Art Gallery “Petko Zadgorski”

The preservation of the cultural heritage and using its potential as a means of increasing the touristic attractiveness is one of the main challenges and aims that every city, which possess a historical past is trying to cope with and achieve in its aspiration to gain ground as an invariable part of the European cultural diversity. One of the leading priorities for economy development of most of the cities with cultural-historical potential is the restoration, preservation and the popularization of the cultural - historical values and the inclusion of the relevant city in the map of the International cultural tourism. Burgas city and Edirne Province have a valuable storage of cultural heritage, which is a prerequisite for increasing the tourists’ interest toward both destinations, by means of developing cultural tourism. Both cities have well-kept traditions in the field of Fine arts. Burgas city have one of the oldest available Graphic workshops and creative centers in the country. The center was established in 1982 with the active role and contribution of Todor Atanasov – a prominent Bulgarian artist, the workshop is named after. The center has preserved and one could still witness the realization of the classical technique of lithography/drawing and printing on stone/ in its classical version from 18th century. The lithography is a unique graphical technology as a result of which works of art are printed. The technology is a labour – consuming, including dozens of operations and takes weeks until one piece of work is created. Implementation of the work process is handmade and the identic look of two prints is impossible. All these specific features of the lithography bring its uniqueness. There are only three other graphic workshops in Bulgaria left. For decades, the Graphic workshop is an attractive center for a number of events, which draw national and international renowned authors to our city. Over the years, almost most of the great Bulgarian artists –Graphic Masters and artists have spent time working in the Graphic workshop. Participation of famous European is a pride for the center with names such as: Albin Brunovski, Vintzent Hlozhnik, Vladimir Gadzhovich. As a result of this long - term activity, a fund with more than 100 graphical works was created. Each one of these works bears the authentic spirit and the art style of its time - the time they were created. The graphic fund is one of the richest in the country, characterized with a high quality and great art value. A unique artist technique for drawing on water surface called “ebru”, is preserved for centuries in Republic of Turkey. In the process of drawing, the artist works without a preliminary project on his drawing, which leads to a unique result through the interaction between the human factor and the applied technology used. The author has only a common idea for his composition. The realization of two identic works of “ebru” technique is impossible and that speaks for its uniqueness. During the Ottoman Empire – “ebru” was considered as a special ability and a refined type of art, for which, only few were talented and patient enough to gain the necessary skills for implementation. The project envisages the implementation of a number of related activities for the preservation and populariztion of the immovable cultural heritage in the field of Fine arts between Burgas city and Edirne Province. The project implementation will contribute for the creation and establishment of appropriate modern conditions and tools for exposing these unique techniques - the lithography and drawing on water and making them attractive for tourists. Important accent in the process of demonstration of the above-mentioned techniques will be the role of interactive digital technologies, which will generate virtual reality in a way that the viewer actively participates and interacts with the exposition. The contemporary technologies will serve as a platform for sharing expositions between the partners, boosting the tourists’ interest to the fine art and the cultural features of the two nations. Main objective The main objective of the project aims to contribute for improving the cooperation between Burgas city and Edirne Province through the increasing of the tourist attractiveness of the both regions by means of preserving and popularizing the cultural heritage in the field of the Fine art. Activities: 1. Organization and management – common for the both partners 2. Reconstruction of „Graphical base Todor Atanasov” – lead partner 3. Digitalization – lead partner 4. Investment activity – partner 5. Digitalization – partner 6. Information and publicity – common for the both partners