The Exhibition 'Tales from the Trenches': Bulgarian Model

• In Event: Freedom, Hope, and Uncertainty in a Bulgarian Longue durée Perspective

Abstract

This paper aims to discuss the new museum exhibition “Tales from the Trenches” of the Rousse Regional Museum of History which is structured around the topic of Bulgarian Trench Art in the context of local socio-historical models and within the broader context of Trench Art worldwide. The text will analyze the different types of Bulgarian war and prison handicraft objects (also referred to as Trench art) included in the exhibit and their therapeutic role for the individuals who produced them. It will offer an insight to the complex levels of meaning that the memorabilia, battlefield souvenirs and household kitsch have for individuals and communities. The paper will articulate how normally small-scale items created in troubled places can tell stories in a museum context and serve as a reminder of the complex relationship between private and public experiences of war.

Author

• Desislava Tiholova, Rousse Regional Museum of History (Bulgaria)