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The

Artist

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Photographer

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Visual Artist

Toma Hurduc

Nominated in
2025
By
Photo Romania Festival
Lives and Works in
Bucharest
Toma Hurduc is a documentary photographer, currently working in Bucharest. His attention was first focused on representing local underground communities and movements, which he strongly feels related to. Nowadays, his narratives are often built on top of the personal experience and relationship with the subject matter, therefore the factual truth is often mixed with the meta, imaginative truth, aiming to question the human perception of reality, dread, anxiety, ephemerality and the construction of memory. Having an academic background in Cinematography, Toma is highly interested in the way light forms images, choosing to work regularly on 35mm black and white film, as a way to render the surreal he sees in ordinary life. Toma’s work has been exhibited both collectively and solo in Romania and abroad and he has been part of multiple mentorship programs, most recent being with Annie Leibovitz and IKEA.
Projects
2023

Two Suns

Toma Hurduc’s ongoing project “Two Suns” paints a picture of people becoming so lost in the chaos of their environment that the apocalypse is creeping in unnoticed. His portrayal of the urban landscape highlights how individuals are fed a constant stream of images and distorted realities, making the end seem inevitable even in the absence of clear signs. The project focuses on socio-economic issues in the Balkan countries, capturing the concept of “crowded solitude” amidst chaotic urban life, all the while infusing an underlying sense of apocalypse. He began photographing for this project in 2023, documenting Albania, Romania, Greece and the Republic of Moldova, depicting this locally-universal life experience, as imagined moments before something disastrous happens.
Show full project
Toma Hurduc
was nominated by
Photo Romania Festival
in
2025
Show all projects
Each year every member of the FUTURES European Photography Platform nominates a set of artists and projects to become part of the FUTURES network.

Adrian Tudose’s work is deeply rooted in empathy and the human experience. His ability to capture fleeting, transient moments in urban spaces transforms everyday encounters into meaningful, structured compositions. By engaging with themes of emotional vulnerability and social representation, his photography offers an introspective look at the human condition. His contribution to the European emerging photography scene lies in his capacity to bridge documentary and artistic photography, presenting images that are both aesthetically rich and emotionally profound. Tudose's approach challenges viewers to reconsider the role of photography as a medium for storytelling and human connection.

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Natalia Ciobanu, with her long-standing dedication to portraiture and travel photography, contributes a vibrant and emotionally charged perspective to contemporary discourse. Her project "Between Color and Expression" explores the depth of human emotion through striking use of color and composition. By focusing on the authenticity of her subjects, Ciobanu offers a visually poetic reflection on inner states and identity. Her work resonates with a broader European audience by celebrating diversity, introspection, and the universal language of color. She reinforces the significance of portraiture in contemporary photography, emphasizing its power to evoke personal and collective narratives.

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Toma Hurduc’s documentary approach provides a critical, thought-provoking examination of the socio-political landscape in the Balkans. His project "Two Suns" delves into the region’s post-communist struggles, exploring the tensions between inherited ideologies and the rapid expansion of consumerist culture. By blending factual and imaginative elements, Hurduc crafts a layered narrative that questions the construction of memory and the perception of reality. His use of black-and-white 35mm film adds a timeless and surreal quality to his imagery, reinforcing the stark contrasts present in Balkan societies. His work contributes to contemporary European photography by documenting underrepresented histories and offering a raw, unfiltered perspective on socio-political change.

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Together, these three photographers redefine contemporary photography through their commitment to emotion, identity, and societal reflection. Their selection for Futures Photography 2025 highlights the evolving landscape of European photography, where personal narratives and critical discourses merge to shape a more inclusive, thoughtful, and visually compelling future.

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Photo Romania Festival's 2025 nominations were curated by:

Andrei Budescu | Photographer and university professor, former Dean of UAD (University of Art and Design), Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Panagiotis Papoutsis | Photographer and former Artistic Director of Ioannina Photo Festival, Greece

Dorel Găină | Photographer and university professor, former Dean of UAD (University of Art and Design), Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Sebastian Vaida | Photographer and Artistic Director of Photo Romania Festival, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

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