Vera Hadzhiyska

With the Name of a Flower is a multi-disciplinary project which investigates the forced name changes of the Muslim population in Bulgaria (from Arabic to state-approved Slavic ones) in the period 1912-1989. The project takes into consideration the historical and political context of Bulgaria and the Balkan region, but approaches the topic from a personal viewpoint, examining the memories of people affected by the changes, and their descendants. For many Bulgarian Muslims, the change of name came hand in hand with repressing their religious identity. Much like the unnamed female singer in this exhibition’s title, Hadzhiyska’s work foregrounds the voices that were suppressed by history. Drawing on her personal connection as a descendant of the Pomak and Turk communities, With the Name of a Flower seeks to amplify these stories, as an act of reclamation.