Contemporary creative and exhibition space in rural areas on the example of the Bulgarian village of Staro Zhelezare

The village of Staro Zhelezare is located in southern Bulgaria, in the Plovdiv region. In the summer, special guests come to the village–festival participants and young painting adepts. For two weeks, they paint on the walls of houses under the supervision of the organizers, bringing a breath of new life to the sleepy Bulgarian village. The resulting cosmopolitan and parochial mélange creates an extremely original visual effect. The faces and figures on the walls, expressive portraits, images recognizable in pop culture, simply enliven the village–one does not feel its actual depopulation. In addition, the works of young artists play an interesting decorative role. Not only will we see copies of the world’s greatest avant-garde artworks on the walls of the old buildings but also public figures known from the world of cinema, music, and politics. This mix of motifs is complemented by inscriptions and comments, usually written next to the portraits. The whole performance is not accidental, although at first glance it seems to be ruled only by chaos.