They like to create, develop urban areas, provoke people and last, but not the least to volunteer in various activities. We are talking about a small group of young architects and creative personalities united by good ideas and the will to refine urban environment. Transformers Association was founded 5 years ago and became quite popular amidst the Bulgarian society during that period. It gained huge popularity with its initiative to draw on old electric panels in the streets of the Sofia city center. “In the beginning, people were very skeptical and the negative reactions prevailed over the positive ones. One can easily be overwhelmed by skepticism and give up. Currently, this is one of the favorite art projects of the citizens of Sofia” architect Gergana Tileva from Transformers Association recalls. What is the perfect urban environment?

“In my view, the perfect urban environment would be a mixture of urban environment typical for Paris and London. We are talking about two completely different models. Paris is a postcard, if I can describe it that way. Many new and interesting things happen in that city, yet restricted by a conservative policy which aims at preserving the cultural heritage. Unlike Paris, London is a very dynamic city. Many contemporary events in architecture, urban planning and arts happen there. I have the feeling that Paris is looking back towards the past while London is facing the future. We should manage to find the right balance between history and cultural heritage and at the same time create circumstances for development of the urban environment and allow the young Bulgarians to improvise in this environment. This is what we are trying to do.”

Transformers Association brought new life to monuments burdened with controversial associations of the recent past. Their first activity regarded the restoration of the Bells Monument near Sofia where, during the communist period, the Banner of Peace International Sssembly organized by Liudmila Zhivkova, daughter of former communist leader Todor Zhivkov, was held. Transformers Association made a music experiment and organized various children’s games on this site, in order to attract peoples’ attention at this old monument. The second activity of this society regards the Monument of 1,300 Years of Bulgaria in front of the National Palace of Culture whose future is still unclear due to the lack of public consensus. Their initiative entitled Inspection was carried out with the support of Culture Program of Sofia Municipality. Their partners from Electrick.Me joined their initiative, too. The contested monument became alive for several hours. Its surface was used by Transformers Association to show videos to the public.

“We believe that we can use the power of arts to treat all worn-out reminders in our city”, explains Gergana. The Inspection project is a high-tech art linked with the use of a 3D animation and high-quality equipment. It shows us that we can transform the negative energy into a positive one. Thus, we can turn old things into something new and popular through the use of contemporary means.

More from Alexander from Transformers Association:

“What we really lack when talking about heritage of the recent past is a bit of sense of humor and imagination. Sometimes people act in a radical manner and throw heavy sentences over the urban environment. Meanwhile, we see how the new generation uses these areas for good or bad without being quite aware of the message these monuments bear. We believe that no city can exist without its history. The city should bear the marks of all different periods. The modern art activities, which include street arts and high-tech animation, enable us to benefit from these areas.”

Inspection project will soon be continued. This time Transformers Society chose the rowing canal at Pancherevo Lake near Sofia and its old information board which looks like a concrete ghost which has appeared from the past.

“Our idea is to make a 3D projection mapping at this place. Since the space on the information board is not enough, we have decided to experiment with water sprays which have to form two water fans on which we can show images”, Sasho specifies. “We chose Pancharevo, in order to revive some forgotten places near Sofia. This time we chose a spot in the suburbs, which, in our view is quite underestimated. It can be widely used for picnics and also become a center for cultural life.”

English version: Kostadin Atanasov

Photos: Transformers Association