Oasis of love in Romanian prisons

When in 2007 Romania joined the European Union, the country had to make a number of changes to match the new status. Among these changes was the need to enter every prison "room for sex" — a place where prisoners could spend time alone with their partners or spouses.

In the next few years, the Romanian photographer Cosmin Bumbut shot these facilities are 40 in all the prisons of Romania. Turned a photo project titled the Intimate Room ("Private room") — the visual catalogue of artificially created spaces to sitting in jail again felt like normal people.

(19 photos)

Source: Feature Shoot

In fact, these rooms — just a little different detention which must comply with the requirements of the European Union. According to the law, every prisoner has the right to a two-hour meeting with your spouse every three months. If a prisoner enters into a marriage, being already in prison, he has the right to spend 48 hours after wedding in an intimate room, as well as the right to monthly visits in the first year after the wedding.

Bombuz first photographed intimate room in the prison in 2008 when he took a couple of before and after a meeting in this room. In the end, the photographer decided to shoot empty rooms, because people in the frame to distract the viewer from the space itself, which is itself quite expressive.

The Intimate project Room was awarded the Grand Prix in the category "Architecture" photo contest Sony World Photography Awards in 2015.