Project TRACES - PROJECTIONS

Symposium /19. 08 - 28. 08. 2005/

The Project Traces- Projections initiated by Duppini Art Group was implemented with the financial support of Pro Helvetia - a Swiss Cultural Programme in Bulgaria.

Place(s) Balkan Mountain, Tryavna region, Dolni Enevets /Dolni Dupini/ hamlet, Bilkinite neighbourhood

Background

The subject of the project TRACES – PROJECTIONS arose with the specific image of the oak woods of Tryavna mountain, Bilkinite neighbourhood.

On the stems of the venerable oaks there are traces of all types of inscriptions, signs and symbols left by occasional passengers or local people. While growing the trees have shaped up, woven and changed these scars, “corrected” with the time, now becoming aesthetic and overcoming the initial impression of healing wounds. This way of sharing thoughts has remained the only evidence of the people in these places once bubbling with life.

Project Description

The project suggests revealing Bulgarian cultural traces in the Tryavna region of Balkan mountains and their projection into the European cultural environment. Dupini Association, with the support of local government, cultural institutions, NGO-s and local business, will organize a 10-days international symposium with 10 participants (imminent authors working in different areas of contemporary art – installation, performance, media-art, sculpture and black-and-white drawing) from 6 European countries, who will recreate original folklore and will create a new cultural product to make popular and submit the unique cultural heritage of Dupini hamlet, Bilkinite neighbourhood.

Stage I – preparatory activities for the implementation of the project.

Stage II – 10-days symposium from 19th August to 28th August 2005 with 10 participants from Bulgaria, the Balkans and Europe.

Stage III – Publication of an information and advertisement poster with the results of the symposium and organization of 4 exhibitions (presentation of the artistic product of the symposium) with public discussions in the capital Sofia and 3 district centers (V. Tarnovo, Dobrich, Plovdiv) in the period September – October 2005.

With the implementation of the project we will find a new viewpoint of the old “agenda” of Bilkinite neighbourhood as part of the national characteristics and Bulgarian history; we will make popular the cultural product of the symposium and will deepen the dialogue on the issues of cultural and natural heritage. The construction of a web site will make it possible for the ideas and the results of the project to reach the public at home and abroad. While working under the project the Association and the partners will become more cooperative and experienced and the international participants will become “the ambassadors” of the Bulgarian and their own culture and arts.

Technical Details:

Management of the preparation and implementation of the activities under the project will be provided by Dupini Association consisting of 10 members. Coordinator of the project is the chairperson Mr. Christian Lapchev, Mrs.Tzvetelina Maximova and Mr. Roumen Mihov are the technical assistant, Mrs. Iveta Todorova is the accountant.

The participants in the symposium will be provided with materials (stone, wood, gypsum, wax, ink, graphite, paper), as well with instruments and tools – borrowed and purchased. Work area will be provided in the open and sheltered, provided with electricity, in the area of Dupinite neighbourhood. The place suggests direct contact between artist and nature. The works of the authors will be inspired by and in consideration with the place, created there, at the same time preserving the oak wood and the neighbourhood. For the purposes of the four exhibitions in different Bulgarian cities, the works will be transported to and from, the idea being that they should come back and stay as a natural continuity of the memory of this hamlet, woken and revived by the creative energy of the authors. Those of the works that cannot be moved or transported will be photographed in the process of creation and in this way presented at the exhibitions.