Series: Inheritance
Type: Photographic series
Status: Completed
Number of Artworks: 37
Thermal springs hidden in a scenic valley once served Roman soldiers seeking healing. Centuries later, the same waters drew Austro-Hungarian architects and aristocrats, who built one of Europe’s most elegant spa resorts: Băile Herculane. For generations, it was a haven for royalty and the elite. But with the fall of empires, years of communist rule, and the chaos that followed the 1989 revolution, its grandeur faded. Today, decades of neglect have left its architectural splendor on the verge of collapse.
Type: Photographic series
Status: Completed
Number of Artworks: 37
Thermal springs hidden in a scenic valley once served Roman soldiers seeking healing. Centuries later, the same waters drew Austro-Hungarian architects and aristocrats, who built one of Europe’s most elegant spa resorts: Băile Herculane. For generations, it was a haven for royalty and the elite. But with the fall of empires, years of communist rule, and the chaos that followed the 1989 revolution, its grandeur faded. Today, decades of neglect have left its architectural splendor on the verge of collapse.
Over the past ten years, Bogdan Mihai has documented the slow deterioration of this historic site in Herculane, Romania. These photographs capture more than the crumbling of walls—they are a visual reminder of our shared responsibility. Little remains of the original Roman baths, and the 19th-century resort teeters on the edge of ruin. Yet still, the hot springs flow.
Inheritance is about more than a decaying spa. It’s about what happens when we stop caring. Whether it’s personal, familial, communal, or global—what we ignore begins to rot. The Herculane Baths are not just Romania’s inheritance, but a symbol of the legacies we all hold. Though we may not have caused the damage, we are accountable for what happens next.
What have we allowed to wither under our watch? And what, in the end, will we leave behind?
Serie: Herencia
Tipo: Serie fotográfica
Estado: Completada
Número de obras: 37
Aguas termales escondidas en un pintoresco valle sirvieron alguna vez a los soldados romanos que buscaban sanación. Siglos más tarde, esas mismas aguas atrajeron a arquitectos y aristócratas austrohúngaros, quienes construyeron uno de los balnearios más elegantes de Europa: Băile Herculane. Durante generaciones, fue un refugio para la realeza y la élite. Pero con la caída de los imperios, los años del régimen comunista y el caos posterior a la revolución de 1989, su grandeza comenzó a desvanecerse. Hoy, décadas de abandono han dejado su esplendor arquitectónico al borde del colapso.
Durante los últimos diez años, Bogdan Mihai ha documentado la lenta decadencia de este sitio histórico en Herculane, Rumanía. Estas fotografías capturan más que el deterioro de los muros: son un recordatorio visual de nuestra responsabilidad compartida. Queda poco de los baños romanos originales, y el balneario del siglo XIX se tambalea al borde de la ruina. Sin embargo, las aguas termales siguen fluyendo.
Herencia trata de algo más que un balneario en ruinas. Trata de lo que ocurre cuando dejamos de cuidar. Ya sea en lo personal, lo familiar, lo comunitario o lo global, todo lo que ignoramos comienza a pudrirse. Los baños de Herculane no son solo una herencia rumana, sino un símbolo de los legados que todos compartimos. Aunque no hayamos causado el daño, somos responsables de lo que viene después.
¿Qué hemos permitido que se marchite bajo nuestra vigilancia? Y al final, ¿cuál será nuestra herencia?
Exhibition:
Exhibition:
2020- solo exhibition Silver Street Studios, Houston, Texas
https://www.sawyeryards.com/do/inheritance-a-photographic-exhibition-by-bogdan-mihai
2020- Shown at The Other Art Fair, Dallas, Texas
2020- “As Is” selected for group exhibition, PH21 Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
https://www.ph21gallery.com/imagination-20
2020- Solo exhibition, entire collection, Alicia D’Amico Art Gallery, Escuela Argentina de Fotografia, Bunos Aires, Argentina
https://eaf.com.ar/galeria-alicia-d-amico/la-herencia
2020 - “We” - Festival de Fotografia Artistica Frontera, Tucuman, Argentina
2020 - “Avalanche” selected for the “7th Annual Living Mark”, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, USA
2021- “As Is” selected and awarded by New York Center for Photographic Art for the Architecture exhibition
2021 - selected series to be shown at the Fain Feria Guadalajara, Mexico
2023 - Mexico City exhibition organized by PRPGMX
https://www.artsy.net/show/prpgmx-inheritance-bogdan-mihai
2024 - Private exhibition at the Texas Tower, Houston Texas