From January 10th until the end of the month, the Archaeological Museum in Sofia will host an unusual exhibition which will urge visitors to reflect on the issue of tolerance between different religions and ethnicities. More than 40 miniature models of churches, synagogues, mosques, as well as ordinary Bulgarian houses from different periods are displayed in the exhibition and are true works of art. "We are not authors like Picasso or Dali, but simply people who want to express an emotion and to share it with the audience," said the Italian Ambassador to Bulgaria Stefano Benazzo who is one of the authors in the exhibition, along with three other Bulgarian artists - Plamen Ignatov, Vihren Mihaylov and Todor Nachev.
© Photo: Veneta Nikolova
The authors of the exposition (left to right): HE Stefano Benazzo, Todor Nachev, Plamen Ignatov and Vihren Mihailov
Sofia citizens and guests can take a look at the perfect miniature models of the Arch of Constantine near the Colosseum, the ancient amphiheatre in Plovdiv, the Saint Nedelya Cathedral in Sofia, the Sofia Synagogue, the Tombul mosque in Shumen, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, as well as models of old 19th century houses from Bulgaria’s National Revival Period in the towns of Koprivshtitsa, Melnik, etc.
© Photo: Veneta Nikolova
The models of Sofia Synagogue and the wooden church in Borgund, Norway
The models are made of wood, ceramics, cardboard and ... matches, depending on the inspiration of artists. The maйority of the exhibited models represent Bulgarian Orthodox churches and icons. A special place among the exhibits is taken by Plamen Ignatov’s model. This meticulous and extraordinarily precise miniature model of the Rila Monastery in Bulgaria, a UNESCO heritage site, has taken 16 years of the author’s life and 6,000,000 matches to make.
"This is an exhibition of tolerance, whether it's ethnic, religious or linguistic," said Ambassador Benazzo who is the organizer of the event. He said that tolerance in Bulgaria was not a theoretical concept but a heartfelt reality. It lies in the DNA of Bulgarian civil society and has ancient and solid traditions rooted Bulgaria’s turbulent and complex historical past, he added. "This is the goal of this exhibition - to make people reflect on tolerance”, HE Stefano Benazzo said in an interview for Radio Bulgaria, where he spoke not as an ambassador but rather as an artist.
© Photo: Veneta Nikolova
The model of the St. Vassilii Cathedral (1557), Moscow
"This exhibition was born in a very natural way. The idea was to gather and expose our works which initially represented only models of Christian churches. Then we said: why not add synagogues, mosques and houses because houses also bear spiritual and emotiona layers . Every home, regardless of the religion of its inhabitants, always contains religious symbols. On the right side of the door in an Eastern Orthodox house you can find the home iconostasis, in Catholic houses you would see the crucifixion of Christ, Muslims often keep their holy books at home, and the Jews would typically hang a sign on their door indicating that it is a Jewish home. What matters most is the sincere feelings we invested in our work and we want to convey them to the visitors," Ambassador Benazzo argues.
© Photo: BGNES
Tombul Mosque (1774), Shumen, Northern Bulgaria
What has inspired Ambassador Benazzo to organize such an exhibition in which he participated with his own models of temples?
"This exhibition shows my positive attitude towards this country as I have been greatly impressed by certain things here. In addition, you have great cultural potential. You have such landmarks, ranging from the Danube town of Vidin in western Bulgaria and to the Black Sea coast – there are cultural and historical monuments from all eras that are extremely interesting. And although some of them have not been restored, they are accessible to tourists. The same goes for Italy, as well. We are not countries with rich natural resources, but we do have an ancient cultural and historical heritage and should take maximum advantage of all this wealth in order to attract investment and improve the condition of these monuments”.
© Photo: BGNES
St. Petka Old Church (1257) in downtown Sofia
This was HE Stefano Benazzo, the Italian ambassador in Sofia, in an interview for Radio Bulgaria on the new exhibition unveiled in Sofia on Tuesday, showcasing models of religious temples and houses from different religions and ethnicities.
Translated by: Rossitsa Petkova
