The search for silence and roots, in a small Romanian village

The story of two young artists who moved to a village in central Romania to search for their roots and their place in the world, in silence.

Cincu. This small place in central Romania is a world in itself. I arrive there during the village’s fair in August. It’s hot and crowded, kids are running around. You can buy beer, Romanian sausages (mici), balloons, cakes, lemonades, traditional blouses, and straw hats. It seems a bit crazy, but you feel alive. Only a few meters away there is the Saxon fortified church, cool and sumptuous, surrounded by huge trees. It’s a reminiscence of other centuries. This is the place where Marlene Stanciu and Alex Herberth, two young artists interested in archaic craft techniques, have decided to start a new life. After driving past a military base which usually hosts NATO drills, then passing by the village church and the fair, I arrive at Marlene and Alex’s house. The village’s sounds are already behind. In the yard, there are some trees and vegetables. A young woman wears a big smile and a long dress as she gets out of the house. A tall guy who wears tattoos and a friendly smile accompanies her. Their dog follows. This was the house where Marlene would come visit her Saxon grandmother in the summertime as a child. Now it’s the place where she and Alex live, organize their workshops, create furniture and do gardening. Marlene mainly works with textiles, whereas Alex is a skilled carpenter.