A WORD FROM THE FOUNDER | POLINA ANGELOVA
HIDDEN IDENTITY PROJECTS
‘The story of Hidden Identity Projects is above all a story of life and the lives of those who write it. This is the story of the Bulgarian men and women who laid down on the railroad tracks, risking their own lives. The story of almost 48,000 Jews who were saved from being deported to the death camps of the Holocaust. It is the story of the only country in Eastern Europe whose Jewish population remained the same throughout the Holocaust. Curating Hidden Identity Projects means writing a new story, that is so much more than just a reflection on the project’s concept, but a story of life – mine, yours and every man and woman who helps write it. This is a story of exceptional courage and goodness that emerged in the midst of unspeakable tragedy and destruction and is still known as ‘the miracle of the Jewish people.’
A Word from the Founder, Polina Angelova
MISSION AND HISTORY
Hidden Identity Projects is a contemporary art project with a mission of raising awareness of an extraordinary fact kept secret until 1989 – the Saving of almost 48,000 Bulgarian Jews from being deported to the death camps of the Holocaust.
Founded in 2017, in London, Hidden Identity Projects was initiated to celebrate one of the most inspiring stories in the history of the world’s humanity and tell a story that explores the parts of our culture that were hidden.
Led personally by founder Polina Angelova, Hidden Identity Projects engages in curatorial, testimonial and educational initiatives, supporting the cultural exchange between Bulgaria, Israel and the UK.
Formerly known as ID entity Projects, Hidden Identity Projects, focuses on a series of creative interventions addressing themes of time, remembrance, loss and trauma-centred identity. It consists of 12 touring exhibitions inspired by the unique story of the Saving of the Bulgarian Jews during the Holocaust and supports Bulgarian, Jewish and British artists globally.
As a native of Bulgaria, Polina Angelova is also acting as a global cultural ambassador of her country through her work as a curator. In support of the Project’s mission, Angelova developed the concept of a unique museum performance to share the Bulgarian involvement in the Jewish Holocaust and honour the memory in all the different countries around the world. She is the author of the ‘Maps to Heaven’ highly conceptual fine art photography series with Holocaust Survivor Lady Zahava Kohn MBE and her daughter Hephzibah Rudofsky. Polina has more than 20 years of experience in the field of culture and is a co-founder of the Bulgarian-Jewish Research Institute.