The Red House Centre for Culture and Debate
Working hours: Mon- Sat, 3pm-7pm
Address:15, Lyuben Karavelov Str.
Tel: + 359 2 988 81 88
e-mail: info@redhouse-sofia.org

Like a drop of blood on a cement floor, the Red House Centre for Culture and Debate is hard to miss.  Its crimson- and cotton-coloured square reaches away from those traditional Bulgarian blocks along Lyuben Karavelov, making a bold and beautiful statement.  

But that's only an introduction.  The sometimes sordid, often surreal and always thought-provoking discoveries you'll make within its refurbished walls are a peculiar palette of controversy and creativity.  And it would be rude to call The Red House an "art museum", a phrase which tends to inspire visions of silent rooms and inner-monologued interpretations.  Because The Red House casts a wider canvas. Within one week, your eyes might follow the fingers of a flute-player in an Indian classical music workshop, narrow with disagreement during a discussion on the evolution of identity through emigration, or widen with curiosity at the wild pieces of an up-and-coming modern artist.  In each scenario, your comments are encouraged.

The Red House mission is to provide an opportunity for young Bulgarian artists to question prevailing perceptions and present their projects, and an opportunity for academics and societal leaders to participate in public life and expose their ideas.  For all participants, they encourage collaboration, shameless expression and unrestricted discussion - three elements sometimes absent from Bulgarian culture.

It's a place where any kind of stimulation - visual, performing, musical, film, literature or new media is welcome.  The organised lectures and discussions on contemporary art and culture allow guests to do more than just walk through their rooms, but provide a chance to understand the story or stigma behind the stripes.

Distant, but surprisingly familiar relatives to art, of course, are socio-political issues.  And every week, The Red House also organises lectures, debates and discussions on anything from cultural policy, to corruption and AIDS, to the environment . 

Finally, they've not forgotten education, emphasising lifelong learning with short-term training on dance, design, debate moderation and much more.

Formerly the home of famous Bulgarian sculptor Andrey Nikolov, and designed by infamous architect Ivan Vassilov,  The Red House was built in the "spirit of Italy" to effectively capture the enchanting atmosphere of Rome, where Nikolov lived from 1914 to 1927. 

And it feels like a home as well - perhaps one which belongs to that eccentric, wealthy aunt you always wished you had.  You can browse the library, look up an artist online in the downstairs cafe, examine Andrey Nikolov's permanent collection or take a peek at the current exhibition.

Until July 6, you can see a video exhibition entitled, Human Traffic: Ten Author's Opinions. And in honour of this cause, you'll find a colorful building-size poster of what might first appear to be a traditionally dressed Bulgarian woman.  But a closer inspection reveals a sad victim whose attire indicates her forced prostitution with disturbing clarity.

Events and exhibitions are either very reasonably priced (typically between three and 10 leva), or free.  I would estimate about a third of them are either in English, provide translation, or involve a performance without words.  It's best to get on their mailing list, which distributes the schedule of events every week. The website is comprehensive, always up-to-date and in English.

Once you're settled into The Red House, you may find it difficult to leave.  If so, just ask for a room in their upstairs bed and breakfast.  Both rooms and apartments are clean, minimalistic, terrace-connected and web-ready.  Showers, toilets, terraces and kitchens, however, are shared.  (Not exactly a hotel, more of a hostelle.)  But don't worry. You'll find a towel, soap and one Red House event ticket per guest on your pillow to make up for it.  And they take requests for breakfast room service.

But the only real request from The Red House, according to Andrey Nikolov, is to "to leave all prejudices out".  One should arrive not just with an open mind, but with an empty mind.  And that's hard.  But to clear your mind is to begin again.  And a woman with a beautiful voice once told me to start at the very beginning. . . because it's a very good place to start.