English

English

There are many wanna-be patriots specializing in flag-waving. But what does it mean to be a "patriot" today, and who has the right to call themselves one? Are there essential qualities and attributes that a Bulgarian patriot must possess?

If we could ask Botev(one of our national heroes), he would probably confirm that it’s important “to love and hate strongly.”

If we could ask Levski(another national hero), he’d likely say that a patriot must fight for “a pure and sacred republic.”

And if we asked you?

Constantly quoted with or without context (as you’ve seen above), the revered names and images on which we build our sense of national pride seem devalued. We use them as the branding for some mythical Bulgaria “from sea to sea,” we invent slogans for them, put words in their mouths, and pin them to our lapels with dirty fingers.

So who does have the right to call themselves a patriot today? Who holds the patent on using our national symbols? Who decides how and when they should be read and interpreted?

photos: Ivan Shishiev / Sketches of Sofia

conTEMPORARY HEROES

2022

Solo show at AVRTIKL, Sofia, Bulgaria.

chubritsa

I covered the floor of the exhibition space with one specific spice that is the most traditional taste of Bulgaria. The spice is called “chubritsa” and it is used in many traditional dished, it has become a pillar of bulgarian cuisine, and you can find it only in Bulgaria.

The very specific and recognisable smell filled the space. From all the people coming and going the spice was releasing more odor and at some point the smell became so strong that it lodged into our throat almost choking you. This was a perfect metaphor for all the pseudo partiotic nonsense that leaves bad taste in ones mouth as well.

Works

authentic men’s costume from the city of Burgas, 21st century

This work represents the modern wanna be cool, traditional bulgarian man. With a ton of references, starting from the costume itself that bears the vintage men's costume cut, but made to look like an adiddas tracksuit. One of the chains is a "bulgarian" lion, the big, expensive watch is a must, but this one is fake:)
The flip flops with socks and the black bag are very traditional for a certain kind of macho man.
The napkins are something that young people throw in "chalga"(style of music) clubs instead of throwing money. They buy them very expensive, so it is a symbol of wealth.
Ans last but not least the BILLA bag is a reference to a famous politician that got caught in a photo in a official business carrying such item.

svoboda ili smart

This flag is a knockoff of a very famous one embroidered by a revolutionary lady back in 1876.

The original translates into "freedom or death". This one is a wordplay, when you write the bulgarian inscription with latin letters you get "svoboda ili smart" or "freedom or be smart"

botew 4 ever

Action figure, box, sword and gun, 3d printed and hand painted.

The guy is Hristo Botev, one of the 3 most famous revolutionaries in bulgarian historry, poet and publicist.

fragment of a cave painting from Kalofer ~7000 B.C.

There is an event in Bulgaria that happens on the sixth of january mainly in the city of Kalofer, but other places as well. Men go into the freezing river to get a cross that the priest throws inside. Supposedly It brings health to the guy who gets it. This evolved in going piseed drung into the river and dancing horo(a traditional dance) and calling it an ancient tradition.

This work tries to prove that this is a tradition so ancient that proof can be found in a cave near the city.

samo lewski

A portrait of Vasil Levski, the most famous bulgarian hero.

It is an istallation made out of A4 paper printed on the copy shop next to the gallery and finished with paint on the wall.

Pod Egoto / Ivan Azov

The title of maybe the most famous bulgarian novel "Pod Igoto" by Ivan Vazov is transformed by by adding a letter and scraching another. THe result is a word play that means - "Under the ego by Ivan Azov" (az=me). After that the whole is encapsulated in resin.