Since 2010, Blood Becomes Water has developed small-run publications and archival projects in the fields of contemporary visual arts and cultural heritage. The collective’s mission is to celebrate and preserve authenticity by collecting and creating physical memory in book form, while also providing a platform for other artists.
Key early projects include The Bulgarian Issue, which unites and presents Bulgarian artists in a collectible edition, and Humanimal, a project that fostered international collaborations between artists. In 2015, Blood Becomes Water received the Crystal Ruth Bell residency award to develop a publication exploring tetraphobia in China. Subsequently, the collective shifted its focus toward solo projects to refine its distinct style. In 2022, BBW collaborated with Italian artist Jacopo Benassi to create Mimesis, the collective’s only large-scale artwork to date, which was commissioned by ArtVerona for its “Pages” section.
Music has been an inseparable part and source of inspiration for the trio. Recently, BBW launched The Setlist Collection, a high-quality publishing line with a focus on history, photography, and long-term research. Titles such as Bulgaria 1985-1995, The Bearded, and Medium Wave 352.9 Metres exemplify this complex archival work and the collective’s intent to combine visual artifacts with factual narratives.
Over the years, Blood Becomes Water has participated in numerous international art book fairs, including MISS READ (Berlin), Libros Mutantes (Madrid), Sprint: Independent Publishers and Artists’ Books Salon (Milan), Volumes (Zurich), WIELS Art Book Fair and Brussels Ass Book Fair (Brussels), Zine Pages Fest (Seoul), ZINE*FAIR (Vienna), FANZINES! Festival (Paris), and I’ve Zine The Darkness (Halle).
Blood Becomes Water editions are consistently collected by the Guillaume Daeppen Gallery in Basel, and have recently become part of the archives at the MK&G Hamburg Museum and the PhotoBookMuseum in Cologne.
Selected exhibitions & fairs
2020 - Present
2026
• BBW Pop-Up Basket, Octopus gallery, Sofia/BG
• Vroom Print Market, Vroom, Brussels/BE
• PUK! Books Exhibition, The PhotoBookMuseum, Cologne/DE
2025
• The Bearded, Bare Hands Society, Sofia/BG
• Brussels Ass Book Fair, K1 (KANAL-Centre Pompidou), Brussels/BE
• FIG. 5 | How We Work Together, KO-OP, Sofia/BG
• PUK!#19: The Setlist Collection, AVRTIKL bookshop, Sofia/BG
• Dummy Award – Shortlist exhibition tour, Worldwide
2024
• MISS READ, HKW — Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin/DE
• The Setlist Collection, 72 Records, Brussels/BE
2023
• The F*word – Guerrilla Girls and Feminist Graphic Design, curated by
Julia Meer, MK&G, Hamburg/DE
• BBW Open Studio, Æther Gallery, Sofia/BG
2022
• MIMESIS, One Book Bookstore, Sofia/BG
• ArtVerona, PAGES section curated by Ginevra Bria, Verona/IT
• BBW POP-UP, Babu bar & Kjosk, Vienna/AU
• Tirazh: A collection of independent art books, KO-OP, Sofia/BG
• FIG. 2 | My Head is a Photodump, KO-OP, Sofia/BG
2021
• The Sticker Show, Grafik, Brussels/BE
• Full Custom Jacket, La Boucherie Moderne, Brussels/BE
• Print With Me, Little Bird Place, Sofia/BG
• BBW Solo Show, Sterput Gallery – Distro Space, Brussels/BE
2010-2020
2020
• BBW: Decade Dance, Intro Gallery, Sofia/BG
• Paños – Art carcéral chicano, Sterput, Brussels/BE
• Illustration Pop-Up Vol. 3, KO-OP, Sofia/BG
2019
• Illustration Pop-Up Vol. 2, KO-OP, Sofia/BG
• U SEE street art festival, SeeU, Brussels/BE
2018
• Libros Mutantes, La Casa Encendida, Madrid/ESP
2017
• Faction Zine Launch Party, Gaba bar, Sofia/BG
• Sprint: Independent Publishers Fair – curated by Dafne Boggeri, Spazio O’, Milan/IT
2016
• Pop Up Zine Show, Zango Studio, Tbilisi/GE
• Artist’s Book Exhibition, Tbilisi Book Days, Tbilisi/GE
• E² Fest: Chairs fraîches, Abattoir d’Anderlecht, Brussels/BE
• FanzineIST Festival, Istanbul/TR
• Salon Central VaPeur, Strasbourg/FR
2015
• Sprint: Independent Publishers Fair – curated by Dafne Boggeri, Spazio O’, Milan/IT
• Volumes Independent Art Publishing Fair, Zurich/CH
• Hip Hip Zine Fair, Sofia University, Sofia/BG
• WIELS Art Book Fair, WIELS Contemporary Art Centre, Brussels/BE
• Libros Mutantes, La Casa Encendida, Madrid/ESP
• Zine Happening, Buurtcentrum, Ghent/BE
• COUP DE COEUR#, Guillaume Dappen Gallery, Basel/CH
2014
• BBW#9: Tattoos on animals and Alien Mustangs live, Fridge & Haspel, Sofia/BG
• Sprint: Independent Publishers Fair – curated by Dafne Boggeri, Spazio O’, Milan/IT
• Moon Voyage 36, group exhibition curated by Snejanka Mihailova and Voin de
Voin – Fridge & Haspel, Sofia/BG
• BBW Italian Summer mini tour – Gelati Fanzine Festival, Genova; Boss Gallery, La Spezia; Crack Fumetti Dirompenti X, Rome/IT
• Zines of The Zone Event #17 – Ogms gallery, Sofia/BG
2013
• Vse, co umim, je umeni – curated by Vera Mlechevska, Ceske Centrum Praha,
Prague/CZ
• Sprint: Independent Publishers Fair – curated by Dafne Boggeri, Spazio O’, Milan/IT
• The Revival – Hectoliter, Brussels/BE
• The Revival Pavillion – Sofia/BG
• One Night Show: Catastrophe in Sofia, Sofia/BG
2012
• Full Moon Saloon #12: Edizioni Straordinarie – curated by Dafne Boggeri, Spazio
O’, Milan/IT
• Zine Pages Fest – Seoul/KR
• Micro: indipendent publishing festival – Superground, Milan/IT
• ZINE*FAIR: 3rd Independend Publishers & Artzine Fair – Kunsthalle Wien/AT
• Sinestezija Festival: EXOTICA – Herceg Novi/ME
• Pizza, Pronto! – Sofia Design Week, Hip Hip Atelier, Sofia/BG
• Underground Performing Art Festival – curated by Yovo Panchev, Sofia/BG
• International Drawing Project – curated by Craig Atkinson, PR1 Gallery, Preston/UK
2011
• The Bulgarian Pavilion Exhibition – curated by Svetlana Kuyumdzhieva, Credo
Bonum, Sofia/BG
• FANZINES!Festival – Mediatheque Marguerite Duras, Paris/FR
• Hip Hip Library: opening – Hip Hip Atelier, Sofia/BG
• One Day Independent Publishers and Fanzines Fair – curated by Rita Vitorelli and
Catherine Hug, Kunsthalle Wien/AT
• Sinestezija Festival – Multi-location Contemporary Art Platform & Work-in-progress
Exhibition, Herceg Novi/ME
• I’ve Zine The Darkness – Dieschonnenstadt Gallery, Halle/DE
• Hidden Exhibition – curated by Yovo Panchev, Otezt Paisi Festival, Plovdiv/BG
Workshops & talks
• FIG. 3 | SCRAP, PRINT, BOOK WORKSHOP, BELKA studio, Sofia/BG
• Tirazh: Book Talks and webiste lauch, KO-OP, Sofia/BG
• FIG. 1 | Zine Making | Blood Becomes Water, BELKA studio, Sofia/BG
• Junkyard Funkayard – Bricolage Lab, Kulturforum, Belgrade/SRB
• Riso Print Zine – Hip Hip Library & Sofia University, Sofia/BG
• Sofia Contemporary festival, curated by Ovul Durmusoglu, ICA, Sofia/BG
• BBW x Artnewscafe at Night of Museums and Galleries, Plovdiv/BG
Art residencies & awards
Dummy Award ’25 – Shortlisted for “The Setlist Collection” publication
Crystal Ruth Bell Residency winner for 2015, Red Gate Gallery, Beijing/CN
BBW gigs
Blood Becomes Water has organized various concert events and band tours in Bulgaria. Among the bands we have collaborated with are Bazooka (GR), Jack Oblivian & The Sheiks (US), Nomos 751 (GR), Nestter Donuts (ES), Tigers In Furs (IT), Tommy and the Commies (CA), Demon’s Claws (CA), The Shivas (US), The Black Needles (BR), Dragster (BE), Ex-White (DE), King Automatic (FR), Les Lullies (FR), Ken Strigfellow (US), Tonstartssbandht (CA), Proto Idiot (UK), Bad Decisions (RO), Alien Mustangs (GR), Daily Noise Club (BG), Spalni Mesta (BG), OOHS! (BG), Dead Man’s Hat (BG), Comasummer (BG), The Black Swells (BG).
For photos, posters and videos from the concerts visit the BBW GIGS archive page.
The BBW crew
Raya Boteva
Originally from Sofia, Raya studied art in Italy and graphic design in Belgium, while experimenting with 3D stereoscopy. She specializes in artistic direction & visual communication and brings a diverse set of skills to the team including print, digital, exhibition design and animation. During the past 10 years, Raya has contributed visually and conceptually to the development of many projects, but one of her highlights is the layout of a 256 pages book on art in Iceland.
Rosie Eisor
Bulgarian-born artist Rosie graduated in scenography, visual arts and curatorial studies in Italy. Following her interest in various printing techniques, limited editions and the love for photography and music, she specialized in typography in Brussels. Through her ongoing experimentation with new media, Rosie has recently focused on textile arts and tufting. Her work in this medium has been presented at international design festivals and was featured as part of the curated project representing Bulgaria at the 19th Venice Biennale of Architecture.
Robin Renard
Robin studied graphic arts in Tournai, being motivated by his passion for typography and developing fun illustrations inspired by true stories and communities. His work and authentic style have represented numerous bands, their acts and releases, as well as different campaigns, editions and brands. Some of his key projects include “Renolution” by Brussels Environment, “Food Waste” by the Scottish Government and “De BXL, La Fierte” by Union Saint-Gilloise.