Tinka Legvart, Ana-Marija Vasicek, and I developed this project in cooperation between the University of Applied Arts Vienna and the municipality of Lovech, Bulgaria, my hometown. It addressed the process of regenerating a former military barracks site in the town center and consisted of a series of artistic interventions during a one-week visit by social design students and professors on site.

We engaged creatively with the local community to reveal their unexpressed desires, deconstruct the circulating unproductive narratives, and help create a platform for cooperation and civic participation in decision-making about the urban environment.

Viewpoints. For the everyday passerby, the military barracks remain a secret place, hidden beyond an endless, inaccessible wall. Searching for a different viewpoint, we contacted people living in the high-rise buildings nearby and invited them to share their opinions about the view from their windows.

Wishing ball. We constructed a ball of styrofoam at the central square and later rolled it to the old town. It served to engage local residents and collect their wishes for the transformation of the military barracks. The wishes were then painted in large letters on the grounds of the barracks, sparking discussions with neighboring residents.

Loved places. Together with youngsters from the local school, we talked about Lovech as a city of non-sights—the usual places of their everyday lives and the places they loved. Later, in conversation with former military commanders, we discussed their memories of the once-cherished site and its possible future as a space full of life again.