And the women took to the streets of Sofia
The seven sculptures, which were only exhibited in the streets for one day, they were later 'adopted' by many other institutions in the city: the National Palace of Culture, Bulgarian National Television, Sofia University, the National Library, the City Library, the Credo Bonum Gallery and the Red House Center for Culture and Debate. They will remain there until April 5, when they hope to auction them to obtain financing with which to build a royal monument. At the moment, they have already published a list with a suggestion of names of women to whom the first monument should be dedicated so that citizens can vote or include other names that they consider relevant, inform Traveler from the Bulgaria Helsinki Committee, one of those responsible for the action.
According to data from the Sofia City Council collected by the Committee, in the city there are no monuments dedicated to real women (Do not count characters from literature and mythology). Furthermore, less than 6% of them (mostly plaques) are dedicated to them and none of the existing ones commemorate important events related to the women's rights movement at the beginning of the 20th century.
Art as a driver of change
Perfect starting signal for an initiative that wants to draw attention to this fact and reverse the situation. "The key to intervention is to reclaim public space. Public space, like history, also belongs to women. That is why we want to claim our place. In Bulgaria's past there are many amazing and inspiring women, but their achievements were erased from public memory." , explains on the website of the Erka initiative, the artist who is the author of the busts that are a representation of herself.
"The sculptures are a portrait of me because I wanted to take a strong personal and public attitude as a current woman and an artist, and say enough. However, they are also anonymous, as they do not bear my name. They are only marked with an inscription 'The first monument of a woman in Sofia' In these sculptures I am all the women. With this work, I want to give women what they are entitled to, but have been denied for decades: place, visibility and recognition." , assures the artist.
The intervention was carried out in collaboration with the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee , an independent non-governmental organization for the protection of human rights, with the international organization for social commitment to art Fine Acts and with the support of the advertising agency Tribal Worldwide Sofia.
The money from his auction would serve to finance the royal monument