Ceausescu's palace

These images were realized in Ceausescu's house in Bucharest. They subvert luxury that is found there into a reflection about communism and its traumas.

Lensculture review

I personally find this project is visually engaging, conceptually rich, and important. You are using a combination of form and content to achieve a powerful political message. In other words, by using the degraded aesthetics of the cyanotype process to "downgrade" the elegance of the space, you are speaking volumes about your personal believes.

While you are correct that communism was only fully realized in some countries in Eastern Europe, communism is a complex idea that has captivated the minds of people across the world. And of course the largest country in the world, China, still uses communism as a part of their governing beliefs. In the United States, where I live, communism, in its purest form, still captivates the minds of so many people. So much so, that it can be threatening to parties trying to maintain their grip on power. In those terms, "communism" is a term that is thrown around in a slanderous way.

My point is that communism is very much on the minds of people around the world. It intrigues as much as it repulses. And for that reason, among others, I personally feel your project is very relevant to audiences all around. No less, the fact that you are taking a somewhat critical standpoint on an internationally known and recognized segment of communist history, is another invaluable asset to the project.

The overarching idea of this project is fascinating. And I again love the idea of using process--the cyanotype--as a way to insinuate an alternate, degraded, view of a place/scene. That's a super strong part of your concept/statement.

One thing I would recommend expanding upon is the history of Ceausescu and his regime. While I know a little bit about it, an international audience may not understand the depths of his transgressions upon his own people. And I think some small details/information will go a long way in helping the audience understand the specifics of why you are choosing to degrade the magnificence of his palace.

I am a big fan of when artists use their work as a form of political persuasion and commentary. And this project is clearly filled with that voice. I am glad that you are continuing this work and I hope you will extend this talent to similar projects in the future.