The Storybooks - Volume 1 - Cotroceni

CE ESTE ACEASTA CARTE?Aceasta carte se doreste a fi un prim volum dintr-un fel descrisori de dragoste in imagini, dedicate orasului in care m-am nascut si pe care l-am redescoperit dupa mai bine de 10 ani de absenta. In paginile ce vor urma nu-mi doresc decat sa-l laud, aducandu-i in prim plan numai partile frumoase... sau pe care eu le consider a fi partile lui frumoase. Exact asa cum intr-o scrisoare de dragoste intotdeauna omiti voit partile negative ale destinatarului, asa nici in aceasta carte nu veti gasi ceva ce eu consider ca nu face parte din identitatea vizuala a acestui frumos oras. Am pastrat doar entuziasmul momentului si avantul pe care numai un asemenea entuziasm ti-l poate da.DE CE TREBUIE SA EXISTE ACEASTA CARTE?Pentru ca ceva s-a intamplat... nu stiu cand, nu stiu cum, nu stiu de ce, dar stiu ca imaginea intr-un mental colectiv universal despre capitalele Europei de rasarit este una foarte urata. Pot veni cu supozitii, dar asta nu cred sa ajute la ceva si nici nu cred sa fie foarte importanta aflarea motivelor pentru care imaginea capitalelor rasaritene a ajuns sa fie una urata. Stiu ca si imaginea pe care o aveam eu despre orasul meu, in momentul in care am hotarat sa plec de-aici, era una foarte urata. De ce? Probabil din lipsa de rabdare, care se face simtita din ce in ce mai mult. Nimeni nu mai are timp. Nimeni nu mai are posibilitatea de-a iesi in tihna, la pas si sa ia sistematic, una cate una, strazile unui oras, pentru a-i descoperi frumusetea. Acesta este motivul pentru care mi-am dorit sa fac aceasta carte, in care un intreg cartier este comprimat in cateva pagini, prin imagini simbol, organizate pe zone usor accesibile.CARE ESTE SCOPUL ACESTEI CARTI?Imi doresc ca ea sa fie o invitatie adresata oricui isi doreste sa iasa la o plimbare pentru a admira strazile pline de un parfum distinct al mai multor veacuri. De aceea am considerat ca aceasta carte trebuie sa vina insotita de o harta cu care sa fie mai usoara deplasarea prin locurile ilustrate. Imi doresc sa fie si un mesaj transmis dincolo de granitele orasului, tarii, continentului, care sa vorbeasca despre faptul ca nu s-a reusit, asa cum inca se mai crede, sa se distruga chiar toate locurile cu incarcatura istorica din Bucuresti. Identitatea noastra ca oras, a ramas vie si va fi mereu aici, in asteptarea oricui isi doreste sa ne cunoasca.WHAT IS THIS BOOK?This book aims towards being the first volume of a series, of some sort of love letters in images, an enchantment dedicated to my hometown which I rediscovered after more than 10 years. In the following pages I only want highlight the qualities of this town, bringing forward only its beautiful side... or the side that I consider to be most beautiful. Just as in a love letter anything negative is omitted. You will not find anything here that I consider does not belong to the visual identity of this beautiful city. I have kept to the initial enthusiasm and momentum only this sort of positive spontanuity can give.WHY IS THIS BOOK NEEDED?I don’t know when, how or why, but I certainly know that in a general humanitarian mentality, something happened. The images, shown from the capitals of Eastern Europe, have not been pretty ones. I can only guess why it was like that, but I don’t think it’s important to find why these images became so ugly. I know that the memory I have of my hometown, when I decided to leave, was similarly unpleasant one. Why? Maybe because not for lack of patience, but because it became more and more apparent that one just does not have the time anymore to calmly roam the streets to discover the beauty of a city. This is the main reason why I wanted to make this book, compressing an entire neighborhood through symbolic images, into so many pages. I hope and believe that through my photography I’m rendering and capturing these neighborhoods, making them more accesible.WHAT’S THE AIM OF THIS BOOK?I want this book to be an invitation to anyone who wishes to explore and absorb the distinctive perfume of so many centuries. That’s the reason why I considered that this book must come together with a map that would make the walk through the sites illustrated in the book, easier. May this book be a warning across global borders that distruction in Romania and Bucharest were never fully achieved, thus Romanian identity is still very much alive and will always be here, waiting for anyone that wants to get to know us. HARTA IN FORMAT MARE INCLUSA IN CARTE!!!LARGE FORMAT MAP INCLUDED IN THE BOOK!!!