O mică atenție (2022) began as a playful observation of a familiar Romanian habit: offering a small gift, favor, or service in exchange for a privilege or special treatment. Often seen as an innocent gesture, this practice has been passed from one generation to the next, becoming part of everyday life.
The project presents photographs of objects that people have given as o mică atenție in order to receive a favor, better treatment, or access to a service. Each object is connected to a real story, showing how these ordinary gifts can carry much deeper meanings.
One of the stories comes from my own family. Before my grandfather's surgery in a public hospital, the doctor suggested that money should be given for the operation to take place. After receiving it, he was still not satisfied with the amount and hinted that he expected more. For my family, this was not seen as something unusual, but simply as the way things worked.
As the project developed, it became a reflection on how these seemingly harmless gestures shape the way we relate to one another and to public institutions. Where is the line between gratitude and corruption? At what point does "a little attention" stop being a kind gesture and become something we feel we need in order to receive what should already be our right?
Without offering clear answers, O mică atenție invites viewers to question a habit that has become deeply rooted in Romanian society and to consider whether practices inherited from the past still have a place in the present.
Exhibition view, We Are Not Passive Visitors, curated by Gia Țidorescu, at Borderline Art Space, Iași, Romania, 2022.