A MESSAGE
IN IMAGES
AND WORDS
FROM US
TO THEM
SPREAD IT
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EVERY COMMUNITY

IS MADE OF PEOPLE.

SOME PEOPLE WE KNOW WELL

AND SOME WE’LL NEVER MEET.

SOME WE TRUST, LOVE, AND VALUE.

SOME WE DOUBT, IGNORE

OR NEVER NOTICED BEFORE.

SOME COME INTO THE LIGHT

IN TIMES OF CRISIS.

SOME NEVER MAKE IT

OUT OF THE SHADOW.

SOME HAVE MYSTERIOUS ROLES

THAT FEW DARE DREAM OF

WHILE SOME HAVE DUTIES

SO ESSENTIAL AND MUNDANE

THAT THEY BECOME INVISIBLE.

PEOPLE.

NOT MACHINES

NOT ROBOTS

NOT PASSPORTS

NOT COLORS

NOT NUMBERS.

PEOPLE.

FLAWED

CONCERNED

ENDANGERED

IMPERFECT

UNFINISHED.

PEOPLE.

ALL OF US

TIED TO EACH OTHER

VISIBLY OR NOT

BY OUR DEPENDENCE.

WE MAY FORGET

ABOUT SOME PROFESSIONS

ROUTINE FUNCTIONS

EVEN LIFE-SAVING ACTIONS.

WE WILL ALWAYS OVERLOOK

SOMETHING OR SOMEONE.

BUT WE CANNOT IGNORE

THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US

IS SOMEBODY’S SOMEONE.

BEHIND EVERY SUIT

EVERY MASK

EVERY MEAL

EVERY CHECK-OUT

EVERY DELIVERY

EVERY SERVICE

EVERY STEP

EVERY SENTENCE

EVERY HEADLINE

EVERY STATISTIC,

IS SOMEBODY ABSENT

SOMEONE NEEDED

BY SOMEONE ELSE.

A NEEDED MOTHER

SOMEONE’S FATHER

SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER

SON OR BROTHER

SISTER OR NIECE

COUSIN OR GODCHILD

OR GODPARENT

GRANDMOTHER

GRANDFATHER

NEPHEW

IN-LAW

STEP-SOMEBODY

HALF-SOMEBODY

WIFE

HUSBAND

PARTNER.

SOMEBODY’S SOMEONE.

SOMEONE’S SOMEBODY.

FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM

FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US

WE MUST TRY.

TRY TO REMEMBER

RELATE

REPAIR

REFORM

REMIND.

TODAY

YESTERDAY

TOMORROW.

IN EXTREMES AND IN ROUTINES

IF THEY ARE PRESENT FOR YOU

THEY’RE ABSENT FOR SOMEONE

AND IF THEY STOPPED BREATHING

TO SOMEONE THEY’D BE MISSING.

DON’T TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED.

CRISTIAN MOVILĂ is a son, grandson, and brother of four. As an artist and photojournalist, he moved heaven and earth when the pandemic started to get authorizations to enter hospitals across Bucharest to cover the crisis. His idea for Don’t Take Them for Granted was born from the photographs he took there, the extraordinary doctors he met, and the emergency he witnessed and felt responsible to act on. Cristian is also the founder of EIDOS Foundation and UNFINISHED.
CAPUCINE GROS is a daughter, sister, and godmother of two. She first accompanied Cristian in the hospitals to assist with photo-documenting but, over time, what she experienced there turned into words that came to complement the photographs. As a conceptual artist, she was also compelled to translate Cristian’s Don’t Take Them for Granted idea into the relatable unit of family relations and the more shareable format of screen-printed masks. Capucine is also the artistic director of EIDOS Foundation and UNFINISHED.
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH was shooting a new film in New Zealand when Cristian started sending him photos from his reporting inside the hospitals, back in March. Over the following few months, while the pandemic in New Zealand got more and more under control, the situation in Romania and most parts of the world worsened. Benedict recorded this voice-over out of care and friendship, in the spirit of reminding the world to be kind during this crisis and the many more we will face.
ALFREDO JAAR, husband, father of one, and brother of four, was confined in his apartment in New York City during the COVID-19 lockdown. The artist, photographer, and filmmaker, best known for his extensive work on crisis, media, and the politics of images, produced two short films during this time home to pause, process, and contextualize some of the most striking moments of this global emergency. These films, he wrote, helped him breathe. He feels honored to include his works in the project’s exhibition.
RADU MANELICI, husband and son, brought our efforts altogether here with the design of our message on this website. Going back to the start of the 20th century and looking at newspapers addressing pandemics from the Spanish flu to the 1918 influenza, he chose Benton Modern – a typeface of gravity and urgency – to spread our outcry. A designer working at the intersection of multiple fields, Radu is also involved in the 2020 visual identity of UNFINISHED.
ANDREI BĂLĂȘOIU is a son, brother, and godfather of one who edited this project’s short film in close work with MARIUS LEFTĂRACHE, son, composer and sound designer, combining Cristian’s photos, Capucine’s texts, Benedict’s voice, and sound footage recorded from the hospitals’ respirators
VLAD BĂLĂCEANU is a son, brother, and partner. He too assisted Cristian on many occasions inside the hospitals and post-produced the photos. Vlad, an architect by training, was also involved in the technical planning of the installation and works as operation manager for EIDOS Foundation and UNFINISHED.
SERBAN PORUPCA, partner and father, is a production designer and art director who imagined the original installation with Cristian. Serban has also been overseeing the production and design of UNFINISHED’s previous editions, until this year when it moved online.
ANIELA BAN, daughter and (new!) mother of one, and SILVIA NANCU, daughter and partner, are architects and space designers who work closely with Serban and modeled the installation. Aniela and Silvia have also been part of the UNFINISHED team for years and are also looking forward to working again on future, offline editions.
ALEXANDRA CACIUR is a mother, daughter, and goddaughter. A digital experience designer by trade, Alexandra helped spread the word about our project by spearheading our social media communications. Alexandra is also the head of digital experience at UNFINISHED.
GABRIEL MILITARU, RĂZVAN DUICAN, IONUȚ AVRAM, and MARIUS DRENEA are sons and brothers who brought Radu’s design to life by programming it into this website. Their team, WebitFactory, is also involved in many groundbreaking projects at the technological forefront of Romania, including especially Flow OS, the new interaction platform launched at #UNFINISHED20.
YASSA KHAN is a son and a brother, and is an art director based in London. Cristian and Yassa bonded over their mutual love and respect for Chris Marker's work. He helped finalize the film and give it the final touches before production, as well as producing some of the social assets to promote the film.
JUDITH LEVITT has helped Cristian editing his work. The final selection of images was done thanks to her guidance, from the thousands of shots taken over more than 70 hours of shooting inside the hospitals. She has worked as an editor for The New York Times, Washington Post, Geo Magazine, and HBO, and was part of the core faculty of the International Center for Photography from 2002-2020.
DONA-GEORGIA TESCOVSCHI, daughter, partner, and god-mother of two beautiful goddaughters, has worked across all ends of culture and events, from communications and PR to managing bookstores and street festivals. From the project’s early days, Dona has advised, guided, and helped both “Don’t Take Them for Granted” as well as the UNFINISHED Festival take flight.
IULIA ROȘU is a daughter, granddaughter, and sister and she assists the team of DON’T TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED as an executive assistant. Iulia has been actively involved in volunteering activities related to the pandemic context and she is happy to also have the chance to help the ones in the front line with COVID-19 through this tribute to them all.
EIDOS FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization based in Bucharest, Romania, committed to supporting new cultural forms and practices on an international level and across disciplines. It operates at the intersection of creativity, technology, philosophy, and business by organizing events, educational programs, experimental research, and by supporting the production of artistic projects. Its mission is to build bridges between thinkers and visionaries from across Romania and the world at large and provide them with an ever-evolving variety of platforms for exchange.
UNFINISHED is a vibrant community of global thinkers and makers. It brings together all fields of knowledge, all ages, all social and geographical backgrounds, and all forms of exchange. Its goal is to encourage non-stop learning (as the name says... unfinished!) and help people simply appreciate the true value of each other in their respective lives. UNFINISHED functions on a unique “pay with your time” model which selects participants through an open application process. Since 2020, UNFINISHED Festival is proudly under the patronage of the European Parliament.

INSTITUTUL NAȚIONAL DE BOLI INFECȚIOASE "PROF. DR. MATEI BALȘ" HOSPITAL, BUCHAREST

SPITALUL MILITAR ROL 2, BUCHAREST

SPITALUL UNIVERSITAR DE URGENȚĂ, BUCHAREST

RAMONA, MOTHER OF THREE • LILIANA, MOTHER OF TWO • RODICA, MOTHER OF ONE • ADINA, MOTHER OF TWO • MAGDA, MOTHER OF ONE • LUMINIȚA, DAUGHTER & WIFE • ADRIAN, FATHER OF ONE • ADINA, MOTHER OF ONE • DOINA, MOTHER OF ONE • LIZA, MOTHER OF ONE • ANCA, MOTHER OF ONE • OANA, MOTHER OF TWO • DANIELA, MOTHER OF ONE • MONICA, MOTHER OF ONE • CĂTĂLINA, DAUGHTER • MARTA, DAUGHTER • ALINA, DAUGHTER • BIANCA, DAUGHTER • CRISTIAN, SON • MĂDĂLINA, MOTHER OF ONE • GEANINA, DAUGHTER • RAMONA, DAUGHTER & MOTHER OF ONE • DELIA, DAUGHTER • IOANA, DAUGHTER • ANIELA, MOTHER OF TWO • ALICE, MOTHER OF TWO • FLORENTINA, MOTHER OF ONE • DANIELA, MOTHER OF TWO • DANA, DAUGHTER • BIANCA, DAUGHTER • IONUȚ, FATHER OF ONE • FLORINA, MOTHER OF TWO • ALEXANDRA, MOTHER OF ONE • GINA, DAUGHTER • ANA MARIA, DAUGHTER • OLIVIA, DAUGHTER • OLIVIA, DAUGHTER • CRISTINICA, MOTHER OF TWO • OANA, MOTHER OF ONE • CATALINA, DAUGHTER • ELENA, DAUGHTER • CORNELIA, DAUGHTER • ALINA, DAUGHTER • LUMINIȚA, MOTHER OF ONE • IRINA, DAUGHTER • ADINA, MOTHER OF TWO • FLORICA, DAUGHTER & WIFE • CĂLIN, FATHER OF TWO
• LUMINIȚA, MOTHER OF TWO • ZOIA, MOTHER OF TWO • ALINA, MOTHER OF TWO • FLORICA, DAUGHTER • CATALINA, DAUGHTER • MIHAELA, DAUGHTER • MARIA, MOTHER OF TWO • IRINA, MOTHER OF TWO • MARI, SON • MARI, DAUGHTER • FLORENTINA, DAUGHTER • CARMEN, DAUGHTER • CLAUDIA, DAUGHTER • ALICE, DAUGHTER • DANIELA, DAUGHTER • IRINA LAURA, DAUGHTER • ELENA ANDREEA, DAUGHTER • ADRIANA, DAUGHTER & WIFE • MARIA, MOTHER OF ONE • ELENA, MOTHER OF TWO • GHEORGHIȚA, MOTHER OF TWO • IOANA, MOTHER OF ONE • IRINA, MOTHER OF TWO • ROZICA, MOTHER OF ONE • SIMONA, MOTHER OF TWO • TATIANA, MOTHER OF ONE • LAURA, DAUGHTER • DANIELA. MOTHER OF TWO • ANDREI, SON • MARIANA, MOTHER OF TWO • TUDOR, FATHER OF TWO • VIORICA, MOTHER OF ONE • CĂTĂLIN, SON & HUSBAND • NICU, FATHER OF TWO •

& ALL OTHER...

NURSES • CLEANERS • ASSISTANTS • PORTERS • INTERNS • DOCTORS • LAB TECHNICIANS • AIDES • HELPERS • CLERKS • REGISTRARS • THERAPISTS • DRIVERS • COURIERS • CASHIERS • PHARMACISTS • SECURITY GUARDS • SWEEPERS • COOKS • SERVERS • ANESTHETISTS • VOLUNTEERS • PHYSICAL ASSISTANTS • EMERGENCY TEAMS • SUPERINTENDENTS • JANITORS • DIRECTORS • ADMINISTRATORS • RESEARCHERS • PARAMEDICS • SONOGRAPHERS • MIDWIVES • TECHNOLOGISTS • MEDICS • CARDIOLOGISTS • PSYCHIATRISTS • PERFUSIONISTS • RECEPTIONISTS • PSYCHOLOGISTS • PULMONOLOGISTS • PRACTITIONERS • SPECIALISTS • SURGEONS • RADIOLOGISTS •

...ALL AROUND THE WORLD

Did we miss you? Or anyone else you’d like to recognize? Please forgive us and email us (hospital name, first name & family relation) or remind us of any function we overlooked, so we can add them right away!

THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 59 MILLION HEALTHCARE WORKERS AROUND THE WORLD.

MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CREATIVE TO EXPRESS SUPPORT AND GRATITUDE TO THEM.

YET MANY MORE PEOPLE STILL CONTINUE TO DOUBT THEIR WORK, EXPLOIT THEIR TIME, TURN DEAF TO THEIR COMPLAINTS, AND BLIND TO THEIR NEEDS.

MANY OF US STILL COUNT ON THEM TO DO THE INVISIBLE WORK INSIDE THEIR SILENT SUITS WHILE WE FIGHT OVER FACTS AND LIVE OUR OWN LIVES OUTSIDE.

WHETHER YOU’RE AT WORK OR AT HOME, IN PUBLIC OR IN PRIVATE, SAYING SOMETHING OR STAYING SILENT, YOU IMPACT THEM.

EVERYTHING YOU DO IS NOT JUST ABOUT YOU, IT’S ABOUT THEM TOO

IF YOU DON’T TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED, TELL THEM.

IT’S THE LEAST WE CAN DO.

JOIN US OFFLINE &

ONLINE:

a public installation at Piața George Enescu, Bucharest

Opening Oct. 9, 2020;

featuring two short films

by Alfredo Jaar

an online exhibition

at #UNFINISHED20

Sept. 27–Oct. 4, 2020

featuring two short films

by Alfredo Jaar & many others

#UNFINISHED20.

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