Arthouse
In the summer of 2025 I invited people from all over the world to draw and paint anything they like in the 100-year-old historic home my grandfather built in my hometown of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.
There were several several different projects developing throughout the house:
Shakesharpie
Draw with sharpies in The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare.
Draw and Paint Anything Collaborative Mural
Write, Draw or Paint anything on a giant paper wall. An evolving artwork where each guest adds a mark.
Surrealist Ablutions
Doodle on the Bathroom Tiles. Yes, maybe even while showering.
A couple from the Netherlands wrote a song about the Arthouse:
The Arthouse project started in my apartment in Brooklyn, Christmas 2011. I invited my friends and told them it's a Bulgarian tradition to paint on the walls for food. This became the Bulgarian Christmas collaborative painting performance. Since then I have used the same approach to working with the general public in New York City and confronting people with the immediacy of art making.
Although it's a house project, it is not tied to a location. It is ephemeral and ever-evolving, inspired by Yayoi Kusama's Obliteration Room and the house of the great artist Salvador Dalí in Port Lligat.
Grandpa and the House
My grandfather, Marin Rikev (1899-1936), was a painter, an architect and a successful businessman, very skilled in the technique of Intarsia. He was very active in Bulgarian society prior to 1944 and was nominated, as part of a delegation of the Bulgarian trade elite, a godfather to King Simeon II of Bulgaria. He lost almost everything and barely escaped with his life during the communist revolution of 1944-47. He escaped execution with the help of a friendly lawyer and watched from his house’s terrace high on the hills - the muzzle flashes and executions of many of his friends and colleagues. He was later sent to labor camps, was registered in the communist party’s archives as a secret enemy of the state and was not allowed to work for the rest of his life. Growing up I remember a very strange man living in my grandparents’ house - he was installed to spy on my grandparent’s activities and was there for almost 20 years. As a kid I was kept ignorant of family history and only learned things piece by piece after my grandfather passed from a heart condition shortly after the Chernobyl incident. I vividly remember my grandpa listening to the BBC and the Voice of America, a highly illegal activity at the time.
Fascinating Story of the Communist Who Spied on Grandpa’s Activities
A Walkthrough
The Gifting of Tsarevets Hill (June 23, 1937)
In the early 20th century, Veliko Tarnovo played a symbolic role in connecting Bulgaria's historical past with its modern monarchy. During one of his visits, Prince Ferdinand received a gift from Mayor Panayot Slavkov: a hill with the condition they build a hotel and share the profits. The building remained until 1981, later used for tourism and archaeology. Slavkov himself went on to become a high-ranking political figure and minister.
A significant event occurred on June 23, 1937, during an extraordinary session of the Veliko Tarnovo Municipal Council, where the historic Tsarevets Hill was officially gifted to the young heir to the throne, Prince Simeon of Tarnovo (later Simeon II). The council viewed this gesture as a symbolic bridge between Bulgaria’s glorious Second Kingdom and its present monarchy.
The proposal sparked intense debate. Some council members, like Petar Angelov, strongly opposed the gift, arguing that historical landmarks like Tsarevets should not be given away. Others supported the idea, seeing it as a way to honor the monarchy and encourage preservation. In the end, the majority voted in favor.
The council established a municipal fund to support archaeological research, preservation, and the eventual beautification of the area, with hopes of building a palace there for the heir. Additionally, the municipal council decided:
“To appoint a delegation to present the gift at the Palace, consisting of the city’s mayor, municipal councilors Bogdan Atanasov Minchev and Marin Stefanov Rikev,...”
(Marin Stefanov Rikev - grandfather - was part of this historic delegation.)
This moment reflected both national pride and the tension between preservation and politics. It stands as a remarkable episode in the modern history of Veliko Tarnovo and the legacy of the Bulgarian monarchy.
Подаряването на хълма Царевец (23 юни 1937 г.)
В началото на XX век Велико Търново играе символична роля в съхраняването на връзката между историческото минало на България и съвременната ѝ монархия. При едно свое посещение княз Фердинанд получава дар от кмета Панайот Славков — хълм, с уговорката двамата да построят хотел и да делят приходите. Сградата остава до 1981 г., а по-късно се използва за туризъм и от археолози. Славков сам прави бляскава политическа кариера и става министър.
На 23 юни 1937 г. се провежда извънредна сесия на Великотърновския общински съвет, на която се решава хълмът Царевец да бъде подарен на престолонаследника княз Симеон Търновски (по-късно цар Симеон II). Съветниците виждат в този акт символично обвързване на миналото на Второто българско царство с бъдещето на Третото царство.
Решението предизвиква остри дебати. Някои съветници, като Петър Ангелов, категорично се противопоставят на идеята, смятайки, че национални светини като Царевец не трябва да се подаряват. Други изразяват подкрепа, като начин за почит към монархията и опазване на културното наследство. В крайна сметка мнозинството подкрепя предложението.
Създава се общински фонд за разкриване, проучване, реставриране и разкрасяване на местността, с пожелание за построяване на дворец за престолонаследника. Също така общинският съвет решава:
„Да се избере делегация за поднасяне на дара в Двореца в състав: кмета на града, общинските съветници Богдан Атанасов Минчев и Марин Стефанов Рикев...”
(Марин Стефанов Рикев - Дядо - е част от тази историческа делегация.)
Grandpa Paintings of Veliko Tarnovo & His Former store
The house was designed and built by my grandfather and is filled with his paintings intarsia of Veliko Tarnovo.
