IATRUS residency program

✨ На 9 май започва 61. Венецианско биенале за изкуство, а ТаМ-ският екип ще бъде на място за откриването на @bulgarianpavilion.arte , който отново има пряка връзка с Търново. 👀 След @michail_michailov , който представи България на Биеналето през 2022 г., тази година куратор на проекта е търновката @martina_yordanova . 👉 На местна почва я познавате като куратор на инициативата 1m² изкуство, основател на @iatrus_residency_program и организатор на събития, свързани със съвременно изкуство, в ТаМ и във фестивала 48 часа @varushasouth . 🎨 За Биеналето тя събира художничките @veneta_androva , @_gery_georgieva , @marianalbantova и @raynateneva във Федерация на минорните практики. Посетителите ще могат да видят техни видео произведения, които изследват различни аспекти на съвременността – от дигитални идентичности и дезинформация до връзката между труд, територия и екология, както и практики на дългосрочна грижа към околната среда. 🗣️ Павилионът е замислен като място за общуване и игра, в която посетителите могат да дадат своите размисли, критики и въпроси към настоящето и как си представяме бъдещето. 🛋️ Пространственото оформление представлява щаб квартирата на Федерацията. Усещането е за грижа и внимание, а средата предразполага към разговор и размисъл. Автор на проекта е арх. Катерина Габбро от @studiogabbro , която може би познавате от архитектурни събития ТаМ или от патронските ни събирания в село Руня. 🙌 Пожелаваме успех на целия екип на @bulgarianpavilion.arte ! 📷1 Максимилиан Праматаров 📷3 Studio Gabbro

Meet our latest resident Katharina Büttgen @katharinabuettgen , born in 2001 in Aachen and currently living and working in Karlsruhe, is a German-Belarusian artist whose work explores identity, loss, and memory. As a person with a migration background, questions of identity have always been complex and fragmented for her, shaped by political restrictions and external definitions. Her experiences during the protests in Minsk, which involved violence and state control, have profoundly influenced her understanding of home and self-determination. In her artistic practice, she translates drawings into textile works. Textiles are a meaningful material for Büttgen, carrying cultural memory, collective experiences, and traces of protest. Everyday objects, such as tablecloths, become in her work carriers of rupture and ambivalence within Belarusian identity. Traditional embroidery, deeply rooted in Belarusian culture, incorporates floral patterns that reflect an emotional connection to nature and cultural heritage. Through this engagement with textiles, Büttgen reflects on themes of loss of home, surveillance, violence, and the fragility of political and personal identity. Currently at @iatrus_residency_program she investigates the post-communist structures of the city of Veliko Tarnovo, particularly in its architecture. She combines locally found textiles with photographs, some of which were created on-site during her stay. Through this combination of textiles and photography, she explores traces of history, memory, and cultural identity within the urban space, finding a sense of calm amid the surrounding chaos.

OPEN CALL: Balkan echooooo Iatrus Residency Programme — Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria (2026) Balkan echo is an international programme inviting 10 artists and cultural practitioners from across the Balkan region (eligibility on the second slide) to take part in a series of residencies in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria throughout 2026. Rather than a traditional residency, the project functions as a platform for exchange — bringing together artists, curators and researchers to engage with the local cultural, social, and historical context of the city. What does the programme include? – 2 weeks residency in Veliko Tarnovo between June and August 2026 
– Artist fee
– Accommodation – Curatorial and organisational support – Opportunity to present work at 48 Hours Varusha South Festival (30,000+ audience) Each participant will:
– Present an artist talk
– Participate in a group exhibition at @varushasouth curated by @vvvladimirovv and @martina_yordanova 
– Contribute to an evolving digital laboratory (online platform for texts, visuals, and research) Conceptual Framework The project explores the idea of neighbourhood as a resource — a way to build connections across regions, foster exchange, and rethink cultural proximity in the Balkans. How to apply Please submit:
– Portfolio (PDF or link)
– Short project proposal (max 1 page)
– CV or bio - Choose a 2-week-period between June 1 and August 15 📅 Deadline: April 15, 2026 
📩 Apply here: [email protected] Graphic design: @zahari.xyz The program is supported by @nationalculturefund #opencallforartists #residencyprogram #opencall

As an International Woman, this is a great day to ask the question: What happens when you solo travel internationally to take yourself completely out of your comfort zone? . I’ve been in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria 🇧🇬 for a week now as part of the @iatrus_residency_program and intentionally very quiet online. . For over a year I’ve been planning this two-month residency. After more than 25 years working as a professional Artist, most of my life has been spent creating in a commercial capacity. Art may be my vocation, but it has also been my livelihood. Coming here was a conscious decision to step away from that, and experience what it means to simply be an Artist again. No commissions. No deadlines. No clients. Just space to slow the fuck down, observe, research, and create. . From Australia to California to Costa Rica, my life and my art has been created in tropical, coastal environments with surf, beaches and bright colour. Being here in the Balkans, in the medieval capital of Bulgaria is nothing like that, and that contrast is exactly what I wanted. . There’s another more personal layer to this journey: My surname is Ivanoff Иванов. My paternal grandfather was born in the small town of Strazhitsa Стражица which is less than forty minutes from where I’m currently living. Through the family constellation work I’ve been doing, reconnecting with lineage and understanding where I come from has become a fascinating subject for me. . I’ve become quite intrigued about my pre-colonial ancestors. Who these people were, and how and where they lived. And the extraordinary decision they made to leave everything behind, board wooden ships, and sail all the way to Australia to start a new life. As such, being here feels less like travel and more like a personal pilgrimage 🇧🇬 . I have no idea what I’m going to create and what I’m going to discover, but that’s part of the adventure. A huge thankyou to Martina @martina_yordanova for hosting me here and to Toni @its.tia.toni for receiving me in Sofia 🫶🏽 . #curatealifethatisaworkofart #internationalwomensday #artresidency #bulgaria #familyconstellations

🏄‍♀️Open Studio at Iatrus Residency! Current artists-in-residence Mathias Lüscher (Switzerland) and Martina Rötling (Slovakia) shared what they’ve been creating during their stay in Veliko Tarnovo. Martina’s residency is supported by Slovak Arts Council @fond_na_podporu_umenia

Open Studio Invitation! Join us on Saturday, 22 November, for a cozy afternoon of art, wine & soup! 14:00–18:00 at Iatrus Residency, 22 Hristo Ivanov Voivodata St., Veliko Tarnovo. Our current artists-in-residence, Mathias Lüscher (Switzerland) and Martina Rötling (Slovakia), will open their studios to share what they’ve been working on during their stay in Veliko Tarnovo. Come meet the artists, explore their new works, and enjoy the warm atmosphere of the Iatrus studios in this beautiful autumn season! Martina’s residency is supported by the Slovak Arts Council @fond_na_podporu_umenia

We are pleased to present our current resident at Iatrus, who will be in Veliko Tarnovo throughout the month of November. Here she is: Martina Rötling (*1987, Slovakia) is a visual artist whose work is rooted in figurative painting and explores themes of embodiment, memory, and the female experience in relation to digital media. Through the act of painting, she reclaims the representation of the female body, using the subversive potential of the nude to reflect on vulnerability, autonomy, and identity. In her hands, the female figure becomes both subject and narrator — a space of personal liberation and subtle resistance. During her residency, Rötling is developing a new series titled Skin as an Archive, an ongoing research project exploring the skin as a living, mutable surface where time and memory are inscribed. Through painting and drawing, she investigates how marks, scars, and textures on the skin function as traces of lived experience, turning the body into a visual archive of emotion, transformation, and history. Martina’s artist residency is financially supported by Slovak Arts Council @fond_na_podporu_umenia

👀 Ситуацията е: премигваш за секунда и пропускаш някое събитие ТаМ. 🎨🎭 Вчера за няколко часа имахме възможност да разгледаме изложбата на Матиас Люшер, резидент в @iatrus_residency_program , a днес (събота) от 19:00 посрещаме документалния театър ПАНОПТИКУМ или паметта на предметите на @martnov0 . Билети в био. 👯‍♀️ След театъра вечерта продължава по ТаМ-ски. 🔊 А за да няма неразбрали, в НЕДЕЛЯ (9.11.) от 19:30 ч. ви очакваме на концерт на @korhanerelmusician от Германия, който организираме заедно с @goetheinstitut_bulgarien . Вход свободен. 📷 @pavel.gramatikov

📡По време на престоя си в @iatrus_residency_program , Матиас Люшер mathias_luescher създава инсталацията LEAK OF EGO и този петък (07.11) от 19:00 ще я представи ТаМ! Матиас е швейцарски визуален артист, който работи на границата между живописта и скулптурата, за да изследва връзката между човека, изкуствените материали и технологиите. 🛒⚙️За LEAK OF EGO използва автомобилни покривала, които трансформира ръчно в камуфлажни мрежи, в подготовка за състояния на извънредност: колапс, катастрофа, загуба на контрол. Но тук камуфлажът не служи само за защита, а и като визия за пълна самодостатъчност. След откриването останете за афтърпарти с отворен плейлист, в който всеки може да сподели своята любима музика. 💕🕺🏻💅🏻

🏃Това, че хубавото време навън избяга далеч от Варуша юг, не означава, че и вие трябва да бягате от социален и културен живот. Ето 11 повода to have fun: 05.11 | сряда 18:00 | Творческа къща @tyrsach_ и Айсял Аладжова ни канят на среща с френския пост-импресионист Пол Сезан, за да рисуваме “Натюрморт с праскови и две зелени круши”. Вход: 35 лв. Запазете място на: 0889805183 19:00 | “Трябваше да си там”: Стенд-ъп комеди с Кючуков и Донски в Театрален салон на Народно читалище „Надежда 1869”. 06.11 | четвъртък 16:00 | Изложба “Заедно да съхраним историческата памет” 2025 в Музей “Възраждане и Учредително събрание”. 20:00 | Откриваща прожекция на фестивала за късометражно кино Balkans Beyond Borders @balkansbeyond , който тази година се провежда в Истанбул. Вход: 5 лв. Къде? ТаМ. 07.11 | петък 19:00 | @tamvelikotarnovo представя изложбата LEAK OF EGO на швейцарския визуален артист Матиас Люшер, резидент в @iatrus_residency_program . + open playlist party! 20:00 | „Нещо лично…“ – мини концерт с Яница Русева в @hedo.belle.view . Вход: 15 лв. Резервирай маса на: 0888 880 535 08.11 | събота 11:00 | 14:00 | 17:00 | Глинен уикенд в „Къщата” Изкуства и Занаяти – работилница с грънчарско колело и художествена керемика със Звездан и Симона. Вход: 60 лв. грънчарство, 50 лв. керамика и 95 лв. за двете. За записване: 088 119 113 19:00 | „ПАНОПТИКУМ или паметта на предметите” @panoptikum_theater , авторски спектакъл на Мартина Новакова, превръща ТаМ в къща-музей на спомените. Вход: 20 лв. 20:00 | Nick Vernon & Dino (🕺🏻🪩) в Арт бар „Хипстър”. 09.11 | неделя 11:00 | 14:00 | 17:00 | Глинен уикенд в „Къщата” Изкуства и Занаяти – работилница с грънчарско колело и художествена керемика със Звездан и Симона. Вход: 60 лв. грънчарство, 50 лв. керамика и 95 лв. за двете. За записване: 088 119 113 19:30 | Веднага след SofiaExperimental, ТаМ идва Корхан Ерел - небинарен артист, който твори в полето на електронната музика, импровизацията и звуковия дизайн. Вход свободен. 💛 Пожелаваме прекрасна седмица и до скоро!

Our latest resident at Iatrus is Wang Cheng-Hsiang (Sean Wang) @seanwangartworks , a photo-conceptual artist from Taipei, Taiwan. As both vision-impaired and a photographer, his practice explores the boundaries between the visible and the invisible, and between art and non-art. In recent years, his work has focused on photography after conceptual art, institutional critique, and the use of everyday technologies. During his residency at @iatrus_residency_program , Wang developed a project titled “Iconoclasm in Photography.” Drawing a parallel between Taiwan and Bulgaria—two nations that transitioned from authoritarian regimes to democratic systems during the 1980s—Wang investigates acts of iconoclasm, particularly the defacement and removal of political monuments. In Bulgaria, this is perhaps most famously illustrated by the 2011 artistic intervention that transformed a Soviet Red Army monument into a tableau of comic book superheroes. Similarly, in Taiwan, many statues of Chiang Kai-shek have been defaced or relocated in an attempt to reconcile with a difficult past. Inspired by these acts, Wang experimented with digitally overlaying defaced Chiang Kai-shek statues onto photographs of Bulgarian communist monuments. The resulting composite images evoke a complex emotional landscape—one that reflects both historical specificity and shared experience. As Wang notes, the images seemed to restore a certain sacredness to the monuments, making them strangely untouchable again. Viewers responded with hesitation, aware of the weight of memory and interpretation embedded in these contested symbols. Through this project, Wang invites a broader reflection on how societies visually negotiate with their pasts—and how photography can both document and disrupt those negotiations.

„BEDTIME STORIES“ ongoing solo exhibition at @narrativa.gallery The works which are prt of the exhibition and the space created in-between them symbolize a fragile intimacy, the moments of rest as well the art of storytelling, shared before falling asleep. The exhibition represents another interstitial level of time: the space between wakefulness and sleep. ‘Bedtime Stories’ is inspired by the moments when parents tell stories to their children in the embrace of cosy tranquillity; when couples or friends share stories with each other before bedtime. —————— 🎥 Filmmaking by Aled Ordu @aledordu —————— * „BEDTIME STORIES“ is the 9th chapter of my ongoing project INTERSTICE. In contemporary language, the word ‚interstice‘ often refers to a niche in a larger space, a fragment of space, or a given event. It is a short period of time that can be spent on activities unrelated to the main purpose. The works and the site-specific installations which are part of the project are a metaphors and symbols of these exact moments, niches, cracks. The fragmentary gaps in time that might otherwise be overlooked. The holes and crevices which have the ability to connect events, spaces, feelings and experiences. ** Part of the works of the exhibition were created during my stay at @iatrus_residency_program *** Generously supported by @the_singer_zahariev_foundation and @bildrecht_bildraum — #interstice #metaphor #filmmaking #screenprintonfabric #wallpainting #openingnight #narrativa #velikotarnovo