Krasimira Butseva is a visual artist, researcher, writer and educator based between London, UK and Sofia, Bulgaria.
In her creative and academic work, she explores political violence, traumatic memory, and the official and unofficial history of Bulgaria. Krasimira employs video, photography, installation, sound and text, in the recontextualization of difficult and erased histories in relation to the communist regime. Her works are both part of gallery spaces and academic journals.
Krasimira is a senior lecturer at the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London. In 2024, Krasimira, alongside her collaborators Julian Chehirian & Lilia Topouzova were selected to represent Bulgaria at the 60th edition of the Venice Biennale. In 2022, she received the BAZA Award for Contemporary Art (YVAA), and in 2021 she was awarded an artist fellowship at the Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart, Germany.
In 2022, her article “Vernacular Memorial Museums: Memory, Trauma and Healing in Post-communist Bulgaria” was published in the Museums & Social Issues Journal.
Krasimira is also a curator of the archive and programme of History in Between; alongside one of the co-founders of Revolv Collective, and a former editor of eep mag.
In her creative and academic work, she explores political violence, traumatic memory, and the official and unofficial history of Bulgaria. Krasimira employs video, photography, installation, sound and text, in the recontextualization of difficult and erased histories in relation to the communist regime. Her works are both part of gallery spaces and academic journals.
Krasimira is a senior lecturer at the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London. In 2024, Krasimira, alongside her collaborators Julian Chehirian & Lilia Topouzova were selected to represent Bulgaria at the 60th edition of the Venice Biennale. In 2022, she received the BAZA Award for Contemporary Art (YVAA), and in 2021 she was awarded an artist fellowship at the Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart, Germany.
In 2022, her article “Vernacular Memorial Museums: Memory, Trauma and Healing in Post-communist Bulgaria” was published in the Museums & Social Issues Journal.
Krasimira is also a curator of the archive and programme of History in Between; alongside one of the co-founders of Revolv Collective, and a former editor of eep mag.
photography by tsvetelina belutovaGet in touch: kbutseva@gmail.com
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selected exhibitions & screenings
solo exhibitions
The Neighbours: Forms of Trauma (1945-1989) at MUNK school, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, 2023
The shimmer of a possibility at ko-op art space, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2023
The Neighbours: Forms of Trauma (1945-1989) at studio The Neighbours /benkovski 40, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
The Neighbours: Forms of Trauma (1945-1989) at Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
Are we communists?, gara art space, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
Frequencies of Trauma at Structura Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
History is in the present, Zahariev-Singer Foundation, Malak Izvor, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2021
Balkan Mine, EEP Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2019
group exhibitions
Re-turn at The Triangular Tower of Serdica, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2023
Needles in a haystack, National Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2023
Beyond all reason. In the mirror of surreal times, Structura Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2023
Camera obscura, Voloshyn Gallery, Kiev, Ukraine, 2023
Minalo ne minalo, Toplocentrala, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
Nominees exhibition BAZA Award for Contemporary Art, Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria 2022
Orbits, Seen Fifteen Gallery, London, Bulgaria, 2022
The case of the poor image, ARTGET gallery, Belgrade, Serbia, 2022
Horizons, Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart, Germany, 2021
Intimacy & Spectacle in the Epoch of Social Media part of Sofia Art Projects - Largo underpass, Independence Square, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2021
History in Between, History Museum of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2020
New Beginnings, MERTZ, Berlin, Germany, 2020
Art Start 2020, Credo Bonum Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2020
F O R M - Seen Fifteen Gallery, London, UK, 2020
Photography & Sculpture, AMP Studios, South Bermondsey Art Trail, London, UK, 2019
Curating cultures of Remembrance, District Six Museum, Cape Town, South Africa, 2019
Intro:spective, Seen Fifteen Gallery, Peckham, London, UK, 2019
Brighton Photo Fringe, Phoenix Gallery, Brighton, UK, 2018
Post memory, Lovech Fine Art gallery, Lovech, Bulgaria, 2018
Archives as Medium, Four Corners Gallery, London, UK, 2017
Fragments, Sticks Gallery, Gosport, UK, 2017
Ginnel Foto Fest, Ipswich, UK, 2017
Uncertain States / Emergence, Photomonth London 2016, Mile End Art Pavilion, London, UK, 2016
Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China, 2016
selected press, radio and television
Open Arts Files
Journal for Social Vision / The dramaturgy of memory, interview (in English) /2022
Kultura.BG / review of “The neighbours: forms of trauma” (in Bulgarian) /2022
Bulgarian National Radio Hristo Botev / Power through the prism of philosophy, law and the arts, talk show (in Bulgarian) /2022
Free Europe / Can violence be narrated?, article (in Bulgarian) / 2022
VIJ! magazine / a different reading of the communist past, an interview (in English) / 2022
Kapital / Carriers of memory: the artists who narrate memory, article (in Bulgarian) / 2022
Bulgarian National Television / the neighbours at SGHG broadcast (in Bulgarian) / 2022
Bulgarian National Radio Horizont / the visible and invisible trauma (in Bulgarian) / 2022
Kapital / The file of Krasimira Butseva, interview (in Bulgarian) / 2022
Kultivisior / review of the exhibition “The neighbours: forms of trauma” (in Bulgarian) / 2022
Kitchen conversations / podcast (in English) /2021
Bulgarian National Television / broadcast of the exhibition History in Between (in Bulgarian) / 2020
Balkan Stories/ Krasimira and the Gulags of Bulgaria (in German) / 2019
Kultura / Post-memory article (in Bulgarian) / 2018
Kapital / Unhappy sots, article (in Bulgarian) / 2017
Photoworks / Showcase (in English) / 2017
Calvert Journal / Photo of the week (in English) / 2017
solo exhibitions
The Neighbours: Forms of Trauma (1945-1989) at MUNK school, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, 2023
The shimmer of a possibility at ko-op art space, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2023
The Neighbours: Forms of Trauma (1945-1989) at studio The Neighbours /benkovski 40, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
The Neighbours: Forms of Trauma (1945-1989) at Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
Are we communists?, gara art space, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
Frequencies of Trauma at Structura Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
History is in the present, Zahariev-Singer Foundation, Malak Izvor, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2021
Balkan Mine, EEP Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2019
group exhibitions
Re-turn at The Triangular Tower of Serdica, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2023
Needles in a haystack, National Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2023
Beyond all reason. In the mirror of surreal times, Structura Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2023
Camera obscura, Voloshyn Gallery, Kiev, Ukraine, 2023
Minalo ne minalo, Toplocentrala, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
Nominees exhibition BAZA Award for Contemporary Art, Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria 2022
Orbits, Seen Fifteen Gallery, London, Bulgaria, 2022
The case of the poor image, ARTGET gallery, Belgrade, Serbia, 2022
Horizons, Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart, Germany, 2021
Intimacy & Spectacle in the Epoch of Social Media part of Sofia Art Projects - Largo underpass, Independence Square, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2021
History in Between, History Museum of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2020
New Beginnings, MERTZ, Berlin, Germany, 2020
Art Start 2020, Credo Bonum Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2020
F O R M - Seen Fifteen Gallery, London, UK, 2020
Photography & Sculpture, AMP Studios, South Bermondsey Art Trail, London, UK, 2019
Curating cultures of Remembrance, District Six Museum, Cape Town, South Africa, 2019
Intro:spective, Seen Fifteen Gallery, Peckham, London, UK, 2019
Brighton Photo Fringe, Phoenix Gallery, Brighton, UK, 2018
Post memory, Lovech Fine Art gallery, Lovech, Bulgaria, 2018
Archives as Medium, Four Corners Gallery, London, UK, 2017
Fragments, Sticks Gallery, Gosport, UK, 2017
Ginnel Foto Fest, Ipswich, UK, 2017
Uncertain States / Emergence, Photomonth London 2016, Mile End Art Pavilion, London, UK, 2016
Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China, 2016
selected press, radio and television
Open Arts Files
Journal for Social Vision / The dramaturgy of memory, interview (in English) /2022
Kultura.BG / review of “The neighbours: forms of trauma” (in Bulgarian) /2022
Bulgarian National Radio Hristo Botev / Power through the prism of philosophy, law and the arts, talk show (in Bulgarian) /2022
Free Europe / Can violence be narrated?, article (in Bulgarian) / 2022
VIJ! magazine / a different reading of the communist past, an interview (in English) / 2022
Kapital / Carriers of memory: the artists who narrate memory, article (in Bulgarian) / 2022
Bulgarian National Television / the neighbours at SGHG broadcast (in Bulgarian) / 2022
Bulgarian National Radio Horizont / the visible and invisible trauma (in Bulgarian) / 2022
Kapital / The file of Krasimira Butseva, interview (in Bulgarian) / 2022
Kultivisior / review of the exhibition “The neighbours: forms of trauma” (in Bulgarian) / 2022
Kitchen conversations / podcast (in English) /2021
Bulgarian National Television / broadcast of the exhibition History in Between (in Bulgarian) / 2020
Balkan Stories/ Krasimira and the Gulags of Bulgaria (in German) / 2019
Kultura / Post-memory article (in Bulgarian) / 2018
Kapital / Unhappy sots, article (in Bulgarian) / 2017
Photoworks / Showcase (in English) / 2017
Calvert Journal / Photo of the week (in English) / 2017
selected lectures, workshops & conferences
On practice of care / book reading at ko-op art space, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2023
A walk with the artists / Artist talk with Julian Chehirian, studio The Neighbours, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
Can art narrate history? / Panel discussion, Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
An image with bad quality / Masterclass, Toplocentrala, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
Listening with a conversation / Listening session, Structura Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
Artist talk, BA Photography, Arts University Bournemouth, UK, 2021
10th World Congress of Central and Eastern European Studies in Montréa / Conference, Montréal, Canada, 2021
(Counter-)Archive: Memorial Practices of the Soviet Underground / Conference, Technische Universitat Dresden, Germany, 2021
Why should we remember? / Summer school workshops, Belene, Bulgaria, 2021
Artist talk, BA (Hons) Photography, University of Portsmouth, 2020
How to forget? / Workshop, part of How to forget your past fast exhibition of Martin Atanasov, KO-OP Sofia, Bulgaria, 2020
Imagining the archive / Workshop, Three Men Make a Tiger, LCC BA Photography, London, UK, 2020
Articulating your practice / Workshop, Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, 2020
Truth, Reality and Imagination Interpretations from Eastern and Central Europe / Conference at UCL, London, UK, 2020
A living memorial, panel discussion part of Forms of Ground mini-symposium, Seen Fifteen Gallery, London, UK, 2020
What’s a Can of Worms Between Mates? / A conversation with Victoria Louise Doyle, Alexander Mourant & Harry Gammer-Flitcroft, Art Lacuna, London, UK, 2020
You are f*cking ugly / Zine workshop, UAL London College of Communication, London, 2019
Apolitical/Political / Photography workshop, UAL London College of Communication, London, 2019
Transition / Workshop with Bayryam Bayryamali in collaboration Sofia Platform, part of a public programme celebrating the 30th anniversary of the fall of communism, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2019
Identity / Panel discussion with Rashida Mangera and Maryam Wahid, Espacio Gallery, London, UK 2019
We Make the Yolk Photography / Reading and writing workshop, Deptford Does Art, London, UK, 2019
Trauma & ritual / Reading group, EEP Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2019
Remembering whilst forgetting / Artist talk, EEP Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2019
Why should we remember / Summer school workshop programme with Julian Chehirian, Summer School Belene: Democracy & Memory, Sofia Platform, Belene, Bulgaria, 2019
Homeland workshop / Book-making workshop, Revolv Collective, Take Courage Gallery, London, UK, 2019
Intro:spective / Panel discussion with Tom Lovelace, Jonny Briggs & Alexandra Davenport, Discussion moderator, Seen Fifteen, London, UK, 2019
On failure & completion / Workshop, BLUNT, ACAVA studios, London, UK, 2019
Roots or Routes? / Workshop, Phoenix Brighton, Brighton Photo Fringe, UK, 2018
4UZHBINA / Artist Talk, Phoenix Brighton, Brighton Photo Fringe, UK, 2018
First Monday / Artist talk, Brighton Photo Fringe, Phoenix Gallery, Brighton, UK, 2018
On practice of care / book reading at ko-op art space, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2023
A walk with the artists / Artist talk with Julian Chehirian, studio The Neighbours, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
Can art narrate history? / Panel discussion, Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
An image with bad quality / Masterclass, Toplocentrala, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
Listening with a conversation / Listening session, Structura Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022
Artist talk, BA Photography, Arts University Bournemouth, UK, 2021
10th World Congress of Central and Eastern European Studies in Montréa / Conference, Montréal, Canada, 2021
(Counter-)Archive: Memorial Practices of the Soviet Underground / Conference, Technische Universitat Dresden, Germany, 2021
Why should we remember? / Summer school workshops, Belene, Bulgaria, 2021
Artist talk, BA (Hons) Photography, University of Portsmouth, 2020
How to forget? / Workshop, part of How to forget your past fast exhibition of Martin Atanasov, KO-OP Sofia, Bulgaria, 2020
Imagining the archive / Workshop, Three Men Make a Tiger, LCC BA Photography, London, UK, 2020
Articulating your practice / Workshop, Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, 2020
Truth, Reality and Imagination Interpretations from Eastern and Central Europe / Conference at UCL, London, UK, 2020
A living memorial, panel discussion part of Forms of Ground mini-symposium, Seen Fifteen Gallery, London, UK, 2020
What’s a Can of Worms Between Mates? / A conversation with Victoria Louise Doyle, Alexander Mourant & Harry Gammer-Flitcroft, Art Lacuna, London, UK, 2020
You are f*cking ugly / Zine workshop, UAL London College of Communication, London, 2019
Apolitical/Political / Photography workshop, UAL London College of Communication, London, 2019
Transition / Workshop with Bayryam Bayryamali in collaboration Sofia Platform, part of a public programme celebrating the 30th anniversary of the fall of communism, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2019
Identity / Panel discussion with Rashida Mangera and Maryam Wahid, Espacio Gallery, London, UK 2019
We Make the Yolk Photography / Reading and writing workshop, Deptford Does Art, London, UK, 2019
Trauma & ritual / Reading group, EEP Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2019
Remembering whilst forgetting / Artist talk, EEP Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2019
Why should we remember / Summer school workshop programme with Julian Chehirian, Summer School Belene: Democracy & Memory, Sofia Platform, Belene, Bulgaria, 2019
Homeland workshop / Book-making workshop, Revolv Collective, Take Courage Gallery, London, UK, 2019
Intro:spective / Panel discussion with Tom Lovelace, Jonny Briggs & Alexandra Davenport, Discussion moderator, Seen Fifteen, London, UK, 2019
On failure & completion / Workshop, BLUNT, ACAVA studios, London, UK, 2019
Roots or Routes? / Workshop, Phoenix Brighton, Brighton Photo Fringe, UK, 2018
4UZHBINA / Artist Talk, Phoenix Brighton, Brighton Photo Fringe, UK, 2018
First Monday / Artist talk, Brighton Photo Fringe, Phoenix Gallery, Brighton, UK, 2018
Post Memory / Panel discussion, Fine Art Gallery Lovech, Lovech, Bulgaria, 2018
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