Спомини [Spomyny]

“The jury awards Спомини [Spomyny] an Honorary Mention for its powerful translation of memory into spatial, sonic form. Drawing on the Ukrainian word for “memories” or “memoirs,” the work invites audiences into an installation of layered sound, carried through meters of insulation pipes. One channel at a time, listeners uncover a non-linear narrative composed of field recordings, intimate testimonies, and fragments of everyday life shaped by war. In this carefully constructed experience, Sophia Bulgakova blurs the line between personal and collective histories, revealing how memory becomes both a refuge and a terrain of resistance. Created amid the dislocation of living abroad while war unfolds at home, Spomyny stands as a quiet, immersive act of defiance—where listening becomes a form of solidarity, and storytelling a vessel for survival.”

Jury Statement

Спомини [Spomyny] is a Ukrainian word for “memories” or even “memoirs”. The work of Sophia Bulgakova with this title is an experience derived from personal and communal accounts of the recent three years of the russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, presented in the form of sonic artefacts collected by Sophia, which is showcased through an installation created from meters of insulation pipes.

Discovering one channel at a time and layering the sounds through the pipes, the audience is invited to unveil a non-linear narrative assembled out of intimate encounters of the artist and her struggles in between being abroad and returning home in the past years, collected testimonies and conversations with friends, family and strangers in Ukraine, found footage recordings through social media and news channel which capture glimpses of extreme experiences within everyday reality.

https://sophiabulgakova.com/spomyny/
https://instrumentinventors.org/project/cпомини-spomyny

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Credits

Technical Production & Sound Design: Ymer Marinus
Sound recording contributions: Ievgen Velychev, Diana Remizovska, Ivan Skoryna, Liza Golubova & everyone wanting to remain anonymous.

Спомини [Spomyny] is commissioned by Rewire in collaboration with iii.

The presentation of the work is funded by State of the ART(ist), a collaboration between the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ars Electronica.