" De pierre et de bois " is an artistic and documentary project that explores the disappearing architectural heritage of Bulgaria's deserted villages: houses, schools and public buildings where time seems suspended, but the spirit of the place remains.
At the heart of the project are two cultural creations:
A 60-minutedocumentary film, shot with aerial drone footage and accompanied by authentic folk sounds from the regions of Gabrovo, Drianovo, Tryavna and Veliko Tarnovo. The film traces authentic building traditions and architectural solutions born of the harmony between natural materials - stone, wood and clay.
It shows how, in the past, man built and urbanized these territories, then how, decades or centuries later, he left them for similar reasons. Today, nature is reclaiming its rights, reintegrating its own materials - stone, wood and clay - in a poetic cycle of rebirth.
Through an artistic and sensitive approach, the film becomes a metaphor for the cycle of life and nature, a call to rediscover the harmony between man and his environment.
A photographic exhibition entitled " Glorious past - forgotten present - possible future ", featuring around 30 photographs in 40×60 cm or 50×70 cm formats, capturing the beauty, architectural details and silent soul of these villages.
Conceived by the Cultural Heritage Institute Foundation, the project aims to document, preserve and reawaken the living memory of rural heritage, while inspiring a new look at the relationship between culture, time and nature.
Presented at international forums in Bulgaria and the European Union, the project links past and future, local tradition and universal dialogue on sustainability and human memory.
Our intention is to share this universal Bulgarian story with international audiences and contribute to the common debate on the preservation of cultural heritage, the relationship between man and nature, and the cycle of life reflected in architecture."
Le Cube, Schuman campus
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