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Monthly Challenge | Street Art | Bulgaria

If You Love History, Culture, and Street Art, You’ll Love Plovdiv

Favorite art encounters from walking around a favorite city

Selected as one of two European Capitals of Culture in 2019 (the other being the Italian city of Madera), Plovdiv charms with its laid-back vibe, ancient history, cultural initiatives, and of course, street art.

To enjoy all of the above, a visit to Kapana Creative District is a must. Close to the city center, hosting tons of arts & crafts festivals year-round, and almost fully pedestrian, this area is a favorite to walk around.

The place was the center for artists and craftsmen of all kinds dating back 5 centuries, but it was pretty much neglected until a decade or so ago when the city revived and transformed it as part of the preparations for Plovdiv becoming the European Capital of Culture 2019.

Kapana means “trap” and you can’t help but love getting lost in the winding, cobblestoned streets full of colorful murals, cafes, and restaurants, tiny shops selling handcrafted items, and bakeries.

Speaking of the latter, the photo below captures a mural right next to my favorite one — the Kapana Bakery.

A trend I’ve noticed on some of my recent visits to the city has to do with murals on school walls. Not only do these bring a smile to my face when I pass them on my daily walks, but I also want to believe they make the students’ experience more fun and teach them to appreciate diverse forms of art before the world tries to teach them what is and isn’t art.

If you didn’t know this already, Plovdiv is a city built around 7 hills (I’m thinking of writing an article about them!), and as you venture up them, don’t be surprised if you come across graffiti as well as chalk drawings on many of the rocks around. The one below is of Ivan Vazon, a well-known and respected Bulgarian poet, novelist, and playwright.

In addition to traditional street art (wow, did I just describe street art as traditional???), walking around Plovdiv will treat you to a plethora of creative expressions, some modern and some ancient, like the colorful mosaic below.

A favorite art piece to come across on my walks are these pop-up exhibits — there are at least four at any time around the city center. The one below is found by the Tsar Simeon City Garden. The exhibits cover all kinds of topics — art, agriculture, architecture, medicine, history, culture — in both Bulgarian and English, and they are quite educational.

An important reminder on my most recent walks has been the fact that street art is transient. For example, my article’s featured image comes from the Kapana Creative District, but you’ll no longer find it. As I discovered this summer, the mural is now gone, replaced by giant windows for a new restaurant being built.

Sometimes street art is replaced by other street art, as is the case with the next set of images. On the left, you can see what I captured on my walks last year, and on the right, you can see what I captured on my walks this summer, in the same spaces.

I’m personally enjoying Plovdiv becoming a city of art and culture and ever-changing street art. It’s like I’m in a new location each year I visit, and I only hope that the art remains a key feature as the city keeps developing.

To wrap up my article, I leave you with my favorite piece of art. As an avid reader, it sure speaks volumes to me :)

I’m a street art aficionado, and it’s safe to say I’m thoroughly enjoying all submissions for this month’s challenge.

One that stood out is Mario López-Goicoechea’s thought-provoking piece on London street art. It’s frustrating when growth and development often mean losing the exact characteristics that made an area unique and interesting to begin with.

London Street Art Seen From the Saddle of My Ridgeback

Allen Gardens, Shoreditch, east London

medium.com

I’d also like to give a shoutout to Catherine Duchesne. Her article reminded me of visiting Clyfford Still’s museum in Denver, CO and learning that the abstract expressionist didn’t assign titles to his works because he wanted people to find their own meanings. Noticing how your interpretations shift across multiple visits can also be a great way to reflect on how your values and perspectives change over time.

How street art travels the world without moving.

And how it can move people.

medium.com

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