Homosoc
An exhibition on homosexuality during the communist regime in Bulgaria.
Client: GLAS Foundation (2019)
My Role: Creative Direction and Design
Overview
Homosoc is an exhibition that showcases the results of the ambitious research on homosexuality during the communist regime in Bulgaria, which lasted 40 years (1949-1989).
Homosexuality + Socialism = HOMOSOC
Historians, sociologists, students, curators, and artists presented vital information in the most visually appealing way.
This topic is intriguing because very little is known about the history of homosexual people in Bulgaria, and its knowledge is often limited to rumors and gossip. Even less is known about the attitude of the communist regime towards them.
It is based on various sources — legal and medical publications, forensic medical expert assessments, developments of the Ministry of the Interior and the State Security on the looseness of sexual morals in the country, archives of prisons, and crime analyses.
Presentation
The exhibition consists of ten panels dedicated to the different topics of the research with thematic illustrations that were created for the project.
Homosoc occupied two rooms, 150 m². The layout followed horizontal info panels with vertical pictures and illustrations.
These panels divided the exhibition into several key themes.
Zine
We also produced a printed version of Homosoc. It included information from the exhibition. It was available in both English and Bulgarian languages.
Audio Experience
The exhibition also included an audio installation incorporating headphones playing anonymous personal stories and memories of homosexual men who experienced the communist regime firsthand.
