Photography
Minimarket ABC
Project description
“Minimarket ABC” represents an ongoing project started in 2021 that documents the commercial spaces from Timisoara which appeared trough the conversion of apartments on the ground floor of communist apartment blocks – a phenomenon specific for Romania and often seen in cities. After 1989, the urban context adapted to the communist system could not cope with the number of small entrepreneurs encouraged by the new capitalism, eager to succeed on their own. The lack of commercial spaces that would satisfy this phenomenon led to the emergence of the so-called “apartment companies” or “block boutiques”, meaning that each entrepreneur invented a commercial space according to one’s own needs. From an architectural point of view, they do not bring aesthetic benefits to public space and most of the time they are invasive interventions that disrupt the context in which they are inserted. However, they offter the only solution for those who are looking for a small space in which to start a business regardless of its type. Moreover, they offer different services or products that decentralize trade that would otherwise take place exclusively in hypermarkets or supermarkets – often belonging to the same trader. Currently, new developments do not take into account small spaces for fresh bussinesses, being concentrated on large spaces with equally high rents, which most often end up as supermarkets.
Author's presentation text
Fotograf și arhitect, absolvent al Facultății de Arhitectură și Urbanism din Timișoara. În prezent este implicat în scena artistică și culturală locală, colaborează cu Jecza Gallery, Arteditions.ro și este vice-președintele Asociației pentru Patrimoniu Activ - PACT . În perioada 2020-2021 a fost manager cultural în cadrul proiectului Beta - Bienala Timișoreană de Arhitectură (proiect al Ordinului Arhitecților din România - Filiala Teritorială Timiș), iar din 2014 este îndrumător voluntar în cadrul proiectului De-a Arhitectura în orașul meu.
