ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK, Un-Common River exhibition, Plovdiv

The Embassy this year supported an exhibition as part of Plovdiv's 'One Architecture Week'

This year's theme Uncommon River was intended to reclaim the Maritsa River by 'commoning' it, i,e, attempting to bring the river as a forgotten element of Plovdiv back to the city. Other exhibitions, lectures, workshops and installations took place all over the city, many of which were funded by other international embassies. The exhibition ran from the 18th to the 27th September.

In harmony with the theme, it was decided to showcase the river element to the Irish cities of Dublin, Belfast and Limerick, each with different histories, influences and uses of the rivers Liffey, Lagan and Shannon. The exhibition took place in the City Gallery in the centre of Plovdiv across three rooms. Entitled 'Rivers of the Irish Historic Towns Atlas', maps and many illustrations from the atlases of Dublin, Belfast and Limerick were on display in each of the rooms with accompanying explanatory text in English and Bulgarian.

Ms. Jennifer Moore of the Irish Historical Town Atlas (IHTA) project both curated the event and gave a presentation on the relationship between the three cities and their respective rivers at the official opening of the exhibition on the 20th September. The Irish Ambassador to Bulgaria H.E. John Biggar spoke at the official opening of how much he had learned of the Irish cities - particularly in his home town of Dublin, from the different maps and prints that formed part of the exhibition. He was also struck by the parallels in the relationship of the Irish cities and Plovdiv to their respective rivers, though they were a continent apart.

A brochure has also been developed for the exhibition by the IHTA.