Simulacra Squared

November 21^st, 2014.

Sofia, Bulgaria.

Today (November 28^th, 2014) is Black Friday in those countries where thanksgiving is a thing. But in the world of cultural alienation that event happened just last week.

On November 21^st, people from Sofia got caught in the trap of a shopping centre which announced enormous discounts to celebrate the opening of the holiday’s shopping season. They might have known that nobody would ask or care about the reason. It could be called black Friday to celebrate the most popular colour in the locals garments for that matter.

Just as the shopping centre’s management was applying modified versions of foreign customs to attract people, the Moroccan embassy was playing the same game in the same space at the same time. Well, the difference is that they were installing a simulated market within the centre in order to sell crafts, souvenirs and to promote their country as an attractive destination for tourists.

With alienated versions of the original crafts and celebrations, maybe this Bulgarian shopping centre is creating new traditions by adjusting the foreign to the local.