The work by artist Venelin Shurelov is a human-like figure made up of 56 screens that relay what is happening in nearby streets and parks in real time.
Dimitrov’s mausoleum was built by the Bulgarian Communist Party in 1949 and contained his remains until 1990.
It was then demolished by the pro-Western government of Prime Minister Ivan Kostov in 1999 because it was considered to be a symbol of manifestation of Bulgaria’s repressive totalitarian past.
The Sofia municipality has more recently started using the space for art installations, and Shurelov’s ‘One Person’ follows Bulgarian-born, Vienna-based artist Plamen Deyanoff’s ‘Bronze House’.
Shurelov has long been associated with bold projects with an anti-utopian twist, particularly in the fields of experimental theatre and digital arts, and ‘One Person’ is significant not just because of its size and location but because it’s a rare sight to see contemporary art in Sofia’s public spaces.
“In most cases, contemporary Bulgarian artists don’t have the fortune to work and think on a large scale, with large budgets, with a great deal of self-confidence. When it comes to this, ‘One Person’ is a sign of change,” Shurelov said.
