GOCHEVA Stella
The photographic body of work of Stella Gocheva is born out of the desire to capture a specific moment in time. Her series depicts the emotional journey of Stella, in Bulgaria. Through the medium of photography, she retraces her train of thoughts and emotions. Gocheva’s photographs function as the evidence that retraces a love that never ended; a Romeo and Juliet situation: the impossibility to be with the beloved person, as the impossibility to be without the beloved person. The distance given to the memory through the faint of time creates an inevitable gap into today's reality, through which the artist can imagine alternative scenarios of time. Silently, from the depth of her mind, Stella reconstructs the puzzle and reveals a fragmented reality through the subjectivity of her memory. This marks and ties the two protagonists together in the series, wherein distinguishing the original photographs from a threedimensional render, is made difficult; These frontiers are voluntarily blurred by the photographer. The render depicts a specific domestic space where the two lovers were able to secretly reunite. Resulting in that it allows the viewer to project their desire through the viewer's speculations. By this, Stella Gocheva translates her desire to be as close to her memory as possible. The hours spent in creating the digital reconstruction of the spaces attached to her memories, communicate to the viewer the urging desire to re-experience a sensorial relation stuck between the past and the present.
Interview
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Stella Gocheva and I am second-year photography student at KABK and I come from a beautiful suburban neighborhood called Dolno Ezerovo, which is in the city of Burgas in Bulgaria.
How would you describe your practice?
In my practice I use speculation and theoretical/academic research as a driving force to my work. I am guided by an urgency to discuss global issues that occur in present-day society, and explore the role of oneself, as a participant in this society. My working methods range between staged photography, documentary, directing, graphic design, video-making and recently, CGI and 3D animation.
What does desire mean for you?
Desire is an exercise in imagining alternatives, futures, revisiting memories, and constructing spaces in which all of my thoughts can exist outside of any reality. It is the ultimate freedom to do whatever, to be whoever, to be with whoever and whenever. For me especially, it is present in my thought process. Desire is this silent motivator that pushes me to be better, to work smarter and harder, to set higher expectations for myself and see what my limits are. I think in moderation, desire is healthy way for one to stay focused on the job and open one's mind to new ideas, new hobbies, new experiences.
Why did you choose to present this work in this exhibition?
Given the topic of the conversation I think my work can be seen and understood in this context better than any other way.. The digital exhibition is a format that requires you to be flexible and creative to how you present your work. It is another way to tell a story.