ICR London Marks 20 Years With Photo Show and Balkan-Fusion Concert

The Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) in London turns 20 this week, and it's marking the date with a photography exhibition, 'PAST FORWARD: 20 Years of Romanian Culture in London', plus a concert by the international ensemble Unicorn Frequency at its headquarters at 1 Belgrave Square, Thursday at 19:00.

Since opening in November 2006, the Institute has run an average of more than 70 events a year, covering music, literature, cinema, visual arts, theatre and intellectual debate. Twenty years. Thousands of events. That's the scale the exhibition sets out to make visible.

'PAST FORWARD' is a visual retrospective built from an extensive selection of photographs documenting the events, personalities, performances, exhibitions and encounters that shaped the institution's history. The images cover both landmark moments in institutional partnerships and the smaller artistic encounters that brought Romanian culture closer to British audiences.

Who took the pictures?

A significant section of the show pays tribute to the photographers who documented the Institute's work over the years. Four names receive special recognition: Cristian Alexa, Inno Brezeanu, Alexandru Coman and Razvan Danaila. Their photographs preserved the visual record of numerous events and personalities, and the anniversary framing puts them inside the story rather than outside it. For a photography audience, that's the notable gesture. The show treats documentation as part of the institution's own history.

The exhibition stays open until December 5, Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 16:00, at 1 Belgrave Square.

What has the Institute actually done?

ICR President Corina Incrosnatu laid out the record in a statement. 'The British cultural scene — one of the most demanding, but also one of the richest in opportunities — has been among the Romanian Cultural Institute's priorities ever since its London branch opened in 2006,' she said.

Her list runs wide:

• Projects on shared history, including one about the Dacians sent to Britain under the Roman Empire to help build Hadrian's Wall
• The unveiling of a statue of Queen Marie in Ashford
• The British Council partnership 'Circular Catalysts', pairing British designers with craftspeople from rural Romania
• A substantial presence at the London Book Fair
• Contemporary art exhibitions and the long-running Enescu Concerts series
• Support for Romanian films at international festivals and a programme of academic lectures

The Institute's reach has extended beyond the UK to Ireland and Iceland.

Its guest list carries institutional weight. King Charles has visited, and those visits marked milestones in the institution's history, underlining the depth of cultural and historical ties between Romania and the UK, the Institute's statement noted. Members of the British and Romanian royal families have also attended, alongside Nobel laureates and internationally acclaimed artists.

ICR London Director Aura Woodward called the anniversary a moment of both reflection and pride. 'Over these two decades, the Institute has welcomed everyone from King Charles and Nobel laureates to internationally acclaimed artists, all contributing to a shared effort to promote our culture,' she said.

She went further on what the institution represents. 'Today, ICR London is one of the most vibrant cultural venues in the British capital, a testament to the power of cultural diplomacy, which brings people together through art and shared values, builds trust and leaves a lasting legacy beyond changing political circumstances,' Woodward said.

What does the music add?

The evening concert widens the frame beyond Romania. Unicorn Frequency, led by Romanian-British violinist Bogdan Vacarescu, brings five musicians together for a set in which Romanian and Balkan folk traditions blend with Greek and Italian sounds and other strands of European musical heritage.

Vacarescu's lineup: Elena Hadjiafxendi on vocals, Peter Michaels on guitar, Paul Moylan on double bass, and Ohad Lustigman on percussion and drums. The organisers promise a participatory performance in which diverse European traditions meet in a shared artistic language — a fair musical analogue, in intent at least, for what the Institute has spent two decades trying to do with photography, film and debate.

With the exhibition running into December, the anniversary isn't a single night. The photographs stay on the walls, and the Institute's stated ambition — a 'lasting legacy beyond changing political circumstances' — now has a documented visual archive to argue its case.