On October 27, 2025, a Symposium on the “Sin” project was held in the library of the Museum of Humor and Satire – a key event in the preparation of the new permanent exhibition, which will restore and rethink the presentation of the emblematic museum collection, exhibited in the Museum from 1975 to 2022.
About the Project
“Sin – Research and Exhibition Project” focuses on the unique museum collection of 50 copies of frescoes from 16 churches and monasteries in Bulgaria.
Its goal is to support the team in developing a narrative about the collection that is understandable to a modern audience – from field and archival research to interpretive solutions, design and communication with the public.
The corpus of images offers artistic, ethnographic, historical and moral-philosophical layers, putting sacred art, satire and contemporary interpretations of moral themes into dialogue.
Participants and Topics
The symposium brought together curators, art historians, theologians, psychologists, museum specialists, artists and teachers, who presented their analytical texts and research and discussed.
The meeting took place in a spirit of in-depth dialogue and shared commitment to the topic of the collection and contemporary approaches to its presentation – considered not only in a theological, but also in a cultural, social and aesthetic context.
Event facilitator: Margarita Dorovska – Head of the Fine Arts and Exhibition and Fund Activities Department at the museum and author of the project concept.
Authors of the analytical texts:
Prof. Dr. Raina Gavrilova – cultural scientist and historian, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Dr. Vladimir Dimitrov – art historian, NBU
Dr. Slava Yanakieva – cultural scientist and theologian, NBU
Svetoslav Stoev – psychologist and social analyst
Tchavdar Nikolov – cartoonist and visual satirist
Tatyana Tsankova – ethnologist and long-time director of the museum
Ilina Peneva – curator and PR, Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center, Gabrovo (results of field research)
Sava Hristov – project manager, manager of Vidima Gallery, Sevlievo
Results and next steps
The event laid the foundations for the meaningful and interpretative process that will shape the new permanent exhibition “Sin”.
The presented reports and discussions will be used in:
Finalizing the exhibition concept
Preparing the accompanying monograph
Creating a mobile exhibition
Developing a project website
The video documentation from the symposium will support the work of the curatorial team in the next stages of the project.
This project is implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
