With my artistic work, I try to establish a position as citizen that opposes the constant attempts of the media and politicians to build and consolidate a negative image of migrants as uncivilized, useless and unproductive people. These clichés are creating a lot of tension in the local population and at the same time, marginalize and objectify the 232 million people that belong to the migrant group.
Being a Bulgarian immigrant in Western Europe, I know how important the welcoming and friendly attitude of the local people is for the newcomers. How great my indignation was when Bulgaria, my home country, the place of origin for two million emigrants, tolerated nationalist groups to hunt down Muslim refugees who were illegally crossing E.U.’s external border with Turkey.
Vernissage: 9th April 2019 18:30
Exhibition duration: 10 - 22 April 2019
‘In Belief is Power’, a project that was developed for the duration of three years and realized in the form of a book at the end of October 2018 with the generous support of the Dutch Mondriaan Fund (Scholarship for Emerging Artists).
The project brings to attention contemporary and historical responses to migration where the life and history of the local population living at the border of Bulgaria and European Union with Turkey is taken as a case study. Asking relevant questions about what provokes the fear of foreigners, what is the Bulgarian identity made up of, how does the border region reflect what is happening across Europe, is a way to provoke a debate, that aims to understand the social and political processes that lead to rising nationalistic sentiments not only in Bulgaria, but also in the whole world right now.
In 2018 'In Belief Is Power' won Full Contact 2018 Award at SCAN Tarragona Festival (Spain); it was shortlisted for Unseen Dummy Award (the Netherlands) and it was exhibited at Photobook Showcase at Singapore International Photography Festival and at Contemporary Space in Varna, Bulgaria. In the beginning of 2019 the book was part of the exhibition Prospects & Concepts at Art Rotterdam and Photo Book Exhibition of FOTO WIEN (Austria).
Born in Bulgaria, Hristina Tasheva (1976, Varna) lives and works in the Netherlands. She has graduated from Gerrit Rietveld Academy (2011) in Amsterdam and has earned her Masters in Photography at AKV | St. Joost (2015), Breda. Her experience as an Eastern European migrant and her position as a citizen are a driving force in her work. As conceptual artist she uses mediums like photography, text, sound and performance.
The artist will be present at the opening.
EEP Berlin’s Gallery
Liegnitzer Str. 34 | 10999 Berlin [Kreuzberg]
Wed-Sun 2pm - 6pm
