Mechkar – The Story of a Bulgarian Bear Owner

The Romani tradition of making a living from dancing bears has been passed down for generations for over 1000 years. In 2000, the animal rights organizations Vier Pfoten and the Brigitte Bardot Foundation decided to put an end to this practice in Bulgaria. Mechkar – The Story of a Bulgarian Bear Owner follows bear owner Stefan Dimov Ivanov and his bear Stefka during their last time together.

For the past 20 years, Albin Biblom has investigated humanity’s desire to explore but also to tame nature and animals. In a three-part exhibition based on three documentary films, the visitor gains insight into his in-depth research.

In all the films, there is humanity’s contradictory striving to be one with nature and, in the same breath, distance themselves from it and control it. This paradoxical approach is examined through various types of phenomena, such as the construction of zoos, dying traditions, and humanity’s ideas about expansion. In the exhibition room, each film is shown in its entirety during the respective exhibition period. The stories are expanded with photographs, texts, and archival material.

Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/1HBJfng1Z

Upcoming parts of the exhibition have openings:
Curiosity and Control – February 15, 5:00 PM–8:00 PM
The Conquest of Space – March 7, 5:00 PM–8:00 PM