In the silent gallery of the Cluj ethnographic museum , among pieces of cloth and faded hues, Sebastian talks of tradition. Not as something static in the past, but as something living, changing and human.

His words start with costumes, but they lead into something bigger: Memories, identity and how the things we inherit shape who we are. He doesn’t talk like your ordinary boring professor or museum expert, he shares personal stories out of his own life. From days of childhood playing in the rural backcountry to years spent to collect the traditional clothing and learning everything about the cultures of his country. He doesn’t only talk about the past, but also about the present and how these two connect with each other.

What you’ll hear in the following audio file are some short pieces from our conversation with him that really stood out. enjoy!

Photos: ©Evi Schellens
Audio: Stef Vandeputte
Text: Fiederike Leonie Pick & Inmaculada Ruiz Hernandez