Divan – Bulgarische Sofafahrten

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His fifth SOFA/DIVAN project once again takes Josef Trattner to the outer ridges of Europe – this time to Bulgaria or, more precisely, to Sofia, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, and Burgas. Young writers barely known beyond the Bulgarian borders sat down on Trattner’s sofa, as did musicians, journalists, and filmmakers. The brick-red sofas are constantly moved around in public space, rendering Trattner’s interlocutors guests in their own cities. These „Sofa Journeys“ are also accompanied by a mirror, which allows for special interaction with the surrounding architecture (architecture within the sofa). The sofa itself is finally left behind in a selected spot and thus given to the public. It remains in its respective city.
New perspectives on familiar places open up for the speakers, blurring the line between public and private space. The „sedentary“ piece of furniture, shouldered by the artist and his writers, becomes a metaphor for their existence. The texts published in this book may take Josef Trattner, the artist, as a point of departure or develop their ideas, fictions, and dreams autonomously and far removed from the „Trattner situation.“