On 19 December, the new laboratory “Interactive Map of the Arts in Bulgaria”, built and equipped under the BG05M2OP001-1.001-0001 “Creation and development of “Heritage BG” Centre of Excellence” project and funded under the “Science and Education for Smart Growth” Operational Programme 2014-2020, Priority Axis 1 “Research and Technological Development”, co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)” was inaugurated at the Institute of Art Studies (IAS) – BAS.

The official guests of the event were Prof. DSc Georgi Vayssilov, Executive Director and Head of the “Programme Education” Executive Agency, Prof. DSc Olya Harizanova, Coordinator of “Building and Development of the “Heritage BG” CoC”, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elka Traykova, Scientific Secretary of the “Cultural and Historical Heritage and National Identity” division of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The event was opened by the Director of the Institute Prof. Dr. Joanna Spassova-Dikova; after her speech Prof. Olya Harizanova congratulated the Institute of Art Studies and the team for the successfully completed project and wished them successful work in the laboratory. The program continued with a moderated by the head of the laboratory Prof. Dr. Goritsa Naydenova demonstration of the work with the specialized equipment provided for the digitization of various media from the archives of the IAS: digitization of large-format paper media (architectural drawings – Albena Zaharieva), digitization and primary sound processing of a field gramophone record (Aleks Nushev), digitization and stages of digitization of a field magnetic tape (Dr. Maria Kumichin) and digitization of a field film tape and its synchronization with sound from a magnetic tape (Dr. Ivailo Parvanov). At the end, a film with excerpts from the already digitized field film tapes from the Music and Folklore Archive of the Institute of Art Studies was presented.