Carnivale

Ana Alexandrescu
Carnivale

This ongoing series is my visual journey through the vibrant, captivating and also melancholic world of fairs, street festivals, carnivals, and travelling circuses, mostly in Romania but also abroad. I am in the pursuit of the beauty that resides in chaos and of the extraordinary that hides in the most ordinary facets of life.

Fairs have evolved over time, adapting to changing political and economic landscapes, yet they continue to play a vital role in the lives of communities and they keep timeless traditions alive. These gatherings are linked to harvest festivals or religious celebrations. Some even have pagan origins. Vendors of the most useless trinkets, musicians, exuberant performers, magicians, exotic acrobats and mesmerized spectators, they are all transported into a world of wonder and amazement, as it happened decades and centuries ago. In the rural, underdeveloped areas, fairs and carnivals are for many locals the climax of the year, their only chance to break out of the everyday harsh routine.

Nostalgia and contemporary life coexist harmoniously at these events, where everyday life takes a backseat to the fantastical.