Cultural Revival for "The Hole": "Voda" Festival Transforms Iconic Space in Burgas

The International Contemporary Arts Festival "Voda" will breathe new life into one of Burgas' most persistent and painful urban problems – the unused lot next to "Troykata" Square, known as "The Hole". Under the motto "In the Heart of the City", the festival's eighth edition will unfold in a three-month program during September, October, and November, transforming the iconic site into a stage for creative experiments and dialogue.

The Beginning: Interactive Installations and Social Critique

The organizers from the "Dance BG" Association announced that the program begins with two key events in September, which will lay the foundation for the festival's concept. The first is the interactive installation "Unstable Ground", by choreographer Silvia Cherneva. It will be presented on September 1 behind the Alyosha monument on "Troykata" Square. The performance "Three Men on Unstable Ground" will unfold before the audience, featuring Bratan Bratanov, Dani Kerns, and Velizar Gruev. The musical arrangement of the performance is entirely built from the sounds generated by the installation itself, designed by Alexander Evtimov-Shamancheto and Alexander Daniel. After the performance, "Unstable Ground" will become an open urban intervention, accessible to anyone who wishes to immerse themselves in it. The installation will remain available until September 4, with the public having the opportunity to talk with the artists and participate in various activities on the platform each evening.

The second event in the first festival month is the exhibition "From the White Danube to the Black Sea" by Hungarian visual artist Regina Sharvari. Realized in partnership with the Hungarian Cultural Institute "List", the exhibition combines performance, media documentation, and material objects that draw attention to the severe problem of pollution of the Danube and the Black Sea. The opening is scheduled for September 2 at the "Asen Zlatarov" Community Center, and the exhibition will run until September 6.

The Urban Stage: "The Hole" as an Artistic Hub

The culmination of the festival in the space of "The Hole" will be between October 5 and 8. During this period, the unused lot will host a large-scale exhibition of installations and performances by prominent Bulgarian and international artists. Among the names who will present their projects are:

  • Abel Korinsky (Germany)
  • Adrian Manulescu (Romania)
  • David Somlo (Hungary)
  • Scenocosme collective (France)
  • Daria Pugachova (Ukraine)
  • Regina Sharvari (Hungary)
  • Silvia Cherneva
  • Venelin Shurelov
  • Theater of the Senses-Sofia
  • Anatoli Vanchev
  • Nikolay Matev
  • Hristina Decheva

The full program for October, as well as details for the events in November, will be announced additionally by the organizers.

Chronology of an Urban Problem: The History of "The Hole"

The "Voda" festival's initiative focuses on a space that for decades has been a symbol of unrealized projects and legal disputes. In August 2024, the Municipality of Burgas announced that it had acquired most of the lot known as "The Hole". This put an end to the legal disputes that had lasted for more than 15 years, and the administration officially became the owner of nearly 10 decares of the property.

The history of the site began more than 35 years ago when the construction of a City Department Store (GUM) was planned. For this purpose, the old buildings in the northern part of "Troykata" Square were demolished, and the foundations and reinforced concrete structure of the three-story building were built. However, construction was halted, and legal disputes that began in 1989 froze the project for a long time, with the built structure subsequently being demolished.

In recent years, several initiatives have tried to breathe life into "The Hole". In 2024, students from the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG) developed conceptual ideas for the transformation of the lot as part of their tenth Summer School. At the end of the last school year, children aged 8 to 11 from the "Celestin Freinet" Private Primary School also presented their projects, developed under the guidance of architect Desislava Stoyanova.

With the holding of the "Voda" festival, "The Hole" is transformed from a symbol of shattered plans into a living platform for art, which can spark the imagination and initiate its future transformation.