Motivation

Living and working in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, I have always been fascinated by the hills dominating the city’s landscape. One of those hills, located near the city center, is home to a giant Soviet monument of a Red Army soldier. Every day the people are “observed” by this statue (called Alyosha by the locals) that towers above Plovdiv as its guardian and reminds them of the past. Because of its size and location, the enormous statue of the Soviet soldier is always present in people’s minds. The issue with all those similar monuments around Bulgaria is that the Red army, presented as a liberator by the communist propaganda, in reality, occupied and devastated the country between 1944 and 1947. I believe that Alyosha - the symbol of Soviet dominance that is still present and preserved, should be transformed in a way that reflects the truth.

For several years, I searched for a way to alternate the long-lasting perception of public monuments and reinterpret the message they carry. I intend to create large-scale artistic interventions in the public space and transform monuments around Bulgaria by playing with space, architecture, and sculpture. With this project, I’m leading the public into a fictional world, combining virtual art and historical facts. 12 monuments of the Soviet Army in Bulgaria will be transfigured virtually through 3D videos into a new transcendent reality.

The Project

My project, GHOST, questions the place and the meaning of Soviet monuments on EU territory. I will lead the observers into a fictional world, blending digital art and historical facts by digitally reimagining 12 Soviet Army monuments in Bulgaria.

12 is not a random number. Twelve are the stars on the EU flag. Twelve is also the number of the Soviet Army monuments that are transformed digitally within the GHOST project. Between September 9 and November 9, 2022, the entire collection of 12 NFTs will be released.

9 is not a random date. The GHOST project will be further developed between two significant dates: September 9 and November 9. September 9, 1944, marks the beginning of the pro-soviet communist regime in Bulgaria. November 9, 1989, is the date of the fall of the Berlin wall and the collapse of Soviet domination in Eastern Europe. The second part of the project will escalate into 4 special collections of NFTs and 20 single NFTs, that will be released on November 9, 2022.

70% of the proceeds, generated by the project, will be dedicated to supporting Ukrainian artists and cultural events in Ukraine, as well as to helping the Bulgarian independent art scene.

Why GHOST? Because ghosts – good or bad – shape our vision of the world. They are coming back to warn us about the repetition of history.

Artistic inspiration

My primary source of inspiration is the work of one of the most influential artistic couples of the 21st century - Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Christo’s in situ wrapping works are already part of the global cultural heritage. His vision became an act of freedom. It is the notion of freedom that I desire to highlight in this project. Most importantly - the freedom of expression in the public space. My work is a nod of respect to his unique creativity, recognized worldwide.