Mafia Baroque
In search of identity
A.I. Shopova (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
J.C. Edens – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
In the paper, the architectural style Mafia Baroque (or Mutro Baroque) and its connection to national identity will be the topic of historical research. As the movement was first seen at the beginning of the 1990s, it is strongly influenced by the change of political systems in Bulgaria. In search of representation medium, the arising “new elite” of the new democratic republic confidently portrayed themselves in the public sphere through the means of the baroque-like style. The intriguing character of Mafia Baroque could be described as a cocktail of various stylistic elements, along with the ebullient use of luxurious materials. Its aesthetics were and still are ground for controversial discussions among experts / professionals, journalists, and citizens. Either seen as kitsch and tasteless, or purely fascinating, the Mafia Baroque is an active element of the Bulgarian cityscape. On one hand, the style indicates the rejection of expert opinion, as well as the conscious decision to dispel the memory of the socialist past. On the other hand, Mafia Baroque as a phenomenon of the post-soviet time
can be seen as the result of an attempt and longing for integration in the architectural context of Western Europe. The thesis will take into consideration how the transition from the Soviet regime to democracy has been the trigger for this new architectural style. Additionally, the movement will be discussed in the context of different phenomena across Eastern Europe. As architectural esponses
of various political instabilities, the international examples are aiming to map the similarities and differences in the baroque-like architectural language. Through considering the multiplicity of Mafia Baroque the thesis will focus on investigating the characteristics of the movement as an architectural expression of the search for identity in the Post-Soviet time.