Art Readings 2025 International Conference.
Old Art Module.
Arts and Archives.

Institute of Art Studies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Sofia, Bulgaria.

Venue: Sofia, 21 Krakra Str.,
Institute of Art Studies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Conference Hall 1
Conference Hall 2

//Conference Program

I 3 April, Thursday

09.30-10.00 I Registration of the participants
10.00-10.10 I Welcome address by Prof. Joanna Spassova-Dikova, Director of the Institute of Art Studies at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
10.10-10.20 I A few words from the organizers

I Plenary Talk
10.20-10.50 I Nenad Makuljević.
Archives and the Methodology of Art History

10.50-11.00 I Coffee/tea break

Session 1: Exploring the History of Sites – Preserving Identity
Moderators: Nenad Makuljević, Ciprian Firea

11.00-11.15 I Melina Paisidou. On the Historical and Monumental Topography of Thessaloniki of the Middle Byzantine Period: A Presentation of a Database
11.15-11.30 I Angeliki Katsioti. The Medieval Churches of Rhodes through Archival Photographs Taken during the Italian Occupation (1912–1943)
11.30-11.45 I Ovidiu Olar, Mihai-Cristian Amăriuței. Istanbul’s Romanian Stones: Marcel Romanescu’s Travel Album (1932)
11.45-12.00 I Konstantia Kefala. Documenting Change. Patmos through Historic Photographs
12.00-12.15 I Fjoralba Prifti. National Museum of Medieval Art in Korça, Albania, and the Story of an Extraordinary Collection
12.15-12.30 I Mariam Vardanyan. The Role of Private Archives in Preserving Armenian Arts and Culture by Creating Community Museums

12.30-12.45 I Discussion

12.45-14.30 I Lunch Break

Session 2: Archives, Arts and Archaeology
Moderators: Melina Paisidou, Ralitsa Rousseva

14.30-14.45 I Iva Dosseva. Photographs from the Archive of Stefan Boyadzhiev: a Roman Architectural Detail – a Spolium in an Early Byzantine Construction
14.45-15.00 I Elina Anastasova. About Several Roman Monuments with Propaganda Symbolism from the Collection of the Regional Museum of History – Stara Zagora
15.00-15.15 I Albena Milanova, Angel Nikolov, Beloslava Vachkovska. New Evidence for the Lost Inscription of Prince Boris I – Michael from Ballsh (Albania)
15.15-15.30 I Vassil Tenekedjiev. Notes on the Interpretation of the Archaeological Data from Aladzha Monastery
15.30-15.45 I Marianna Oikonomou. The Archival Resources as a Tool in the Archaeological Research. The Case of the Monastery of the Hagioi Pantes (All Saints) at Achaia

15.45-16.00 I Discussion

16.00-16.15 I Coffee/tea break

Session 3: Shedding Light on Monuments
Moderators: Konstantinos Giakoumis, Tereza Bacheva

16.15-16.30 I Jehona Spahiu Janchevska, Maya Zaharieva. Reconstructing the Past: The Churches of Staro and Mlado Nagorichane in Archival Sources
16.30-16.45 I Ivona Pandzak-Pineva. Some Compositions from the Churches of the Ohrid Hospital Neighborhood through the Conservators Lenses
16.45-17.00 I Cristina Cojocaru. The Reconstruction of the Iconographic Program of the Văcărești Monastery through Photographic Archives
17.00-17.15 I Sophia Menenakou. The Archival Material of the Inscriptions for the Protection of the Temple. The Case of the Post-Byzantine Mani (17th–19th Century)
17.15-17.30 I Ana Kostić. Archives of Parish Churches and Their Importance in the Research of 19th-Century Art in Serbia: The Example of the Church of St. Peter and Paul in Božica near Bosilegrad

17.30-17.45 I Discussion

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I 4 April, Friday

Plenary Talk
10.00-10.30 I Ciprian Firea. Cross-References on the Art of Medieval Transylvania
(ca. 1450–1550): An Overview of Recently Discovered or Used Sources

Session 1: Shedding Light on Masters, Donors, and Collections
Moderators: Ovidiu Olar, Era Bushi (Xhaferaj)

10.30-10.45 I Lidia Cotovanu, Gregory Manopoulos. By the Painter’s Brush and the Scribe’s Pen: Painted Images and Archival Testimonies in 17th-Century Balkans
10.45-11.00 I Elisabeta Negrău. A Source for Post-Byzantine Art History: Letters to the Patriarch and Tsar of Russia Regarding Church Paintings (1628–1655)
11.00-11.15 I Mateja Jerman. The Apostolic Visitation by Bishop of Verona Agostino Valier as a Valuable Resource for Studying Church Treasuries
11.15-11.30 I Darina Boykina. Silversmithing in Karlovo during the Period of Ottoman Rule in the Light of Written Sources and Archival Documents
11.30-11.45 I Vuk Dautović. The Belgrade Goldsmithing Guild: Archival Sources, Master Goldsmiths, and Their 19th-Century Silver Objects
11.45-12.00 I Margarita Kuyumdzhieva. Once Again on Hieromonk Neophytos Routis

12.00-12.15 I Discussion

12.15-14.15 I Lunch Break

Session 2: More Light on Masters
Moderators: Angel Nikolov, Maya Zaharieva

14.15-14.30 I Ivanka Gergova. The Samokov Masters in the Documents of the Metropolitan Church in the Town
14.30-14.45 I Alexander Kuyumdzhiev. The Icon of The Mother of God Glykophilousa from the Directorate of Museums – Koprivshtitsa
14.45-15.00 I Simeon Tonchev. Drawings and Herminia from the Archive of the National Revival Teacher Kesarius Popvasilev
15.00-15.15 I Vladimir Dimitrov. Wall Paintings by Mihalko Golev and Dimitar Sirleshtov in the Village of Palat
15.15-15.30 I Vesselina Yontcheva. The Church Woodcarvings of Ivan Travnitski

15.30-15.45 I Discussion

15.45-16.00 I Coffee/tea break

Session 3: More Light on Monuments
Moderators: Angeliki Katsioti, Irena Ćirović

16.00-16.15 I Nikolaos Vassilopoulos, Ioannis Vitaliotis. The Church of Panagia-tou-Gallou in Gavrio, Island of Andros (Cyclades), and the Maronites. Some Evidence from Architecture and Archival Materials
16.15-16.30 I Era Bushi (Xhaferaj). The Chapel of the Holy Virgin (Gollomboç, Prespa Lake)
16.30-16.45 I Aleksandar Vasileski, Katerina Rosikopulos. Secondary Interventions on the Structure of the Church of St. Demetrius in Varosh, Prilep
16.45-17.00 I Konstantinos Giakoumis. Approximating the Value of Church Construction Works during the Second Half of the 18th Century: Evidence from the Epirus and Western Macedonia Regions
17.00-17.15 I Aleksandra F. Michalska. Missing Icons from the Iconostasis of St. George’s Church in Zlatolist. What Do the Archives Say?

17.15-17.30 I Discussion

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I 5 April , Saturday

Session 1: Exploring Ritual, Visual, and Theological Dimensions
Moderators: Ivanka Gergova, Gregory Manopoulos

10.00-10.15 I Ralitsa Rousseva. 14th-Century Precious Icon Revetments from Nessebar and the Royal Court of Tarnovo
10.15-10.30 I Elena Firea, Ivan Biliarsky. Tracing the Journeys of St. Paraskeva’s Relics. Documents, Texts, Images
10.30-10.45 I Andrea Babuin. St. Nicholas and the Miracle of the Wheat in a 14th-Century Tempera Panel
10.45-11.00 I Maria Kolusheva. The Theme of the Unity of Heavenly and Earthly Service in the Altar Program of Several Stylistically Related Monuments of the Late 16th – Early 17th Centuries

11.00-11.15 I Discussion

11.15-11.30 I Coffee/tea break

Session 2: Addressing Social Implications
Moderators: Nona Petkova, Margarita Kuyumdzhieva

11.30-11.45 I Irena Ćirović. Exploring Church Art through Archives: Insights from the Archival Collection of the Princess Ljubica Society
11.45-12.00 I Ovidiu Cristea. Discourse About the War: Hans von Aachen’s Paintings and Sketches About the “Turkenkrieg”
12.00-12.15 I Delyan Rusev. Whose Cap is This? Balkan Christians in 16th-Century Ottoman Miniature Art
12.15-12.30 I Lyubomir Mikov. Angels in Islamic Miniature Painting
12.30-12.45 I Vania Racheva. Stambol Kapija as a Part of the Vidin Fortification System – History and Memory

12.45-13.00 I Discussion

13.00-14.30 I Lunch Break

Session 3: Preserving the Legacy: Elucidating the Past, Prospecting the Future
Moderators: Jehona Spahiu Janchevska, Darina Boykina

14.30-14.45 I Nona Petkova. On the Preservation and Study of Church Antiquities in the Past
14.45-15.00 I Svetlana Krasteva. Vasil Atanasov Boyadzhiev – “the Guardian of the Antiquities” in Vidin and His Activities in the Period 1925–1943 for the Preservation of the Most Architecturally and Historically Important Parts and Structures of the Vidin Fortress
15.00-15.15 I Ivan Vanev, Natalia Vladinova. Unknown Photography by Riad Shehata in the Central State
Archive
15.15-15.30 I Ordanche Petrov. Quo Tendimus? Digital Museum Documentation – 20 Years Later
15.30-15.45 I Dimitrina Popova. AI-Generated Interiors of Old Rhodope Houses Based on Archived Architectural Documents

15.45-16.00 I Discussion

16.00-16.15 I Coffee/tea break

Thematic Session with a Round Table
Exploring the Past: Embracing the Intersection of Arts, Archives, Immersive Technologies, and Artificial Intelligence – An Exciting Synergy or a Challenging Collaboration?
Moderators: Konstantinos Oikonomou, Vasileios Komianos, Katerina Kontopanagou

Part 1. Papers
16.15-16.30 I Mary Vigliraki, Georgios Tsoumanis, Katerina Kontopanagou, Athanasios Tsipis, Vasileios Komianos. Charting Kasos’ Legacy: AI and the Digital Revival of Past Memories
16.30-16.45 I Mary Vigliraki, Katerina Kontopanagou, Athanasios Tsipis, Georgios Tsoumanis, Vasileios Komianos. Navigating Time Capsules of Echoes: Bringing Kasos’ Maritime Legacy to Life through AI and Digital Curation
16.45-17.00 I Katerina Kontopanagou, Athanasios Tsipis, Mirka Palioura, Vasileios Komianos, Tereza Bacheva. Expanding the Reach of Cultural Heritage, Arts, and Archives through Immersive Virtual Experiences: Showcasing the Ionian Academy and Lord Guilford Exhibition

Part 2. Round table
17.00-17.45 I Participants: Konstantinos Oikonomou, Vasileios Komianos, Mirka Palioura, Georgios Tsoumanis

17.45-18.00 I Closing remarks
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The Art Readings 2025 International Conference.Old Art Module. Arts and Archives is organized by the Institute of Art Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and is financially supported by the Bulgarian National Science Fund according to contract No. КП-06-МНФ/46/16.12.2024.
The Fund is not responsible for the contents of the papers presented at the scientific forum, as well as for the advertising and other materials for the event.
The event is organized in partnership with the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum – BAS, the National Archaeological Institute with Museum – BAS, the National Gallery, the Regional History Museum Sofia and in collaboration with Park Hotel Moskva in Sofia.

For more information:
https://artstudies.bg/?page_id=6332&lang=en