Photographic portrait from the “Кафе - Humans of the Silk Road” exhibition; Credit: Roel Rutten

Until Friday 21 February 2025, the Kazakhstan-Luxembourg Cooperation asbl is holding an exhibition entitled “Кафе - Humans of the Silk Road” at the Elsewhere gallery in Mondorf-les-Bains (60 Avenue François-Clément).

The exhibition, entitled "Кафе" after the Russian word for coffee, features a collection of portraits taken by photographer Roel Rutten whilst travelling along the network of ancient Eurasian trade routes known as the “Silk Road”.

Between the second century BCE until the mid-15th century, this trade route offered interconnectivity between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Salesmen, soldiers and scholars traded goods and ideas along this iconic route, stimulating culture and allowing commerce to flourish. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, people along the Silk Road were left in a void between their past and a post-communist future. 

Rutten’s portraits seek to bear witness to the perseverance and ingenuity of the people who still live along the ancient route by blending documentary-style realism with an eye for detail and emotion.

Further details of the exhibition can be found at: elsewheregallery.lu

SM