01 May 2015 - 31 May 2015

"Balance" is Mariana Vassileva’s first solo exhibition in Bulgaria. The artist has been living and working in Berlin for more than 20 years. This retrospective exhibition presents some of her most prominent works that have been specially selected for the space of the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Many of Mariana Vassileva’s art works reflect the two stages of her life related to living in two different countries, as well as to the acquisition of a foreign language and the adjustment to new cultural and social environment. The artist never severed her from her native country. This state of parallel existence provokesthe creation of unusual images and strong emotions. Childhood flashbacks come back to the artist’s new surroundings. Mariana's rigorous observation of life is accompanied by a romantic nostalgia for the past, resulting in artworks full of poetic sensitivity. Her art not only mirrors her own experiences and inner conflicts, but is also tied to social & political issues, as well as to philosophical questions.
She uses common tools of expression in an inimitable way. Vassileva is a poet and a fighter at the same time. It is this idiosyncratic combination of the two clashing approaches that configures the final shape of her art.
Mariana Vassileva uses various means of expression to present her ideas. In this exhibition many sculptures, objects, installations, and videos, which were created over the past ten year, are being presented.
* * *
Mariana Vassielva was born in 1964 in the town of Antonovo, Bulgaria. She received her schooling in the town of Strazhitsa. Over the period 1994-2000 she studied at the Berlin University of the Arts. She has lived and worked in Berlin ever since. Her work belongs to the genres of video, sculpture, drawing, and installation. She has had numerous solo exhibitions in Berlin, Essen, Augsburg, Auckland, Lyon, Sydney, Palma, Toronto, Bremen, San Juan, Montreal. She has participated in the biennial exhibitions in Busan, Moscow, Varna, Shumen, Sydney and Poznan, as well as in dozens of group exhibitions held around the world.

30 April 2015 - 31 May 2015

ЯСЕН ГЮЗЕЛЕВ

РЕТРОСПЕКТИВА

30 АПРИЛ  – 31 МАЙ 2015

Ясен Гюзелев е от малкото български илюстратори, чието творчество е ориентирано почти изцяло към чуждестранни издателства. Неговата професионална дейност започва в края на 80-те години още като студент в Националната художествена академия. През 1990 заминава за Италия, сътрудничи на различни издателства, рисува таро карти, започва илюстрации към „Пинокио“. Рисува „Пчелната царица“ от братя Грим, след това „Артур и Ескалибур“, „Рожденият ден на инфантата“, „Дама пика“, „Орфей и Евридика“, „Сократ“. И безспорната кулминация в досегашното му творчество – „Алиса в страната на чудесата“. Когато започва да работи върху Алиса достига до евристичната идея в ядрото на книгата да бъде една картина, от която всеки оформител може да взима различни сцени и фрагменти. След първата й реализация, осъществена от берлинското издателство „Auflau-Verlag“ (2000), следват седем издания на различни езици  - китайски (2002), английски (2003), испански (2007), български (2010), корейски (2011).

„Микеланжело“, „Дон Кихот“, „Кралят на златната река“, „Оливър Туист“, „Големите надежди“, „Баскервилското куче“ са следващите книги, илюстрирани от Ясен Гюзелев. Всички те са изпълнени с изключително прецизно и почти всяка е различна.

„Докато човек, особено съвременния човек се опитва непрекъснато как да свърши една работа по-бързо, аз вървя по обратния път –  търся само качеството, търся продукта който знам, че трябва да направя, независимо колко единици време ми струва. … Почти никога не използвам една и съща техника, едно към едно с предишния си проект. Всяка нова работа я виждам по различен начин и тя изисква ново намиране. Това не е самоцелно. Винаги ми се е струвало, че ако тръгна да работя рутинно, някак си ще стана безинтересен на себе си, а и на другите със сигурност.“ – споделя Ясен Гюзелев.

Този подход  и брилянтното рисуваческо умение са оценени от издателите и читателите. Книгите, илюстрирани от него се издават и на шведски, френски, португалски, гръцки, японски. Спечелил е „Luchs“, награда от радио Бремен и  „Die Zeit“ за „Пчелната царица“ и ’94 illustrators of the wear award, Болоня (1994); наградата на Buchkunst foundation, Германия (1997); „Luchs“, награда от радио Бремен и  „Die Zeit“ за „Алиса в страната на чудесата“ (2000); диплома от „Златният молив на Белград“ (2001); награда за книга на Независимите издатели, САЩ (2002); награди на Американския институт за графични изкуства (2002, 2003, 2004); „Luchs“, награда от радио Бремен и „ Die Zeit“ за „Дон Кихот“; Сребърен медал от Асоциацията на илюстраторите, Ню Йорк (2004); наградата на издателство „Хр.Г. Данов“ за „Алиса в страната на чудесата“ (2010).

Изложбата проследява творческия път на Ясен Гюзелев от изящните рисунки, правени през 1978 година в Художествената гимназия до последните, току що направени илюстрации към „Декамерон“ на Бокачо.

По време на изложбата очаквайте премиерата на „Алиса в огледалния свят“  и второто издание на „Алиса в страната на чудесата“.

23 April 2015 - 31 May 2015

19 March 2015 - 19 April 2015

This SCAG-hosted exhibition commemorates the 5^th anniversary of the opening of the Zhejiang Art Museum in Hangzhou, the capital of the Zhejiang Province, China. The exhibition is a selection of 107 graphic artworks from the museum’s collection, which showcase contemporary Chinese graphic art. Targeted mainly at foreign viewers with limited knowledge of China’s modern history, the selection of exhibits highlights the development of graphic arts in Zhejiang between the mid-20^th century and the present day.

Zhejiang graphic art stands out with its unique historical development and its specific style. Zhejiang, considered to be the cradle of modern Chinese graphic art, has had a sustainable influence on the development of art throughout the whole country. Done in various techniques – from traditional Chinese xylography through to complicated combinations of contemporary means of expression, the graphic artworks present a broad panorama of themes, personal views and public attitudes, thus revealing the specific aesthetics and worldview of art in China.

The exhibition is divided into three parts entitled “Mentality – Impression”, “Humans – Transition” and “Natural Environment – Lifestyle”, which complement each other to build up the figurative ‘Spirit – Individual – Environment’ connection and introduce the viewer to the culture, history and nature of the Zhejiang Province.  

Ever since it opened, the Zhejiang Art Museum has singled out the enrichment of its collection of local Chinese graphic artworks as a top priority. The exhibition’s title, “Inspiration From Lakes and Mountains” means to symbolically reveal the benefits of Zhejiang’s geographical location, as well as to make a reference to poetic images deeply ingrained in traditional Chinese culture that provided boundless room for interpretation to generations of artists.

12 March 2015 - 19 April 2015

Art is a two-way street. Artists’ works live on through the viewers’ thoughts and feelings. The latter provide a cozy home or an emotional environment for the works’ continuous growth.

Yet, more often than not, artists do not get any feedback. They never become aware of the thoughts their works have provoked, or the way the latter were received and interpreted by the public.

That is why we are inviting you to share your comments, analyses and feelings.

The best responses will be posted on the gallery’s website. Three of you will each get a Sofia City Art Gallery catalogue of your choice.

The visual image has specific features. One of them consists in the endless possibilities it offers. It is this endless space that provides room for a multitude of interpretations. We are curious about your opinions, which will enable us to provide a link between the public and the artists.

We hope that this will be a useful and pleasant experience for you.

The following are some sample questions you could use as reference points:

• What is the first thing about the artwork that got your attention?
• What is it that keeps you interested in it?
• Do you trace any connection between the individual fragments of the artwork, or any connection between the parts within the series of artworks?
• Does the artwork remind you of anything – another work, place, person, story, idea or memory?
• What element of the artwork brings the memories or the associations?
• What feelings does the artwork provoke?

The artworks included in the project belong to the Sofia City Art Gallery collection. They constitute some of the most recent contributions to the departments of Painting, Sculpture, Contemporary Art and Photography. There are works by: Albena Baeva, Andrei Daniel, Atanas Atanasov, Borijana Ventsislavova, Boryana Rossa, Vesa Vassileva, Vladislav Georgiev, Gredy Assa, Zoran Georgiev, Ivo Dimchev, Kamen Starchev, Lazar Lutakov, Nikolay Maistorov, Pavel Koichev, Svetozara Alexandrova, Stanimir Genov, Yana Dimitrova, Yassen Zgurovski.

27 January 2015 - 03 March 2015

20 January 2015 - 05 March 2015

“Art for Change 1985-2015” is a project tracing the profound changes in Bulgaria’s society since the mid-1980s untill today, as well as artists’ awakened consciousness with regard to their mission as correctives of the social milieu.

By means of an exhibition and a publication, it exposes the process of opening up new opportunities and waking up to art’s potential to impact societal attitudes. The project aims also at restoring and recording this thread in current Bulgarian art while seeking out opportunities to promote and deepen art’s impact over society.

Over the years, Bulgaria’s intellectual elite, and artists in particular, have been blamed for keeping aloof from social processes and for failing to react to developments promptly, sharply and adequately enough. It has been alleged also that their passive stance is a hindrance to the country’s growth and development. Indeed this is the cliché that the project is trying to break by displaying works and documents, which trace crucial moments of the historic transition since the mid-1980s and vindicate artists’ role as an active element of social life. The publication will attempt, for the first time in this country’s recent history, to analyse the relationship between art and society, to seek out the root causes of integration or alienation, to probe deeply and get to the crux of those processes that are at the core of Bulgaria’s society and culture the way they are today.

The exhibition showcases works by contemporary Bulgarian artists, who from the mid 80-is till now have marked with their art profound moments of the transition period and present the artist as an active agent of the social change.

The book comprises 384 pages of analytical texts, interviews and more than 390 reproductions. Its purpose is to present the historical perspective while attempting also to provide insight into current realities through past experiences. The book includes texts my Maria Vassileva, Diana Popova, Boyan Manchev, Georgi 
Tenev, Alexander Kiossev and interviews with Svetlin Roussev, Nedko Solakov and Luchezar Boyadjiev in a bilingual format (Bulgarian and English).

Participating artists: Adelina Popndeleva, Alexander Valchev, Alla Georgieva, Atanas Neikov, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov, Boryana Rossa and ULTRAFUTURO, Daniela Oleg Liahova, Dimitar Solakov, Galentin Gatev, Ivo Bistrichki, Kalin Serapionov, Kiril Kuzmanov, Kiril Prashkov, Krassimir Terziev, Kristina Irobalieva, Luchezar Boyadjiev, Luben Kostov, Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova, Nedko Solakov, Neno Belchev, Nikola Mihov, Nina Kovacheva, Petko Dourmana, Pravdoliub Ivanov, Samuil Stoyanov, Sasho Soitzov, Stanislav Pamukchiev, Stefan Lutakov, Stella Vasileva, Svetlin Roussev, Valentin Stefanoff, Vassil Simittchiev, Velislava Gecheva, Ventsislav Zankov, Zoran Georgiev.

Against the backdrop of the turbulent political events in Bulgaria of 2013 and 2014, of protests and the emergence of a matured civil society in Bulgaria, this project is striving to provide answers to such questions as “Where are the Bulgarian intellectuals?”, “What is their role in times of transition?”, “Do they demonstrate a stance of active social engagement?”, “Can art not just reflect but cause social change as well?”

20 January 2015 - 05 March 2015

“Art for Change 1985-2015” is a project tracing the profound changes in Bulgaria’s society since the mid-1980s untill today, as well as artists’ awakened consciousness with regard to their mission as correctives of the social milieu.

By means of an exhibition and a publication, it exposes the process of opening up new opportunities and waking up to art’s potential to impact societal attitudes. The project aims also at restoring and recording this thread in current Bulgarian art while seeking out opportunities to promote and deepen art’s impact over society.

Over the years, Bulgaria’s intellectual elite, and artists in particular, have been blamed for keeping aloof from social processes and for failing to react to developments promptly, sharply and adequately enough. It has been alleged also that their passive stance is a hindrance to the country’s growth and development. Indeed this is the cliché that the project is trying to break by displaying works and documents, which trace crucial moments of the historic transition since the mid-1980s and vindicate artists’ role as an active element of social life. The publication will attempt, for the first time in this country’s recent history, to analyse the relationship between art and society, to seek out the root causes of integration or alienation, to probe deeply and get to the crux of those processes that are at the core of Bulgaria’s society and culture the way they are today.

The exhibition showcases works by contemporary Bulgarian artists, who from the mid 80-is till now have marked with their art profound moments of the transition period and present the artist as an active agent of the social change.

The book comprises 384 pages of analytical texts, interviews and more than 390 reproductions. Its purpose is to present the historical perspective while attempting also to provide insight into current realities through past experiences. The book includes texts my Maria Vassileva, Diana Popova, Boyan Manchev, Georgi 
Tenev, Alexander Kiossev and interviews with Svetlin Roussev, Nedko Solakov and Luchezar Boyadjiev in a bilingual format (Bulgarian and English).

Participating artists: Adelina Popndeleva, Alexander Valchev, Alla Georgieva, Atanas Neikov, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov, Boryana Rossa and ULTRAFUTURO, Daniela Oleg Liahova, Dimitar Solakov, Galentin Gatev, Ivo Bistrichki, Kalin Serapionov, Kiril Kuzmanov, Kiril Prashkov, Krassimir Terziev, Kristina Irobalieva, Luchezar Boyadjiev, Luben Kostov, Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova, Nedko Solakov, Neno Belchev, Nikola Mihov, Nina Kovacheva, Petko Dourmana, Pravdoliub Ivanov, Samuil Stoyanov, Sasho Soitzov, Stanislav Pamukchiev, Stefan Lutakov, Stella Vasileva, Svetlin Roussev, Valentin Stefanoff, Vassil Simittchiev, Velislava Gecheva, Ventsislav Zankov, Zoran Georgiev.

Against the backdrop of the turbulent political events in Bulgaria of 2013 and 2014, of protests and the emergence of a matured civil society in Bulgaria, this project is striving to provide answers to such questions as “Where are the Bulgarian intellectuals?”, “What is their role in times of transition?”, “Do they demonstrate a stance of active social engagement?”, “Can art not just reflect but cause social change as well?”

05 November 2014 - 31 December 2014

Gaudenz B. Ruf is a Swiss national, diplomat and passionate admirer of art. As Switzerland's ambassador to Bulgaria from 1995 to 2000, he sets up in his residence numerous exhibitions. He supports the development of the country, and the place of contemporary Bulgarian art in this process. At the same time Ruf demonstrates genuine insight. The names presented by him are among today’s Bulgarian artists who in the beginning of the 90ies and today establish the profile of this art.

After the completion of his diplomatic career in 2005, Gaudenz B. Ruf strengthens his commitment to the benefit of new Bulgarian art. He sets up an art award for which everybody may apply, as it is bestowed by a highly qualified independent international panel. This is the first award for art in Bulgaria of this kind. The prize (Gaudenz B. Ruf Award for new Bulgarian Art) stimulates the entire cultural community. It exists from 2007 to 2011. In this period a total of 560 candidates compete for it, 79 of whom are nominated for the award. The works of the nominees are presented at annual exhibitions and published in catalogs.

Since then, Ruf’s financial and time commitment to support contemporary Bulgarian art remains invariably big although the formula of support changes. Instead of an evaluation of completed works, now the focus is on the creation of new works. From 2012 onwards the Gaudenz B. Ruf Award provides support for the

implementation of art works by Bulgarian artists and for events, which present contemporary art in Bulgaria and abroad.

For his merits Gaudenz B. Ruf was awarded on September 12^th, 2013 with the Order of “St. St. Cyril and Methodius" / first degree. This is the highest award bestowed by the Republic of Bulgaria for merit in the field of science, culture and education.

During the entire period of emotional and professional commitment to Bulgarian art Gaudenz B. Ruf buys works for his private collection (in two phases – in the 90ies and from 2005). Today it numbers over 100 works.

The current exhibition displays a representative part of this collection. Among the authors are: Bora Petkova, Borjana Ventzislavova, Bozhidar Boyadzhiev, Dan Tenev, Desislava Unger, Elena Panayotova, Emil Mirazchiev, Ivan Kostolov, Kalin Serapionov, Kamen Stoyanov, Kiril Prashkov, Kolio Karamfilov, Kosta Tonev, Leda Ekimova, Luchezar Boyadjiev, Lyuben Genov, Monica Romenska, Nadia Genova, Nedko Solakov, Nestor Kovachev, Nina Kovacheva, Petar Tsanev, Pravdoliub Ivanov, Rada Bukova, Samuil Stoyanov, Sasho Stoitzov, Simeon Simeonov, Slav Nedev, Stella Vasileva, Valentin Stefanoff, Vasil Popov.

And the consecutive huge gesture of Gaudenz B. Ruf to Bulgarian culture - 24 of the displayed works and series of works will remain in Bulgaria as a donation to the Sofia City Art Gallery and its fund Contemporary Art and Photography.

16 September 2014 - 30 November 2014

“The Visual Artists of The National Theatre of Bulgaria | 1904 – 1954” is a joint project of Sofia Art Gallery and the National Theatre in relation to the 110^th anniversary since its foundation. The exhibition includes unknown works (sketches, photographs, costumes, etc.) from the National Theatre’s archive and artistic works from the funds of Sofia Art Gallery, the Archaeological Museum and the Sofia Library.

The exposition consists of the creations of 63 artists that have worked on the stage of the National Theatre as decorators, costume artists, hatters and architects in the period of 1904–1954. The exhibition is a summary of the material heritage of the Bulgarian artists that survived at the archive of today’s “Ivan Vazov” National Theatre. This archive reveals the different nuances of the artistic mastery of art painters such as Anton Mitov, Ivan Milev, Sirak Skitnik, Ivan Penkov, Pencho Georgiev, Preslav Karshovski, Tsanko Lavrenov, Dechko Uzunov, Georgi Popov (John), of the colossus of the Bulgarian scenography Aleksander Milenkov, of the authors Venera Naslednikova and Asen Popov. This is an archive that gives us the chance to look into the work of dozens of names, which has been neglected by the researchers of art history with their “evaluations” for high and low, significant and petty – names as Andromaha Argirova, Milka Okeanova, Pelagia Vidinska, Maria Berova (Henning), Minion Milenkova, Ani Hadzhimisheva, Raina Rakarova, Strashimir Machev, Ivan Krilov, Todor Pelovski, etc.

The exhibition underlines also one of the world cultural events during this year – 450 years since the birth of the great British play-writer William Shakespeare.

The exposition will be accompanied by a number of cultural events such as lectures, concerts, scientific conference, theater productions, etc.

A thoroughly illustrated catalogue is prepared together with the exhibition, implemented with the financial support of the Sofia Municipality and the Ministry of Culture. Part of the research work during the project is implemented with the help of the program “Student Practices”, in which students from the National Academy of Art and New Bulgarian University participate.

The exhibition team would like to thank the State Agency “Archives”, National Museum for Bulgarian Fine Art, National Library “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”, National Academy of Art, Union of the Bulgarian Artists, Sofia Library, etc.