FOREVERMORE I love you (A letter to a man) by Hristina Tasheva (Varna, 1976) is a long-term artistic investigation into how Europe remembers its wars and how those memories continue to shape our identity, sense of connection, and ideas about a shared future; a theme that resonates strongly with The Hague, the seat of government, and its many memorials.
Tasheva’s research emerged against the backdrop of the current political climate and the ongoing war in Eastern Europe. The artist, who was born in Bulgaria and lives in the Netherlands, wonders how personal and collective memories relate to one another and whether, despite differing histories and political perspectives, there is such a thing as a shared European “we.”
For her research, Tasheva travels through various cultures of remembrance in Europe: from West to East and from historical to contemporary conflicts. She does not merely observe; she also questions the role she herself plays. In this way, she explores how personal loss relates to collective rituals and how we continue to commemorate today.
The starting point is a love letter from World War I that, marked with the notation KILLED, was returned to the sender. A short, poignant document that shows how war continues to have a lasting impact on lives and families, far beyond the official historical record.
From this personal and historical starting point, Tasheva developed a visual language that does not so much provide answers as it leaves room for questions about memory, loss, and connectedness. The works in the exhibition play with the visual language of monuments. With their serene black-and-white imagery, monumental compositions, and references to sculpture and the culture of remembrance, they seem at first glance to belong more in a museum or public space. Yet they do not depict heroes or unambiguous historical events. Instead, we see objects, anonymous figures, and alienating scenes from the culture of remembrance, military history, and historical imagery, which leave room for personal interpretation and memory.
It is precisely in *Parterretrap* that these images take on a special meaning. In the familiar setting of a private home, the major themes of war, loss, and memory come unexpectedly close. The exhibition invites visitors not only to look at history but also to reflect on the stories and memories we carry with us. In this way, the distance between the personal and the political—between individual lives and European history—becomes a little smaller.
The opening is part of Hoogtij #86. You’re welcome to join us for a bite to eat and a drink.