A SPECIAL EXHIBITION OPENING FOLLOWED ONLINE ON SEVERAL CONTINENTS
In the presence of a large audience, on Friday, May 23, 2025, at 11:00 AM, the international exhibition entitled “Europe Seen by Photographer Artists from Other Continents” was opened. It was organized by the International Association “Euro Foto Art” (AIEFA) in partnership with Summit Agro Romania and the Museum of the Land of Criș – Oradea Museum Complex, through the Oradea City Museum service, under the auspices of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), recognized by UNESCO.
On this occasion, 70 black-and-white and color photographs were exhibited by the following artists: Najla Angawi from Saudi Arabia, Paul Bock from the United States of America, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan EFIAPg and Nora Maher from Africa, Ryuichi Tazaki from Japan, and Brian K Smith from Canada. All images can be viewed on the AIEFA website: https://eurofotoart.ro/intitulata-orase-europene/. The audience was welcomed by Dr. Ioan Ciorba, head of the Oradea City Museum service, who thanked for the excellent cooperation between AIEFA and the Museum of the Land of Criș – Oradea Museum Complex, which made the organization of this national premiere exhibition possible. AIEFA president, photographer artist Ștefan Tóth István AFIAP, ESFIAP mentioned in his speech: “Over the years, many photographic artists from all continents of the world have been invited by AIEFA to exhibit their works in our city, with openings held in their presence. Thus, the photographers in this premiere exhibition also came to Oradea and participated in trips around Bihor County, other picturesque areas of Romania, and neighboring countries such as Ukraine or Hungary. I appreciate that although they were at great distances, they followed the exhibition opening live or watched it later (due to time zone differences) via the AIEFA Facebook page.” The special guest of the opening was Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ramona Novicov, art historian and critic, who emphasized the important role played by AIEFA and its president, who managed to convince renowned photographers to exhibit in Oradea and made special efforts to come to our city, some of them even several times, such as Ryuichi Tazaki from Japan or Paul Bock from the United States of America. Their exhibited works in Oradea show their vision of how they see the “Old Continent.” After the opening, several exhibitors sent emotional messages: Najla Angawi from Saudi Arabia said: “Thank you once again for your continued support and the great effort you invest in promoting art and international cultural exchanges.”
Photographer Paul Bock from the USA appreciated the initiative of organizing this exhibition and thanked the AIEFA president for his effort to promote photographic art from around the world in Romania, and Romanian art globally. The musical moments of the opening were provided by the renowned Oradea viola artist Thurzó Sándor József, representative of the Sola Fide (SFKKE) Community and Cultural Association, who performed several pieces by composers from Africa, Asia, Canada, Japan, and the USA: Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” “Smile” by Ch. Chaplin, “O Canada” by Calixa Lavallée, “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, “Eslamy Ya Misr” by Adel Samuel, “Wa Habibi” (Good Friday Hymn), and “Fuyugeshiki” (Winter Landscape) by Watanabe Shigebu. The exhibition will remain open until June 19, 2025. The exhibited works will also be projected on screens in modern means of transportation in the city of Oradea, thanks to a protocol signed between AIEFA and OTL SA.
EUROPE SEEN BY PHOTOGRAPHY ARTISTS FROM OTHER CONTINENTS
Hundreds or perhaps thousands of photographic art exhibitions have been composed of subjects inspired by the beauties, traditions, and architecture of Europe. The International Association “Euro Foto Art” (AIEFA) aimed to organize, in partnership with Summit Agro Romania and the Museum of the Land of Criș (Oradea Museum Complex), through the Oradea City Museum service, and under the auspices of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), recognized by UNESCO, for the very first time, a photographic art exhibition that presents the “Old” continent as seen by photography artists from other continents of the world.
On this occasion, 70 black-and-white and color photographs will be exhibited, created by the following photography artists: Najla Angawi from Saudi Arabia, Paul Bock from the United States of America, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan EFIAPg and Nora Maher from Africa, and Brian K Smith from Canada. All the images can be viewed on the AIEFA website; https://eurofotoart.ro/intitulata-orase-europene/. It is worth appreciating that each exhibiting photographer took part, by invitation of AIEFA, in the openings of their solo exhibitions organized in Oradea. On these occasions, they had the opportunity to photograph a series of subjects in several European countries such as Romania, Ukraine, and Hungary. The exhibition also presents other subjects captured during their individual travels through various European countries.
Photographic artist Najla Angawi Hon EFIAP, ESFIAP, EFIAP from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is the president of the World of Photography Group (WPG). She was in Oradea in June 2018, on the occasion of her solo exhibition opening organized by AIEFA in the “Ștefan Vilidár István” Gallery in the Princely Palace of the medieval Oradea Fortress. On this occasion, she participated in several creative journeys in Oradea and the Apuseni Mountains. She is represented in the exhibition with 15 black-and-white photographs taken in Oradea (RO) and Paris (F).
Photographic artist Paul Bock FIAP from Riverside, California (USA), a member and representative of AIEFA in the States, originally from Oradea, has had several solo exhibitions organized by AIEFA in Oradea, at the Romanian Parliament Palace in the capital, as well as at the History Museum of the Republic of Moldova in Chișinău. He is represented in the exhibition with a series of photographs taken in Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Turkey.
Photographic artist Ahmed Mohamed Hassan EFIAPg, president of the Pharaohs International Photographic Club from Alexandria, Egypt, and of AIEFA, along with his wife Nora Maher, both from Africa, are exhibiting photographs taken in Romania and the Netherlands. They participated at the end of May 2023 in the opening of the group exhibition organized by AIEFA at the FIAP Exhibition Center in Oradea, Romania (also attended by H.E. the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Romania, Mr. Moayad Eldalie), as well as at the “Károlyi” Castle in Carei and the MFE Gallery in Budapest (HU).
Photographic artist Brian K Smith MPA/SPA from Vancouver, Canada, participated on August 21, 2024, in the opening of his personal exhibition entitled “Far East Meets Far West”, organized at the EFA Exhibition Center Oradea – Romania, “Mezey Lajos” Gallery, part of the Oradea City Museum service. During his visit to Oradea, he joined several creative travels in different cities of Romania and Hungary. The photographic societies whose presidents are exhibiting in the show are partner organizations of AIEFA.
The opening of the exhibition will take place on Friday, May 23, 2025, at 11:00 AM, at the EFA Exhibition Center Oradea – Romania, “Mezey Lajos” Gallery, within the Oradea City Museum service. The organizers invite all photography enthusiasts to attend. The musical moments of the opening will be provided by the renowned viola artist from Oradea, Thurzó Sándor József, representative of the Sola Fide Community and Cultural Association (SFKKE), who will perform several pieces by composers from: Africa, Asia, Canada, Japan, and the United States of America.
The exhibition will remain open until June 19, 2025. The exhibited works will also be displayed on screens in public transport in the city of Oradea, thanks to the agreement concluded between AIEFA and OTL SA.
Exhibited photos
