Revolving Red Monuments Bulgaria is a virtual, interactive sculpture co-created by Meredith Drum with contributions from Bulgarian artists Albena Baeva, Eva Davidova, Slava Savova, Dessislava Terzieva, Martin Atanasov, Rositsa Getsova, Elena Kaludova, and Daniela Kostova. Artist Nikita Shokhov has served as Creative Technologist. 

Exploring the history and future of Bulgaria’s Soviet monuments, the work combines 3D virtual sculptures and poems about war. Poems included are by Zhivka Baltadzhieva, Ilya Kaminsky, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, and Wisława Szymborska.

In making this work, Drum is exploring the meaning of these monuments for the future of the countries of the former Soviet Blok, the former U.S.S.R., and Russia. How do pro-authoritarian, pro-Russian, right-wing figures across Europe and the U.S. view Soviet monuments now that they revere Putin, former KGB officer? In the 20th Century, Soviet imagery was used by leftist activists in the U.S. to symbolize workers’ rights and social programs that benefitted the poor. Putin’s autocratic behavior and invasion of Ukraine have made soviet symbols less attractive to the American left. Considering these divergent perspectives, might these monuments be altered to reflect these contradictions and shifts?  Augmented reality projects, like Revolving Red Monuments, can allow artists and participants to reframe monuments with mutable, flexible, and playful media.

Revolving Red Monuments was made between 2022 and 2024 and supported by a CEC ArtsLink Art Prospect Residency in Bulgaria in 2022 as well as by Maria Vassileva, Structura Gallery, ICA-Sofia, and the College of Architecture, Arts and Design at Virginia Tech.