Divan – Bulgarische Sofafahrten

Divan – Bulgarische Sofafahrten

Josef Trattner

With texts by Kerana Angelova (Burgas), Mira Dushkova (Ruse), Fedia Filkova (Sofia), Mitko Novkov (Sofia), Yordan Radichkov (Sofia), Palmi Ranchev (Sofia), Nedialko Slavov (Plovdiv) and Lyudmil Stanev (Varna)

German / English / Bulgarian, 208 pages, 21 x 28 cm, numerous color illustrations, softcover

March 2017

ISBN 978-3-903172-04-3

€ 28,00 [A]

€ 27,20 [D]

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. The sofa itself is finally left behind in a selected spot and thus given to the public.

New perspectives on familiar places open up for the speak- ers, blurring the line between public and private space. 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.”

The new volume in Trattner’s anthological Eastern Europe series.

Josef Trattner studied and lectured at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. In 2004, he started his "Sofa Journeys" project. He lives and works in Vienna.