VARA

The collaborative photographic project VARA explores labor migration in Romania, where many work abroad and reunite with their families only briefly in summer (Vara). The images capture the melancholy of these short-lived moments.

The collaborative project “VARA” between Martha Roschmann and Robert Kwaß takes a photographic approach to labor migration in Romania. Large parts of the population move to other European countries to find better work and are therefore unable to be with their families for most of the year. This changes in the summer (Romanian: Vara), when the families are reunited for a few weeks. In their pictures, the two photographers show the melancholy that surrounds the brief get-together.

The project also takes an in-depth look at questions of religion. Romania is one of the most religious countries in Europe, with the Christian (Orthodox) faith being the main religion practiced. Hope and forgiveness of sin are among the central convictions of the Christian faith. In their images, the two photographers search for traces that are reminiscent of biblical stories and reflect the realities of life for the Romanian population.

The protagonists of the story are mainly young people, as they represent the future of the country. They too are faced with the decision of whether to pursue a promising life in another European country or follow a more arduous path in their own country.