A powerful photography exhibition has put the stories of Romania's youth raised in foster care in front of Romanian diaspora and New York audiences, marking the launch of a campaign its organizers hope will travel across the United States.

Marked for More, presented June 19-20 in a gallery in the heart of Manhattan, showcased portraits and testimonies of young adults who grew up in Romania's foster care system. The exhibition was produced by our member, The Social Incubator, through its USA branch. For more than 12 years, The Social Incubator has supported vulnerable youth in Romania and Moldova through education, mental health services, and job integration programs, impacting the lives of over 65,000 youth.

Tattoos as forms of authorship

The exhibition's central idea is as simple as it is moving: many of these young people have no family albums, no personal keepsakes to anchor their sense of self. In the absence of those markers, many turned to something they could carry with them permanently: tattoos. Inked onto skin rather than kept in a drawer, these images became personal records of loss, remembrance, fear, independence, and hope.

The portraits were captured by Alex Gâlmeanu, one of Romania's most respected portrait photographers, known for a documentary style that lets subjects reveal themselves instead of posing for the camera. His images, paired with the young people's stories, invite visitors to look past decades-old associations between Romania and the perception of institutionalized children, and to instead recognize a generation defined by resilience and self-determination.

A launch event with Impact

The June 19 opening drew a strong response from visitors. The evening combined live sound and dance performances with the chance for guests to meet the people behind the project directly.

Among the most resonant moments was the presence of Cătălin, one of the young people featured in the project, who traveled from Romania to speak openly about his own experience. His firsthand account enhanced the opening evening’s emotional weight.

The event brought together members of the Romanian diaspora, project partners, and supporters, many of whom organizers say connected deeply with the campaign's message – solid reason for The Social Incubator to prepare the next stage of the initiative.

Plans to travel across major USA cities

For The Social Incubator USA, the New York launch is a starting point. The organization is now working to turn Marked for More into a touring exhibition that reaches additional US cities with strong Romanian diaspora communities and audiences open to authentic, socially engaged storytelling.

In Romania, over 60,000 children and young people grow up in the child protection system. Every year, around 3,500 age out of state care and are expected to begin adult life, with little to no family support, without housing, or a path forward.

By expanding the campaign's footprint across the USA, The Social Incubator aims to grow the support network these young people deserve as they begin their adult lives, while also shifting the conversation about Romania's children growing in the protection system toward the generation of young adults now building futures marked by dignity, opportunity, and belonging.

More on:

markedformore.org

https://asociatiasocialincubator.org/tsi-usa