudorel Ilie explained that “the tour of the ‘Treasures of Romania’ travelling exhibition of photographic art in Spain is an opportunity for the Spanish public as well as for the many members of the Romanian community in Spain, to see the most representative Romanian sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in Romania. These high-value objectives constitute a bridge between the Romanian and Spanish cultures and are an integral part of humanity”.
In this sense, he added that “some Romanian traditions are similar to those of Spain: the Romanian dance of the «Călușari» is similar to the Spanish dance of the «Morisca», with swords or clubs from Aragon, Andalusia, Galicia and the Basque Country. Transhumance is a millenary pastoral tradition still practiced in Romania and Spain. The pottery tradition is still alive in Horezu (Vâlcea, Romania) and Talavera de la Reina (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain)”.
Tudorel Ilie is a photographer artist from Baia Mare, district of Maramureș, Romania, born on 9 October 1961 in Ardud, district of Satu Mare. Member of the Association of Photographic Artists of Romania (rank Art A.A.F.R.), of the International Association of Photographic Art “Euro Foto Art” (A.I.E.F.A.) since 2015 and of the Union of Professional Creators (U.C.P.), branch Baia Mare. He is president of the Photo-Video Club within the NGO “Millennium” Association of Baia Mare.
The artist has participated in 185 exhibitions of photographic art, of which 84 are personal exhibitions and 101 are collective exhibitions in museums and cultural centers in Romania, Belgium, China, Japan, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Hungary and Ukraine.
