FMP - final - the exhibition - summary

‘Sofia – grows but never ages’ is about change and development of the urban environment. In it, I tried to explore how famous historical landmarks within the Sofia downtown have changed throughout the years. It mainly focuses on the social aspect of how the cultural-historical environment changes the inherited buildings and how the urban environment changes. This is evident in some of the images where the landmark (now in downtown) was in the outskirts of the city. Most landmarks (included in the final exhibition, that is) have changed very little since they have been opened to the public (in the beginning of the 20th century or the end of the 19th).

Sofia has a long history and throughout the past century, it has undergone many social, political and geographical changes – ranging from totalitarian rule to WWII bombings. Whole districts appeared while other were demolished but some buildings somehow managed to stand the test of time. They exist today, squeezed in between modern shops and restaurants and they tell a different story – of a budding country that somehow managed to get out of the pit of poverty and slavery to be plunged into another pit of total control only sixty years later, within the lifespan of a generation.

That town is long-gone but I tried to trace and connect the bits and pieces of that lost world in my project to see if old Sofia still exists. 

In 2019 it is the 140^th anniversary since Sofia was selected as the capital of Bulgaria and the exhibition ‘Sofia – grows but never ages’ provides a glimpse of what Sofia used to look like in those early days and a comparison to the modern metropolis. When I started the project I didn’t notice that the two coincide but now that I know it, I will try to exploit this to the fullest and try to display the exhibition as much as possible.

Sofia is a contradiction in terms and one cannot be indifferent. It is lloathed by some, loved by others. The capital of Bulgaria is one of the oldest cities in Europe with history spanning across three millennia – even before the time of Constantine the Great, there were settlements at this place. Many nations have passed through this area and each left its mark on the place. Architecture and culture were layered and now what the tourist can see is a palimpsest of styles and eras. 140 years ago, things were different. “Sofia – grows but never ages” aims to show this difference to the public.

Today, it is possible to see the temples of 4 religions within one square kilometer and to take a look into 4000 year old history. Often in our fast-paced daily routine, we do not notice those things around us.

The exhibition “Sofia – grows but never ages" aims to show how the emblematic places in Sofia downtown have changed and to be a bridge between the past and the future. For this reason, I selected real archive photos – provided by the Стара София blog. The contemporary photos are part of the Culture Crossroads project of Bistra Stoimenova Photography.

Each pane (see the FMP file) consists of an old image and a new one taken from roughly the same angle where that was possible. All images used date to the pre-communist and interbellum period (the majority being from the 1920s and 30s). Each pane comes with a QR code which I added to ensure that all the necessary information will be available regardless if I am there or not. It proved very useful for adding text about the place that cannot be fitted into the pane. It is linked to the exhibition website where the history of the place each old image has been added to the old images so that people know what they are seeing.