"Exemplary Home" is a documentary work exploring the north-western part of rural Bulgaria. It aims to illustrate the effects of rapid urbanisation and progressive globalisation on the most vulnerable parts of Bulgarian society. It engages with the surreal air of the province and its people through the viewpoint of a Bulgarian expatriate, returning to a landscape leaden with childhood memories. This moment led to the discovery of an intersection of narratives, spanning the periods of The Bulgarian Renaissance, through the Soviet and now Post-Soviet era. The commentary feels particularly relevant in today’s time, with the tide on globalisation turning towards increased disunion.”
I left Bulgaria immediately after graduating high school to study photography in the UK. By that point in my life I had already grown distant and frustrated with the life and mentality in the Republic, so I fully embraced London. Through meeting and interacting with so many people from all over the world and progressively growing to recognise the value in their diversity and by extension, national, ethnic and social identity, I started questioning my own negative views of my home country. Exemplary Home was a return to the roots of my family, tracing them back to the birthplace of my grandparents, and trying to figure out and untangle this ball of complex narratives and socio-political issues that have been affecting Bulgaria since the collapse of the Union by going to the places that have been most severely affected by all the changes. At this current stage I feel like I’ve finally “forgiven” Bulgaria and resolved all that angst and frustration, and I’m excited to build onto this foundation and to embody this trailblazing mentality of how my generation can really build up a framework for cultural and artistic appreciation back home.
“Образцов Дом” (translated “Exemplary Home”) refers to the text found on enamelled signs, that were provided by the Communist party to homes which met certain living and tidiness standards under the regime. These signs are still commonly found, gracing the walls of most houses in the countryside and are one of the most recognisable and memorable symbols of the Party to this day.
Yassen Grigorov is a Bulgarian-born, London-based photographer. He moved to the UK to study at the University of Westminster in 2017, and graduated with a BA in Photography with First Class Honours in 2020. During that time he developed keen interests in a variety of subjects, ranging from fashion, architecture and design, to philosophy, artificial intelligence and sociology.