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The garden. Courtesy of Jos Bregman.
Pop Art House Osenovlag
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Description
Providing a place for artists to work on their own work, while ‘living like a monk’: the space provided is a museumlike mountain house formerly lived in by a Bulgarian priest and is such a social work of art that Jos Bregman, the organiser, started in 2008 and is running ever since. It is a personal artistic research into the heart of Europe. Europe, which, according to the organiser, is too often seen as Brussels and bureaucracy. He wondered, what is Europe to him? He bought the space and asked himself if he can be a good neighbour, even when he is not often around, living on the other end of Europe. He has established a relationship with the direct neighbours who adopted him when he is there. They do maintenance and he pays with machines they always seem to need. Since 2008 he has been visiting the location two to three times each year, and is thus a part-time neighbour. Ever since he has been inviting people to become other part-time neighbours, from somewhere in Europe, like him.
Jos Bregman, a solo performer since 1996, wants to provide access to nature in a world where internet access is dominant. The house is a way to log in to nature as it is surrounded by mountains. It is also a way to log in to your own nature, you may very well experience some culture shock. Hardly anyone will speak English, for example.
Outcome
As a participant, you are expected to become a part-time neighbour during your stay.
The process of your own work during the residency is to be published on your own social or other media, every other day. He will also post it on his own social media. He also expects you to share how your relationship with the space you get to know is developing, especially regarding the neighbours and the rest of the village. A physical expression of this development - a work of art of any kind or a representation of interaction with the neighbours - must be left in the house. The house is over the years slowly becoming a collection of visits, a representation of a Europe of people.
Accommodation Information
It is a self-organised residency. Jos will provide a practical guide to the house. There are movie clips on his bulgarianarthouse.nl. He will give you support via Whatsapp. Upon arriving you will get the keys from my Bulgarian-speaking neighbours. The house has one room down the floor, levelling with a small garden and outdoor kitchen. This is the living space that can be heated by a wood fire. You can use it for heating the space, heating water on a big pan, or cooking on it. There is firewood. This room has a table with chairs.
There is an upper floor with three rooms, two of them with beds.
The biggest room has two beds and a table with chairs.
The outdoor kitchen has a table under the roof and a cold water tap. Close to the neighbour is a private sawdust toilet and a private Indonesian shower. You bring a pan of water and use a cup to throw it over yourself.
Location
It is a house formerly owned by a priest and his wife in a small village in the mountains of Bulgaria called Osenovlag, 2 hours North of the capital Sofia. The house is like a small museum: he hardly changed a thing, so you live like the priest. Sit on his chair, eat from his cutlery, and drink from the one water source. There is a close connection with the direct neighbours, who will provide the keys upon arrival. The house is an hour's walk away from the old long-distance walking trail E3, Kum (Serbia) - Emine (Turkey)
