Today, in times of democracy, many people in Bulgaria turn their backs on the past. A number of family archives are abandoned or thrown away like nothing more than a bad memory. That’s how “Imaginary archive” was born—a Bulgarian found photography archive. It includes a glimpse of the past which usually stays behind the vitrine of the socialist propaganda. Part of it is the Stoyanov family - an imaginary Bulgarian family, whose everyday story is presented to a modern audience via its Instagram profile. A black and white narrative of the past as an alternative to color propaganda. Imaginary Archive was founded by Tihomir Stoyanov in 2010. It includes more than 10000 negative and slide films found on flea markets around Bulgaria.


TIHOMIR STOYANOV
Born 1978, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Lives and works in Sofia, Bulgaria.