Sofia Arsenal - Museum for Contemporary Art – SAMCA
presents the exhibition
FotoEvidence
Documentary photography
May 16th – June 16th 2013
Opening: May 16th 2013, Thursday, 6 p.m.
2, Cherni vryh Blvd., Sofia 1421 (Bulgaria)
www.samcaproject.org Facebook: Sofia Arsenal-Museum for Contemporary Art
Fotoevidence is founded to use photography to draw attention to human rights violations, injustice, oppression and assaults on sovereignty or human dignity wherever they may occur. Everything is based on the certainty that the photograph has changed not only people's perception but, in some cases, altered the course of history.
Paula Bronstein, William Daniel, Javier Arcenillas, Boniface Mwangi, Lizzie Sadin and Majid Saedi are photographers it the team of FotoEvidence. In the exhibition it is possible to feel their photographers’ commitment and courage in delivering painful truths. Their objective is to create an awareness and intolerance towards violations of human dignity.
Paula Bronstein shows life in Pakistan and Afghanistan. “I try to intimately bring my camera into the lives and the important tough issues that Afghan women deal with…” she said during an interview with Svetlana Bachevanova.
William Daniels’s work revolves around social issues and humanitarian concerns mostly focusing on isolated or weakened communities.
Javier Arcenillas creates photo essays where the main characters are integrated in societies that borders and sets upon any reason or right in a world that becomes increasingly more and more indifferent.
“One of the most powerful tools in the world is a camera, it has been used to bring down dictators, change society and influence change. My life mantra is ‘living my life to make a difference” and l make the difference through my work as a social documentary photographer.”, these are Boniface Mwangi’s words.
Lizzie Sadin has worked on photographic projects like: children behind bars, domestic violence in France, women trafficking, sex tourism, teenage mothers, early marriages, illegal immigration and teenage obesity.
Majid Saedi is an Iranian photographer. He has photographed throughout the Middle East for the past two decades, focusing on humanitarian issues, with a special interest in telling previously untold stories of social injustice. He also especially enjoys doing street photography – portraying citizens and ordinary life.
A photograph is a mirror of a reality and thanks to this exhibition you can realize something that sometimes we forgot: in some parts of the world life is hard and we must do whatever we can to change this situation because all the people must be respected and deserve live a good life
The exhibition FotoEvidence is realized in Bulgaria with the kind assistantance of Svetlana Bachevanova, a famous photographer, one of the team of FotoEvidence and It is included in the Month of Photography 2013.
For contacts: Nadezhda Dzhakova, SAMCA, dzhakova@yahoo.de, +359 879 834 030
Sofia Arsenal - Museum for Contemporary Art – SAMCA
presents the exhibition
LIVING DREAMS. DREAMING LIVES.
By Bulgarian Artist Borjana Ventzislavova
May 14th – June 16th 2013
Opening: May 14th 2013, Thursday, 6 p.m., 2, Cherni vryh Blvd., Sofia 1421 (Bulgaria)
samcaproject.org
Facebook: Sofia Arsenal-Museum for Contemporary Art
“Living Dreams. Dreaming Lives” shows photo and film pieces, created last year during a six-month stay in Los Angeles funded by a MAK-Schindler Scholarship. “People like to believe there is nothing that hasn’t already been said, written, or shown about Los Angeles. Nevertheless, the city remains literally incomprehensible,” writes Claudia Slanar in her catalog essay. Case Study House # 22, built in the hills by Pierre Koenig, is the well-known location of numerous photo shoots and film sets and is thus serves as the ideal backdrop for Ventzislavova’s concept pieces. These are pieces that deal with the desire for, as well as the belief in, the illusion of making the American dream come true – in this case that of an acting career. In episodes spread throughout the day, the artist films and photographs people she has chosen through a casting process, drawing personal stories out of them, which are often tied to structural conditions, immigration, assimilation, and foreignness. "Permanent Casting" and "Self Acting" show the harshness of a selection process that decides careers, which are dependent upon the commercial success of the film. But for the artist, the issue is about living between the imaginary and the real, and the points where wishful thinking of individual lives intersects with reality. The reality of the fight for guaranteed residency rights and the work permit that comes with it thus collides, sooner or later, with the dream.
In "It shakes everywhere", Ventzislavova looks at the shock of recurring earthquakes, a premonition of catastrophe to come. The instability of nature is used as a metaphor for the volatile real estate and economic situation. Stability is taken as a precarious state that must be maintained. The people in the photographs stand in their pajamas at night, in front of their houses, which are as similar as the people themselves. The tremors cause a brief reversal of the situation: the public space of the street becomes a safe and private place.
Borjana Ventzislavova
Borjana Ventzislavova is based in Vienna and Sofia. She graduated MA in visual media art/digital art at the University for Applied Arts Vienna.
Ventzislavova works in the fields of photography, film/video, installation, new media and deals with issues such as identity, mobility, marginalization of individuals, as well as different social groups, migration and cohabitation. In her works she explores everyday connections and social relationships and examines how individual and collective histories interact.
Her works have been exhibited internationally in solo and group shows as well as at media art and film festivals. She was awarded among others with the Austrian Government Scholarship for Fine Art for 2013.
За четвърти път на 1ви май се връчва железен орден за съвременно изкуство. Смисълът на ордена е да посочва хора и дейности в областта на съвременното изкуство и култура, които изпълват със смисъл, енергия и значение маргинализирани области от днешното изкуство и култура, като едновременно с това надскачат регионалните разбирания и клишета по отношение на актуални артистични, кураторски и концептуални практики.
През 2013 та година церемонията се осъществява в САМСИ – Софийски Арсенал – Музей за съвременно изкуство с начало 19.00 часа с прожекция на кадри от връчванията на ордена на досегашните носители, които са както следва:
2010 - първи кавалер на ордена става Веселина Сариева, успешно развила проекта за Нощта на галериите и музеите в Пловдив, както и с кураторската си и публична дейност в областта на съвременното изкуство;
2011 – д-р Галентин Гатев, който в годините на прехода осъществява мащабни арт проекти „Другият аромат” , „Колоритът задължителен”, Corpus Alienum”, „Скрита триизмерност”, „Вагон за особено внимание” , „В защита на твърдия материал” , „Движение с черна кутия”, „Двигатели с регионално предназначение” - изложби, артистични дейности и акции, с които авторът изпробва как да се мисли немислимото в осъзнаване на съвременните реалности.
2012 – орденът е даден посмъртно на Руен Руенов за неговата критическа, кураторска и организационна дейност, касаещи разбирането и промотирането на съвременни форми в изкуството, като акцията, пърформанса , хепънинга и инсталацията. Не случайно и като продължение на традицията церемонията по връчването на ордена е в контекста на текущата изложба-дарение на Р. Руенов „SOFIA UNDERGROUND PERFORMANCE ART FEST 1997 - 2003 FILES”
Кога: 01.05.2013 от 19.00 часа
Къде: САМСИ - Музей за съвременно изкуство,Бул. „Черни връх” 2 /зад хотел Хилтън/
Какво: Железен орден за съвременно изкуство 2013
http://foundation.zankov.info
Museum for Contemporary Art – SAMCA
present the exhibition
SOFIA UNDERGROUND PERFORMANCE ART FEST 1997-2003 FILES
April 4th – May 12th 2013
Opening: April 4th 2013, Thursday, 6 p.m., 2, Cherni vryh Blvd., Sofia 1421 (Bulgaria) www.samcaproject.org
Sofia Underground 1997-2003 Files presents the festival in its first years and original form. The video documentation from this period shows performances and actions of some of and most interesting authors of the Bulgarian art scene. Along with the video documentation “the files” contains also photos, articles and several original works. In the parallel program the exhibition will present live performances and interventions. The project presents documentation from the activities throughout the years (1997-2003) without engaging into museum curatorial practices, defining or positioning the evenst on the Bulgarian art scene. Audience and professionals are left to determine by themselves the impressions, information and the role of the festival that we present “with best regards”.
The performance festival Sofia Underground was established in March 1997 by the art critic Ruen Ruenov (1958-2011) as a response to the political situation in Bulgaria towards its artistic reassessment. I was aware, Ruenov begins in preface to the catalog, that with the development of the new paradigm for the visual there is a vacuum of responsible attitude toward the idea of art. I had the unbearable feeling that everything sways back again towards the cavalette and decorativeness (so typical for Bulgarian art), lacking whatever social projections heuristic attempts or opening of the senses to the contemporary.
The first edition of the festival was held on 27 of May in 1997 in the underground of the National palace of culture in Sofia. All presented performances had mostly political character. Till 2000 four festivals were held, where practically all active artists from the so called second neo-conception generation were present as well as veterans from the period of arising of the contemporary art of Bulgaria.
In the period 2001-2003 Sofia Underground 1997-2003 Files changes its tactics and takes on the public city space: streets, squares, passages and so on.
Sofia Underground has been presented with documentation at the Cairo Biennial (2001), in London, 2002, Paris, 2004, new York, 2010, Berlin, 2011, Rousse 2012
The video documentation is donated by the organizers of the Festival after the will of Ruen Ruenov expressed earlier. The archive of the festival Sofia Underground becomes a part of the National Gallery.
www.samcaproject.org
www.sofiaunderground.com
www.studiodauhaus.blogspot.com/
Bloom Bazar, a bi-annual event bringing together designers and unique boutique shops in an atmosphere where kids and parents can play together, has started a joint charity project with Museum SAMCA (Blvd. Cherni Vrah 2, Sofia). The project aims to empower children as artists, and to encourage them to donate their art work in order to help children in need to make art.
In a fun workshop on Saturday 30 March (11 – 15 h.) in the Museum SAMCA, children ages 6 to 14 years can create a collage or painting under the inspired guidance of art students and designers from Artelie. The kids are invited to donate a big format reproduction of their work to charity. The proceedings of the sales of the reproductions will be used to purchase art materials for social day care centres for children with special needs in Bulgaria.
Join the cause, and come with the family on March 30th to the SAMCA Museum, and be inspired by the amazing exhibition “The Child Within” of the Norwegian artist Olga Grimsmo Nilson. Entrance is free for children, and 3 leva for adults.
Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art
2 Cherni Vrah Blvd., Sofia
www.samcaproject.org
Pro Text: The new beginning
“36 Monkeys “occupy the museum”
Collaborative project of the Organization for Contemporary Alternative Art and Culture "36 Monkeys" and Goethe Institute in partnership with Sofia Arsenal - Museum of Contemporary Art /SAMCA/.
Throughout the last six years The Organization of Contemporary Alternative Art and Culture “36 Monkeys” is realizing its long-term project “ProText” (for the text). Its annual platform has the main goal to popularize the newest European dramaturgy and theatre alternative platforms.
In the spirit of surrounding events’ dynamic, “36 monkeys” refuse to wait until the spring and launch spring attack. ProText – Reading Performances of New Dramaturgy in Non-scenery Spaces will happen this year, earlier than expected, “November will become March”! This year “ProText 6: The New Beginning” is coming with the beginning of spring.
The producers Gergana Dimitrova and Petko Stoyanov are gathering two creative groups with which will offer a poetry reading of the plays “Street Towards the Beach” by Ulrique Fraizing and “Called Gentleman” by Fillip Liole in the unrepaired spaces of Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art /SAMCA/.
The monkeys’ occupation welcome its co-participants with two reading performance:
- 15th, 16th and 17th of March 2013 – “Street Towards the Beach” play by Ulrique Fraizing, producer Petko Stoyanov
- 22nd, 23rd and 24th of March 2013 – “Called Gentleman” play by Fillip Lyole, producer Gergana Dimitrova
Reason for the radical theatre actions of the monkeys is the profound conviction in the development perspectives for free theatre scene and the book “10 New German Plays” by “Panorama Plus+” publisher. The tradition will be observed; the approach towards the reading form will be brave and provocative; and the participants will be young professionals from different spheres of the contemporary art.
The project is being realized by the Organization for Contemporary Art and Culture – “36 Monkeys” in the framework of the initiative “Theatre in the Museum” by the curator Nadejda Djakova in Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art /SAMCA/.
With media partnership of BNR, radio Binar, TimeART and stand.bg
Royal Norwegian Embassy and Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art - SAMCA
present the exhibition
THE CHILD WITHIN
By Norwegian Artist Olga Grimsmo Nilsen
February 21 – March 24 2013
Opening: 21 February 2013, Thursday, 6 p.m., 2, Cherni vryh Blvd., Sofia 1421 (Bulgaria) www.samcaproject.org
When you are a child everything is really clear and easy. Even human feelings and relationships are absolutely not complicated. You live in the world of fairytales, you believe in angels, you trust other people.
Unfortunately, when you grow up it changes. The society and the fast daily routine confuse you, your thoughts and emotions.
The exhibition “The Child Within”, that comments human life, invites us to return completely honest and innocent like in childhood.
With her woodcuts, Olga Grimsmo Nielsen asks us to see at world with the child’s eyes.
The masterpieces are simple and soft-direct drawings, in fact they are inspired by the sketches of the kids. Most of them are in black and white. Only sometimes the artist uses colors to capture the attention in some details.
The message of every picture is really immediate. The honest titles present us a point that we have in common: everyone was a child. But we have to put our different personal stories and pasts to complete the meaning of the Olga Grimsmo Nilesen’s masterpieces.
Olga Grimsmo Nilsen
Born in 1954 in Kristiansund, Norway, Olga Grimsmo Nilsen graduated in 1981 in Interior Design at the College of Art and Crafts in Oslo. In 1990-1991 she specialized in sculpture and graphics.
From 1996 till 2011, she participated in many group exhibitions and in several annual juried regional exhibition in different cities in Norway.
But her art is know also all around the world. She took part in “Arte sem Fronteiras” in Castro Daire, Portugal (2007); “VI. International Biennial of Drawing Pilsen 2008” in Czech Republic (2008); “VII. International Biennial of Drawing Pilsen 2010” in Czech Republic (2010); “Painting and Mixed Media Competition 2011”in Lessedra Art Gallery in Sofia, Bulgaria (2011-2012), where she won the 1st prize.
Today, Olga Grimsmo Nilsen is an established artist and a member of The Norwegian Association of Visual Artist (NBK).
Sofia Arsenal - Museum for Contemporary Art
www.samcaproject.org
VOM PHOTO
11.1. – 17.2.2013
Vom Photo is curated by Alexander Basile and Alwin Lay
VOM PHOTO deals with attitudes to photography. Focussing neither on the camera nor on photographs as such, the exhibition looks at the relationships we enter into when we engage with the processes that include the photograph and its production, and it deals with the developments that can lead to an image or, alternatively, far away from it. Thus the exhibition does not document the personality of an artist or an individual story but a range of processes that do not necessarily always end in the exemplary product of an image. There has always been a trend in photography to treat the image as a mere result, a trend in which the perfection of a style or genre has led to the depletion rather than an increase of expressive force.
The power of photography to preserve an ephemeral moment of perception has paradoxically given rise to the expectation that it be capable of conveying instant infinitely reproducible timelessness. In the context of a thoroughly visual culture, artistic photography runs the risk of finding itself lumped with advertising and lifestyle features. If there are ways of avoiding that trap, what processes and techniques do they require? It is difficult to break down the quest for new artistic strategies to media-reflective formulas such as ‘the medium is the message’, because these reduce every conflict to technical considerations. The ‘artificiality’ of photography may be its critical starting point, but it is not an end in itself. By the same token, a radical rejection of the image and its functionality testifies to photography’s inherent contradictions. These cannot, however, be resolved through a ban on images.
The works by the 24 participating artists scrutinise the problems of photography as art, without, however, limiting themselves to a predetermined line of investigation.
For contacts: Vanja Koubadinska, Goethe-institut Bulgarien, +359 2/939 01 15
Nadezhda Dzhakova, SAMCA, +359 879 834 030
Adelina Popnedeleva, Alexander Valchev, Alla Georgieva, Boryana Rossa, Galya Yotova, Georgi Ruzhev, D-r Galentin Gatev, Iva Nikolova/Lyudmila Gospodinova, Ivaylo Stoyanov, Luchezar Boyadjiev, Ludmil Lazarov, Missirkov/Bogdanov, Nagledna, Raycho Stanev, RASSIM
December 20, 2012 – January 6, 2013
Софийски Арсенал – Музей за съвременно изкуство САМСИ
бул. "Черни връх" №2
23 ноември 2012, петък
16.00 часа
http://xaspel.net/queer
Изложбата представя широк спектър от автори и жанрове, които засягат проблемите на пола и сексуалността. Това е изложба, която проследява различни аспекти на сътворяването на мита за единствеността на половата бинарност, както и обществените и икономически напрежения създадени на основа на неравенството на половете.
С присъщото си чувство за хумор и съсредоточаване върху ежедневни взаимоотношения чрез използването на обекти от бита, Алла Георгиева създава „алтернативна“ идилия върху бродирана кърпа. Чрез едно неочаквано изглеждащо и доста забавно интервю, взето в калните бани във Варна, Аделина Попнеделева изследва проблемите на жените на средна възраст в България. В платната си, Боряна Петрова разглежда отношението към личността като функция на разбирането за тялото като „парче месо“ участващо в обществени и икономически отношения, които обезличават. Войн де Войн участва с един от обектите си, създаден специално за изложбата, следвайки принципа си да не показва никога едни и същи произведения на различни места. Наталия Тодорова въвлича зрителите в интерактивна инсталация, която поставя въпроса до колко уважаваме различността в нашето общество. Олег Мавроматти е включен с една от абсурдистко-социалните си живописи от серията „Бомба“, а групата УЛТРАФУТУРО с документация и обекти от пърформанси, представени в различни места по света, посветени на социалните и медицински стандарти дефиниращи пола и „съответните“ му роли. Стефан Карчев показва шеговити фотографии и плакати, които засягат въпросите за формиране на идентичността и се заиграват с корпоративната „идентичност” и нейното хипер-комерсиално субверсиране. Плакатите на Ясен Згуровски този път избягват „сладките“ теми, с които сме свикнали да го асоциираме. Към тях са добавени „горчивите подправки“, на действителността, изобилстваща от сблъсъци между хората с различна идентичност и нео-нацисти, както и обществени нагласи, осигуряващи комфортно място за тези сблъсъци.
Участници:
Алла Георгиева (България), Аделина Попнеделева (България), Боряна Петрова (България), Войн де Войн (България/Германия), Наталия Тодорова (България), Олег Мавроматти (България/Русия), Стефан Карчев (България), УЛТРАФУТУРО (България/САЩ), Ясен Згуровски (България)
Изложбата „Сътворяване на мита“ е част от програмата на София куиър форум 2012. Чрез средствата на съвременното изкуство, форумът експонира идеята за пола като пластично, изменящо се понятие, зависещо от социални, политичеки, културни и медицински фактори.
Куратори на форума са Боряна Росса и Станимир Панайотов
Форумът е реализиран в контекста на инициативата Нови леви перспективи, с помощта на Социален център Хаспел, Роза Люксембург Щифтунг, Фонд де Трут.
СОФИЙСКИ АРСЕНАЛ – МУЗЕЙ ЗА СЪВРЕМЕННО ИЗКУСТВО
бул. "Черни връх" №2, София
www.samcaproject.org
САМСИ
Международен пътеводител на екстремния свободен театър
Изложба-инсталация
Куратор – изследовател-пътешественик: Златна Михайлова
7 - 18 ноември 2012
Изложбата е част от проекта „Театърът и музея”, иницииран от куратора Надежда Джакова
Oткриване: 07. 11. 2012, 16:00 ч.
Изложба-инсталация "Международен пътеводител на екстремния свободен театър"
Събрал материалите, пътешественик - изследовател: Златна Михайлова
Една разходка из чудната страна на свободния театър отвъд обществения ред, законите на природата и преценката ни за "нормалност".
Маршрутът минава през трънливи и стръмни участъци, пустини и морета, изисква много труд, воля и себеотрицание, но и много страст и любов. Кое е по-важното пътят или целта, в този сюжет краят е отворен, но определено си струва да бъдеш.
Описание на снимките:
01. Dogtroep
Дохтруп, Холандия
Представление: ONNO, 2000/2001
Режисьор: Титиа Боумеестер, Винсент де Рой
Къде: Флусинг, Утрехт, Москва, Амстердам, Айндховен
между два метални карго контейнера и голям прожекциионен екран
02. TeatroGaribaldi
Театър „Гарибалди“, Палермо, Италия
Репетиция в окупираната (преди това изоставнена) сграда на театъра
03. Serenissima
The Swimming Cities of Serenissima (Плаващите градове Серенисима) са проект на визуалният артист Swoon (Каленония Денс Къри) – ръчно изработени плавателни съдове, навигирани в адриатическо море от Словения към Венеция, Май 2009, обявили политическа независимост
04. Caravan Stage Company
Caravan Stage Company, Канада (в момента в Италия) 30-метровата шхуна Amara Zee (Амара Зий), която пътува от пристанище на пристанище, приютява екипа и се превръща в 30-метрова сцена за поредното представление докато публиката може да гледа от кея под управлението на Пол Кирби и Адриана Келдер
05. Das Letzte Kleinod - Theater
Das Letzte Kleinod - Theater (Театър „Последната скъпоценност“)
Представление: „Die verlorenen Söhne“ (Изгубените синове) 2010
Режисьор: Йенс-Ервин Зимзен
Къде: Складови помещения между дюните на остров Спийкероог, Германия
Sofia Arsenal - Museum for Contemporary Art
www.samcaproject.org
Sporadic Biphocality - A project by Dr. Gatev
With the special participation of Prof. Stanislav Pamukchiev, Venzislav Zankov and Rassim
October 15 – November 11, 2012
The project „Sporadic Biphocality” presents, probably for the first time in such a sound and clear voice a problem that bears symetrically a technological and conceptual character. It’s about art and its presentation and positioning in public space.
D-r Gatev presents his oevres thematically linked to the popular practices of „production” of contemporary art in two contexts or two different scales, using two variating distances, hence the formulation „biphocality”. The first scenario: three largescale photografic images by D-r Gatev are being presented as an independent serries, installed separately in an autonomous space – a room, designated for them. The second level or rather phocal plane offers the viewer the same serries of photografic images in the framewok of an institutional group exhibition together with the works of major figures of contemporary Bulgarian art – Stanislav Pamoukchiev, Ventzislav Zankov and Rassim. The show takes place at SAMCA – the Sofia Arsenal Museum for Contemporary Art, which underlines the institutional character of the presentation and channels the attention towards the problem of contextualization and juxtaposition of artefacts in a museum environment as well as the general millieu of artworks which form the larger local context/local scene.
The way D-r Gatev’s works incorporate into the common project is a risky experiment, but in its own voice, it reminds very classical artistic practices utilised here in their conceptual flesh and core instead of their aesthetic aura.
To what extend the common features in a group exhibition justify its creation or becomes the reason for a show is a question which according to differen paradigmes in the psychology of art or critical theory finds controvercial answers. Sometimes it’s common sematic stragies like juxtaposition of works, their catalogization, their numbering and count, the deffining of a certain topic or raising a question throught the works of art that are among the possibilites. Possibilites wich are worthwile to note as inconsistent with the case of D-r Gatev and the issue of the Sporadic Biphocality in the Bulgarian contemporary art and its (semi-autonomous) occasional appearance on our stage.
The careful formation of an intellectual context by the three special participants helps preserve the illusion of an authentic millieu. The project thus outreaches and overcomes the conditionality of an exhibition, it happens thanks to the group show but also inspite of it as it tackles a problem emerging from the art itself. From the art as an alternative, as a totality and artificiality. The perfect illusion does not allow mistakes and therefore it rejects the (possibility for) mistakes, proving, for this equation that the mistake is the most potent act of mankind.
The three autors invited for the group exhibition present works typically museum / group show works. Prof. Pamoukchiev is creating a site speciffic phalic silouethe of layers of soft and hard felt covering a good few meters of the central exhibition space. Ventzislav Zankov shows an illuminated neogothic sculpture of his latest period of works. Rassim develops an introspective project into his personal and family mythology as he navigates the imagery of his urine-manipulated photographic prints arround the loss of his sister in his early childhood.
Commissioner Panchev
Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art
2 Cherni Vrah Blvd., Sofia
www.samcaproject.org
Theatre and Space
Workshop for
dramatists, scenographers, and actors,
which will finish with a performance and discussion
On the 9th of October, 2012 from 7:00 p.m.
Leader Valeria Valcheva – director
The project is realized with the financial support of the National fund “Kultura” and in partnership with the National Academy of Art.
“Theatre and Space” is the theme of the workshop for experienced professionals and beginners in the art of theatre, who will gather together for one week – from 2nd to 9th of October, 2012, in order to create small works from scratch, inspired by the space of the Museum for Contemporary Art – Sofia Arsenal.
In the end of the end of the workshop week the active participants will meet with an expert audience consisting of future artists, theoreticians, and theatre managers, as well as freely invited spectators. The artists will present the results in the form of a performance of separate miniatures, linked into a single structure. After the performance, during the final discussion with the audience, the following themes will be discussed: creative process during the workshop, the principles and practices of creating theater in alternative space and of modern art in general, as well as the problems of its management and advertisement, and its place in the cultural sphere.
The active participants will be young Bulgarian dramatists, who are already accepted as good writers, but are still novices in the realization of their texts. They will work on dramaturgy, inspired by the museum’s space and will join in the work teams together with the actors, scenographers, and the director, in order to achieve a finished theatrical miniature.
The scenographers – students of Prof. Slavi Kokalov and Prof. Krasimir Valkanov of the National Academy of Art, whose curriculum includes the creation of project ideas for plays in alternative spaces, will join in with their ideas.
The actors are a group of young, but experienced artists in the sphere of alternative forms of theatre, already acquainted with the space. They: Vasil Chitanov, Elena Dimitrova, Zhana Ilieva, Margarita Hlebarova, Petko Kamenov, and Petar Genkov, together with the director, Valeria Valcheva, who is the initiator and the artistic leader of the workshop, will assist the dramatists and scenographers in turning their ideas into a live theatre.
Theatres and theatre buildings premise and set in advance their cliché scenic spaces, which are difficult to structure in accordance with the ideas of theatre art. This compels the authors of theatrical ideas to think about their works as existing in a “black box”, open on one side towards the audience.
Valeria Valcheva, after several successful plays in the National Theatre, began to create teams, with whom to search for the place of theatre in alternative spaces. The results were works inspired by the space they were created in, for example “200 000 Days” based on Chekhov in the building previously belonging to the Museum of the Revolutionary Movement, “Deep High” based on Arthur Rimbaud and Maurice Maeterlinck in the “Chapel” hall of the National Gallery of Art, as well as plays, which began with the text and then found their spaces: “Hamlet” in the sculpture workshop No. 40 in the National Gallery of Art (together with director M. Rosen), “Dreams in four seasons” based on Shakespeare’s plays in Borisova gradina and in Sofia Arsenal.
The space of the Museum for Contemporary Art – Sofia Arsenal with its architecture from the beginning of the 20th century, with restored first floor and “naked” walls of the second and third floors, with a skylight at the highest end of the vertical, and a new glass stairs surrounding the building up to the roof, with a wide lawn with sculptures outside, offers interesting inspiration, both in its interior and exterior, to the theatrical thinking.
The workshop “Theatre and Space” is a part of a long-term program of the National Museum of Bulgarian Art “Theatre in museum”, initiated by art expert Nadezhda Dzhakova.
The project is realized with the financial support of the National fund “Kultura”.
For contacts: Valeria Valcheva, director - 0897 919 695
Nadezhda Dzhakova, SAMCA, 0879 834 030
Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art
2, Cherni Vruh Blvd., Sofia, www.samcaproject.org
The Entropic Institute Sofia
By Deufert & Plischke
27 – 29 September 2012, 7.00 – 12.00 p.m.
The Entropic Institute of Deufert & Plischke is a temporary space for residence, festival and choreography, which is organized in every city by a group of local and foreign artists and happens in various quarters. In Sofia the Entropic Institute begins in the late afternoon in The Fridge with a lecture, and ends before midnight in Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art (SAMCA) with a lecture concert of Alain Franco. Both places will be connected by a two-hour procession with lanterns through the city, in which participants will be listening to mythical stories. The procession will finish with a choreographic concert. In this way together the participants will create a public space for dance.
The Entropic Institute in Sofia is presented by:
Galina Borissova, Kattrin Deufert, Alain Franco, Boyan Manchev, Thomas Plischke, Willy Prager, Maia Stefanova, Arnd Wesemann.
27.09.2012
Beginning 7:00 p.m.: The Fridge
Continuation 10:00 p.m.: SAMCA
28.09.2012
Beginning 7:00 p.m.: The Fridge
Continuation 10:00 p.m.: SAMCA
29.09.2012
Beginning 7:00 p.m.: SAMCA
Continuation 10:00 p.m.: The Fridge
The Fridge / 8 Madrid Blvd.
Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art (SAMCA) - 2 Cherni Vrah Blvd.
For current programme see: www.entropicinstitute.net
A production of deufert&plischke GbR jointly with Goethe-Institut in Bulgaria, PACT Zollverein, Esen, Kaas Theater in Brussels, and Tanzfabrik Berlin, with the assistance of ЕU Culture and apap – advancing performing arts project‚ Performing Europe. Experimental residence in Denmark is supported by Goethe-Institut, Munich. The project is financed by the funds of the cultural foundation in Berlin and the Mayor of Berlin – Office of the Senate of Berlin.
For contacts: Vania Koubadinska, Goethe-Institut Bulgaria – 02/939 01 15, Nadezhda Dzhakova, SAMCA, 0879 834 030
Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art
2, Cherni Vruh Blvd., Sofia, www.samcaproject.org
Feminine Expression
Curated by Hitomi Kammai and Nia Pushkarova
August 30th – September 20th 2012, Opening 30 August, Thursday, 6 pm
Feminism is born with the conviction that the difference between sexes is in the base of the world politics. In the 1970s the feminist movement was born in Europe and in USA. With the popularization of “The Second Sex” (1949) by Simone de Beauvoir and especially with the famous quote from the essay: “One is not born a woman, but becomes one” the movement accelerated and with hundreds of performances, video art and posters it became socially and artistically important.
Lately the subject of feminism became once more of interest with big exhibitions in world museums such as: Elles@CentrePompidou at the Centre Pompidou, Paris (May 27th 2009 – February 21st 2011), Marina Abramović’s retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (March 14th – May 31st 2010) or Yayoi Kusama’s exhibit at Tate Modern, London (February 9th – June 5th 2012).
Feminine Expression is an exhibition at the frontier between feminism and female art. It encloses young female artists from around the world, their feel of what is feminine, of women’s place in contemporary society as well as of personal identification.
"Art created by a woman is still considered a whim and surely not a serious enough work."- Nia Pushkarova, artist and festival organizer.
Being a female artist should not be a disadvantage in art and in society.
As the art historian Linda Nochlin argued in her influential essay Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? (1971), the experience of women has always been different from that of men and as a result there must have always been some kind of uniquely feminine art style.
Some female experiences such as pregnancy or menstruation are often treated in feminist art; others work more on materials and colors formerly designated as “feminine,” or on symbolic images such as veiling, pressures or sensuous surfaces. Many of these characteristics are outlined in writer’s Lucy Lippard’s essay. Yet, her text was written 28 years ago and women’s lives have changed since.
It is necessary to rethink what female expression is and to give it more credence and value.
For contacts: Nia Pushkarova, tel.: +359 898 312 030
Nadezhda Dzhakova, SAMCA, tel.: +359 879 834 030
Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art
2, Cherni Vruh Blvd., Sofia, www.samcaproject.org
Green video Platform VIII
August 24, 2012, 8pm
Open Air Screening
Audio-visual set by YvesO (Studio Dauhaus) + surprise appearance
CBC (Creative Bar Curators) continues the series of projections “Green Video Platform”.
The videos concentrate on the social dimension of the climatic changes: the man as their cause, as their victim, but also as a key to the solution of the problem. They show different phenomena and facts related to the causes of the contemporary crisis and ways to overcome it. The goal of the series is to provoke empathy, to encourage and to inspire people from around the globe. The climatic change is a complex phenomenon and the art works pose questions such as: How do the climatic changes remain outside the boundaries placed by the existing institutions, structures and conceptions, and how did it come to this? What are we to expect in the future?
The series represent different videos of authors from around the world. The chosen pieces are awarded at Façade Video Festival (Plovdiv), Videoholica (Varna) as well as some completely new ones.
The video projections are made possible by the support of the “Gaudenz B. Ruf” Award and with the financial aid of the “Kultura” National fund.
For more information: Nadezhda Dzhakova, SAMCA. Phone number: +359 879 834 030
1. “Standzha” by UFO TV – a film showing the region of Strandzha and the situation at the south Bulgarian sea coast…what artist and local people think about the illegal buildings there…and what future is.
2. “Irakli – Evacuation” by UFO TV - after a heavy storm, people are forced to leave the beautiful beach and resort of Irakli in order to save their lives.
3. “Protest” by UFO TV – a documentary showing protests in Sofia. Old and young people fighting against the unlawful destruction of Bulgarian nature.
4. Surprise video
Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art
2, Cherni Vruh Blvd., Sofia, www.samcaproject.org
Green video Platform VII
July 28 – August 27, 2012
CBC (Creative Bar Curators) continues the series of projections "Green Video Platform".
The videos concentrate on the social dimension of the climatic changes: the man as their cause, as their victim, but also as a key to the solution of the problem. They show different phenomena and facts related to the causes of the contemporary crisis and ways to overcome it. The goal of the series is to provoke empathy, to encourage and to inspire people from around the globe. The climatic change is a complex phenomenon and the art works pose questions such as: How do the climatic changes remain outside the boundaries placed by the existing institutions, structures and conceptions, and how did it come to this? What are we to expect in the future?
The series represent different videos of authors from around the world. The chosen pieces are awarded at Fassade Video Festival (Plovdiv), Videoholica (Varna) as well as some completely new ones.
Open call:
CBC artgroup invites artists, video and cinema makers, and interdisciplinary authors to participate in the "Green video" platform. It gives the opportunity to present video art and short cinema works in the public space and context, which create and enhance the sensibility towards the subject and its importance in the society.
For more information, the open invitation could be found at: http://www.cbcartgroup.org/?p=361
A selection of the video works is to be specially shown during the exhibition Green Video Platform VII in Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art.
The video projections are made possible by the support of the "Gaudenz B. Ruf" Award and with the financial aid of the "Kultura" National fund.
For more information: Nadezhda Dzhakova, SAMCA. Phone number: +359 879 834 030
Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art
2, Cherni Vruh Blvd., Sofia, www.samcaproject.org
VASIL SIMITTCHIEV - PROJECT
17 June - 17 July 2012, Opening 17 June, Sunday, 6 pm
”Project” is the title of Vasil Simittchiev’s giant installation which spreads out on the three floors of Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art and the surrounding areas, and includes objects, video and performance. It is specially designed for the particular space and situation. Most of the works are new-made which together with some older emblematic works of the artist become a part of one whole entity.
Vasil Simittchiev is one of the most interesting and uncontroversial modern artists. His artistic development has run from classical sculpture to classical conceptualism. Starting his career in Bulgaria during socialism he continued his creative endeavour in Sweden where he applied various expressive means, such as water, glass, concrete, sound, and light, and often performed in urban environment (objects, installations, performances, video, etc.). No matter whether he creates individual objects or big installations and performances involving many people, he remains faithful to the leading role of concept and its most precise visualization with minimum means.
Time and again Vasil Simittchiev gets inspired by a specific environment or background. One such case is the work “Project”. The architecture of the building, the surrounding park, and the debate on the Bulgarian museum of contemporary art make up the starting point of his quest. Visual reflection of all that is the clue to his works. The individual objects and actions which at first glance do not relate to each other enhance their impact within the reasoning of the whole. The title of the exhibition suggests that like any other project this one is also open, dynamic, and to be continued.
Curator: Maria Vasileva
-----------------------
VASIL SIMITTCHIEV
Born in Sofia in 1938, he graduated from the National Academy of Arts majoring in Monumental Sculpture under the guidance of Prof. Lyubomir Dalchev. In 1975 he emigrated and has lived in Malmo, Sweden since then. 1985-1986 – Professor in Sculpture at Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm. 1988 – founder and head of the Free Academy of Experimental Art in Stockholm. His exhibitions were arranged in the most famous galleries and museums in Sweden. His first one-man exhibition in Sofia was setup in the Sofia City Art Gallery in 2003. Some of his most popular projects include: Mass of Water, 1977; Transplanted Light, 1982;Transplantation – the Glass quay, 1985; Direct Contact Malmo-Maputo, 1980; The Bridge Sweden-Denmark, 1996; Performance “Bulgarian Alphabet Reading”, 1988, Happening in Copenhagen and in Sofia, 1991; Possible Dissection, 1999.
In the period 1985-1994 he carried out numerous events and contacts in the area of culture and arts between Sweden and Bulgaria. He works in the field of sculpture, object, performance, video and installation.
For contacts: Maria Vassileva – +359 898 419 003, Nadezhda Dzhakova, SAMCA, tel.: +359 879 834 030
Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art
www.samcaproject.org
19th of May, 2012, from 6.00 p.m. to 12.00 p.m.
Entrance free
Events:
Videoholic 2011 Special selection
17 videos, created in the period 2008-2011, with artists mainly from Europe, but also powerful input from Asian video artists
For a few dollars more
Photography exhibition of Alexander Valchev
Nine Photo portraits of artists in their studios
Accompanying event:
Video projections on the facade of the Museum – selected videos from the Videoholic art fest
Exhibition Photography
May, 10 - June, 3 2012
Vernissage: 10 May 2012, Thursday, 4 - 7 pm
The series For Few Dollars More consists nine photographic portraits of artists in their studios. The photographs will look like still frames from a not existing Western film, where artists are main personage, story writers, stenographers and the photographer is director. The studio is their fortress a place where reality and fiction are mixed in one. It`s a romantic story about love towards art and the capability to resist to temptations of everyday life. It`s about fight to hold your ground, to keep your dreams alive, to fulfill you illusions.
Each of the photographs will bring a different mood, because of the pose of the character, the atmosphere in the studio and one`s attitude to a gun which presence somewhere in there as a symbol of fight.
Moods in the photographs are based on the nine main fillings from India drama art: love, mirth, sorrow, anger, energy, fear, disgust, astonishment and tranquility.
Alexander Valchev
Sofia Arsenal - Museum For Contemporary Art
2, Cherni Vruh Blvd., Sofia, www.samcaproject.org
Videoholica 2011 Special Selection
May 3 – June 3, 2012
Reception: May 3, 2012, Thursday, 6 pm
Sofia Arsenal - Museum For Contemporary Art
2 Cherni Vryh Blvd., Sofia
Sofia Arsenal - Museum For Contemporary Art (SAMCA) presents Videoholica 2011 Special Selection in a solo exhibition from May 3 till June 3, 2012.
The selection of Videoholica 2011 presents 17 video works created within the period 2008 - 2011, with prevailing authors from Europe but with a strong participation of Asian video artists as well.
The special selection of Videoholica 2011 is another cross section of the best video artists and their video works, which were awarded by the international jury of the 4th festival edition. The jury of Videoholica 2011 was composed of the following members: Cohn Drennan (Dallas, USA), Adelina Popnedeleva (Sofia, Bulgaria), Floriane Davin (Rennes, France), Mariyana Hristova (Varna, Bulgaria), Simon Guiochet (Rennes, France), Isabelle Henrion (Rennes, France) and Celia Eid (Brazil / France).
The special selection of the 4th Videoholica is said to represent authors, who do not put up with mere recording of reality, even in cases when at first sight they seemingly do just that. The present-day plots of the video works analyze the unification and toxification of individuality in contrast to the passive reality; poetry in tune with the tension of human effort; colors - lost and transformed by the image compression. No matter whether they enjoy laconism or verbosity as their creed, the artists draw out the extract of the shaking and transforming power of creativity from the contingency circumstances of the creative situation - on the verge of death, or in the chaos of everyday life. The video artists reveal a solid balance of fancy images and imaginativeness in simulative (simultaneous) unreality of the moving image – subject of their work. This sample of artists explores the limits of the visible and foreseeable in an attempt to rationalize what we miss behind the hollow imagery of the aggressive media culture.
Peripheral to the Sofia art scene, Videoholica, the Varna Video Art Festival has been occupying a broader and broader share of the international artistic space as an independent, alternative and unpretentious distributor and archiver of video art. Proving that not in vain Videoholica was "distinguished" in 2010 for its "viral distribution" by the insignia of Stalker, a Graphic Design Studio (Varna), the Festival, over its four-year history, beyond the national initiatives, has participated and has been represented in many prestigious international events of visual arts, among which are the following: THE LOOP FESTIVAL 2011 in Barcelona (Spain), OCT (Contemporary Art Terminal) at the He Xiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen (China), International Video Festival in Kansk (Russia), University of Ideas/ UNIDEE in Biella (Italy); EXiS2011 Experimental Film and Video Festival (South Korea), Gyeonggi Creation Center/ GCC (South Korea); International Festival of Experimental Art Bilbao-Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain); OSTRALE‘010 - International Exhibition of Contemporary Arts in Dresden (Germany), Casoria Contemporary Art Museum / CAM, Naples (Italy), Athens Video Art Festival Athens (Greece), ESPRESSIONI Performing Arts Film Festival in Milan (Italy) and many more.
The exhibition is realized in collaboration with Videoholica Association, Varna (www.videoholica.org) and National Art Gallery, Sofia (www.nationalartgallerybg.org).
Pavlina Mladenova, Neno Belchev
For more information:
Pavlina Mladenova, VIDEOHOLICA, tel.: 0895 007 816
Nadezhda Dzhakova, SAMCA, tel.: 0879 834 030
Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art
and
Goethe Institute Bulgaria
present
Mischa Kuball – Platon’s Mirror
5 – 25 April 2012
Opening: 5 April 2012, Thursday, 6:00 PM, Sofia Arsenal Museum for Contemporary Art, 2 Cherni Vrah Blvd., Sofia
Düsseldorf-based media artist Mischa Kuball is among the few artists who has consistently understood light's sociopolitical dimensions and used the media accordingly in numerous works and installations. In his new exhibition project “platon’s mirror”, two additional aspects are included: a perception-aesthetics component and the possibility of image generation through computer tomography. This gives rise to highly topical issues within art, and for it. Within the project light politics and media politics are renegotiated.
The idea for “platon’s mirror” is based on one of the most influential stories within European literature: Plato’s cave allegory. In it, the philosopher draws a distinction between two forms of reality: the reality of the visible world and the (true) reality of ideas. For an artist such as Kuball, who deals like no other in his class with the phenomenon of light, the cave allegory necessarily became an artistic challenge.
Curator: Andreas F. Beitin
Mischa Kuball will be at the opening of the exhibition.
For further information: Nadezhda Dzhakova, SAMCA, 0879 834 030; Vanya Kubadinska, Goethe Institute Bulgaria 02/939 01 15.
01. Mischa Kuball: Installationsansicht "platon's mirror", 2011, VG Bild-Kunst
(c) ZKM | Museum für Neue Kunst Karlsruhe und ONUK
based on plays of W. Shakespeare
Written and directed by Valeria Valcheva;
Music by Andronia Popova – Roni, Nassekomix; percussions and music education: Maria Palieva;
Actors and musicians: Vasil Chitanov, Elena Dimitrova, Zhana Ilieva, Margarita Hlebarova, Petko Kamenov, Petar Genkov, Branko Valchev and children from the Sofia Music School
Sets and costumes by Nia Mihaylova, Petya Boyukova, Mihaela Komitova, Iva Pavlova, Yana Malamed, Valeria Valcheva.
24 MARCH 2012, 5:00 PM, SOFIA ARSENAL MUSEUM FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
The performance is presented within the Theater in the Museum Program initiated by curator Nadezhda Dzhakova.
ENTRANCE BY TICKETS
DARINA ASSOCIATION presents “DREAMS IN FOUR SEASONS” – Spring
“SPRING” is the fourth season of the series of performances that started in the summer of 2011.
The first “Dream” was the summer one – “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” – on the night of the 23rd - 24th of June in Borisova Garden.
Dramaturgy by Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, Macbeth;
Written and directed by Valeria Valcheva;
Artists: among the best Bulgarian freelance and alternative actors and musicians and also child musicians.
The summer performance created by 33 artists and played in open air amidst the trees set the ball rolling which still cannot stop. While rolling the ball was rejecting everything needless, including people, attracting new artists who found it difficult to jump on board while on the move and new spectators to whom the old ones were telling what had happened before.
The characters were the same.
The dreams were different.
Every “Dream” that followed was on the verge of happening. But it happened.
Autumn “Dream” – 15 October 2011, Borisova Garden;
Winter “Dream” – 7 January 2012, Sofia Arsenal Museum for Contemporary Art;
We thank: the Metropolitan Municipality, New Art Point, Rumiana Ormanova, Krasimir Andonov, Valentin Valchev, Boris Misirkov, AGITPROP, the Red House Center for Culture and Debate, Eli Filipova, Stanislava Markova, Petko Tanchev, and all the parents of the child musicians.
Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art
2, Cherni Vruh Blvd., Sofia, www.samcaproject.org
WHY DUCHAMP? From object to museum and back (125 years)
Curator: Maria Vassileva
March 8th – April 1st 2012 / opening March 8th, 6pm
Marcel Duchamp (July 28th 1887 – October 2nd 1968) is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. With his works and artistic actions he changed the attitudes to art and the ways for its perception. His oeuvre is a source of inspiration and cause for constant reevaluation even now. In 2004 his "Fountain" was nominated by 500 distinguished artists and art historians as the art work that has most strongly influenced the development of art in the 20th century.
During the last 15 years a lot of works by Bulgarian artists were dedicated to Marcel Duchamp. The idea for this exhibition was indeed born because of their persistent need to engage with this artist and to search for answers to questions posed by his art. The exhibition is showing already existing works as well as new ones that are made especially for this project. We are using the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Duchamp’s birth in order to once again talk about him and with him.
25 artists with more than 40 works are participating: Adelina Popnedeleva, Alla Georgieva, Bora Petkova, Valentin Stefanoff, Valio Tchenkov, Vassil Simittchiev, Vikenti Komitski, Vladimir Ivanov, Ivan Moudov, Kiril Prashkov, Kosta Tonev, Krassimir Terziev, Luchezar Boyadjiev, Mina Minov, Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova, Nestor Kovachev, Nina Kovacheva, Peter Tzanev, Pravdoliub Ivanov, Rada Boukova, Sasho Stoitzov, Samuil Stoyanov, Stefan Nikolaev, Stefania Batoeva, and HR-Stamenov. They are showing objects, installations, video, paintings and drawings.
Each participant has also answered a question posed by the curator of the show: "Why Duchamp?" The answers that are published in a special bilingual (Bulgarian and English) newsletter provide another angle to the exhibition.
8 February – 5 March 2012
The exposition of the French expressionist artist StepK “If this is our humanity” will be shown for the first time in Bulgaria from 8 February to 13 March 2012 in the Sofia Arsenal Museum for Contemporary Art.
The exposition is under the patronage of the Minister of Culture, Mr. Vezhdi Rashidov, and is organized with the support of the French Institute in Bulgaria in partnership with Sofia Arsenal Museum for Contemporary Art and sponsored by Emporiki Bank, Bulgaria, part of the Crédit Agricole Group. The opening will be attended by H.E. Philippe Autie, the Ambassador of France in Bulgaria, the French artist StepK and famous political and cultural figures.
StepK is a self-taught expressionist artist who established himself as a talented innovator in the plastic surgery of souls. The face is his favorite material to show man’s vulnerability, the struggles of existing, death in action.
The exposition comprises of forty works showing the human face and one of the most universal faces, that of Jesus Christ. Why would he present the face of a particular person when the story and face of Jesus Christ offers an infinitely rich material? But StepK’s paintings are not religious. They do not try to unite people around a religion, somebody’s story or any rituals. StepK disfigures to tell us better that he loves simultaneously the meat, the body and humanity.
"I am flattered by the opportunity to make an exposition in Bulgaria, a country so vital and yet relatively far from my views of a Western European man. Although my works are universal the closer the time of the exposition in Sofia, the more often I ask myself how it is going to be accepted. Mostly, because of the massive presence of the body, particularly of the Body of Christ, which is in the center of my works", StepK said with regard to his exposition in Sofia.
StepKa was born in 1971 г. in the French town of Le Mans. He paints angels, the Mother of God, Jesus, common people who he shows with zeal and humanity, with ink splashed on the paper made as if by an axe, sickle or scalpel.
StepK has taken part in expositions in France, Le Mans, Paris, Pont-Aven, Tours, Troyes, Belgium, as well as in La Baule in the collective exposition "When the face loses its face. Disfigurement in art "organized by Olivier de Sagazan.
He lives in Le Mans and works in the L’armoire à gaze (The Gas Wardrobe) studio together with Yvré L’Evêque.
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BULGARIAN ART
presents
FIVE DROPS OF DREAM
Exhibition of Photographic Compositions
by Milcho Manchevski
Opening: 17 January (Tuesday) 2012, 6:00 PM
Place: Sofia Arsenal Museum for Contemporary Art
2, Cherni Vruh Blvd., Sofia, www.samcaproject.org
Milcho Manchevski (born in 1959 in Skopje) is a screenwriter and film director. He wrote and directed “Before the Rain” (1994), “Dust” (2001), “Shadows” (2007) and “Mothers” (2010), over 50 short forms (experimental films, documentaries, commercials and music videos). He was also a guest director on HBO.
“Before the Rain” won over 50 awards (Golden Lion in Venice, Independent Spirit, an Academy-Award nomination, FIPRESCI, best film of the year in Argentina, Turkey and other awards in Austria, Belgium, etc.). “Dust” was the opening-night film of the Venice Film Festival. The Rolling Stone magazine placed one of his films on the list of the 100 best videos ever.
The first exhibition of photographs by Milcho Manchevski “Street” was presented in the Museum for Contemporary Art in Skopje in 1999, whereupon it was shown in galleries in Stockholm, Ljubljana and Thessaloniki). “Street” includes images captured on the streets of Europe and America. “Five Drops of Dream” is an extension to this exhibition 10 years later. The project was implemented again at the invitation of the Museum for Contemporary Art in Skopje and formally and conceptually develops further what was seen on that journey.
Place: Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art
2 Cherni Vrah Blvd., Sofia, www.samcaproject.org
Date: 7th of January, 2012, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Participants:
Script and production: Valeria Valcheva
Scenography team: Niya Mihailova, Plamena Dicheva, Iva Pavlova, Yana Melamed
Actors: Elena Dimitrova, Petar Genkov, Vasil Chitanov, Margarita Hlebarova, Zhana Ilieva, Petko Kamenov
Author music and live performance by Andronia Popova and children from the Musical School, with music teacher Maria Palieva
“Dreams in four seasons” is a project evolved from “Dream on a Midsummer Night”, which happened during the night 23rd to 24th of June, 2011 in Borisova gradina. The “autumn dream” was played on the 15th of October. And the winter one is set for 7th of January, 2012 (St John’s Day) and dedicated to St John the Baptist, whose holiday we celebrated in the summer on Midsummer’s Night.
The performance is part of the program “Theatre in museum”, idea courtesy of Nadezhda Dzhakova.
Regeneration: place, landscape and memory
Ángel Masip, Jacobo Castellano and Juan López.
December 1st, 2011 – January 10th, 2012
On the occasion of the opening of the new Museum of Contemporary Art in Sofia, the Embassy of Spain in Bulgaria presents the exposition Regeneration: place, landscape and memory, which centres around the concept of landscape and its frailty through the work of three young artists exponents of the contemporary Spanish art who will come to Sofia to personally install their works for the exposition and take part of its opening.
The place of the exposition was not selected by chance. The new Museum of Contemporary Art in Sofia is a clear example of regeneration of landscape through the restoration of a ruin. The old 19th century Arsenal’s building in Sofia comes to take up its place once again in the contemporary urban space with the intention to harbour projects provocative of new sensations in its visitors. The conversion of the space in such way becomes even more effective and creates a new landscape through the memory of a whole new experience.
The reflection on space has always been an ever-present theme in art. There are many examples of artists who during the 20th century tried to alter the static concept of space: space for living as well as for exposing. Space is the core subject of the works of Gordon Matta-Clark, one of the most influential artists in the second half of the 20th century. His impact is most patent among young artists like the Spanish Ángel Masip, Jacobo Castellano and Juan López. They perceive landscape as space born out of the act of uniting intuition and conscious experiment in order to materialize intellectual reflections in artistic work.
The Spanish artists shape landscapes in very different ways: Jacobo Castellano achieves it thorough objects, Ángel Masip constructs nature with strange elements that each time become more difficult to recognize as such, and Juan López exploits the ambiguity of urban landscape and its language. Nevertheless, for the three of them it is of essential importance the consideration of the effects of space on its inhabitants. Entire cities or different building materials become expressions or tools of their work. It is an interdisciplinary activity which through installation, drawing, video or photography remains always centred in using, disusing and reusing space, each time with an unpredictable outcome of form and shape and variety of proposals that different mediums can offer. And this is how landscape, one of the classical genres of art par excellence, turns out to be a completely subjective expression: a physical fact or cultural representation, aesthetic construction or political category. And it gets an equal share of interpretations and representations.
Some of the works of the exposition are site specific installations consciously involving the spectator, surrounding him, inviting him to look for a better understanding of space instead of just observing it, starting with that specific rebuilt at the bottom of the Vitosha mountain.
Artists:
Ángel Masip, Alicante, 1977
Lives and Works between Spain and Italy.
Frailty of landscape is representative for the works of Ángel Masip. He plays with the physical aspects of transformed nature and the outcome of that process he calls it “anti-landscape”. He creates architectural forms using light and making the unusual in nature look usual. The big mural formed by pieces of the series A New Order is presented as a counterpoint of the great vista of Vitosha mountain that can be contemplated through the windows of the new Museum.
websites: www.angelmasip.blogspot.com www.angelmasip-aneworder.blogspot.com
Jacobo Castellano, Jaén, 1976.
Lives and works in Madrid.
The works of Jacobo Castellano are charged with references of his own memories. But even though these images were born deep into the artists self and had emerged from his personal experiences and memories, they look familiar to us, leading with their simple lines and easily recognizable objects to our own past and our own spaces built in our memories dominated by both, reality and dreams.
In Regeneration Jacobo presents inedited works. His most recent project consists of a number of small installations specially adapted for this particular exposition in which Bulgarian spectator can find familiar objects from typical open air markets in Sofia.
Juan López, Alto Maliaño, Cantabria, 1979.
Lives and works Alto Maliño.
The urban space is always present in the art of Juan López, be it as a means of communication or as core essence of his works, charged with dynamics and irony. Video and installation are used as reference to graffiti and language of advertisments which are usually understood as underground. Thus, by inserting them in institutional expressions they become a part of the category of fine art.
Juan López presents in Regeneration a video called Tetravati, part of the installation Retotativa, which was exposed at Naos Hall of the Harbour Administration Building in Santander in the summer of 2009. Apart from that, he is building a mural specially conceived for Regeneration.
website: www.rayoslopez.com
СОФИЙСКИЯТ АРСЕНАЛ - МУЗЕЙ ЗА СЪВРЕМЕННО ИЗКУСТВО
Френският Институт в България и фондация Easyart представят в рамките на експерименталния "Европейски месец на фотографията":
Водна Кула Арт Фест
9 ноември – 11 декември 2011
Oткриване: 9 ноември, сряда, 18.00 ч.
СОФИЙСКИ АРСЕНАЛ - МУЗЕЙ ЗА СЪВРЕМЕННО ИЗКУСТВО
бул. "Черни връх" №2, София, www.samcaproject.org
"Фестивала Водна Кула Арт Фест е предназначен от свободомислещи хора за други такива. Разкрива и предизвиква за размисъл и комуникация между хора от различни раси и възрасти, в локален и глобален контекст на жива връзка между участници и зрители, извън възпритетото елитарно отчуждаващо възприятие за изкуството, което само по себе си има функция в обществото и ние му делегираме тази функция обратно в него."
ЗА ФЕСТИВАЛА
През 2006 г. сдружение "ИМЕ" организира първия фестивал Водна кула арт фест. Мястото, по подразбиране беше и все още е – Водната кула в кв. Лозенец.Тайните градски пространства – малко използвани, забравени или натоварени с особена история, отдавна са обект на интерес за съвременното изкуство. Социалното изкуство, разпиляно из града, изкуството, което е активно в алтернативни градски пространства, което е мислено като конструиращо града - това се случи през 2011 - с повече от 150 артисти от цял свят, привлечени от мотивацията на екипа. Това е една действаща платформа за артистични експерименти и за творческо взаимодействие между български и международни артисти от различни сфери – визуални изкуства, музика, театър, танц и т.н
Участинци:
Svetlana Volic - Serbia - presence video instalacia
Yaniv Waissa - Israel - "The Storm Still Rages Inside" black and white and "swang song"
Keren Zalts - Israel
Zuzana Yanku - Israel
"The project is a search for home and identity, using photographs as a visual and emotional compass. It began in October 2008 and is still in progress. I shoot with a HOLGA medium format camera, using the option of multiple exposures and mainly the merging of frames into a "Stream of Consciousness" of imagery. The images attempt to convey the 'broken vision' syndrome I suffer from, a loss of identity and home, the ongoing quest for a view that would lock the gaze and let the heart rest."
Jen Hesch - Israel acryl and foto
Now I’m working on the ecologically orientated project which deals with environment, peopledestroying the nature. For example the general global warming is the problem of the whole world and this is important for people to understand that the rise of temperatures and the global climate change are the result of human activities. I want to focus people attention on the beauty of the world we live in, beauty that we are destroying. The technique of the work is a combination of photography done by me and drawing in acrylic on the digital print. The photos represent the destruction caused by the people to nature, for example, the burned forest of Carmel which was the result of the arson. Then I draw on them with the acrylic paint which is not environmentally
Ния Пушкарова
PÉRIMÈTRES
Периметри
9 ноември – 20 ноември 2011
Хулио Флорес (Колумбия), Жюлиен Баер (Франция), Жан-Кристоф Бешè (Франция), News Pictures (Франция), Луиджи и Лука (Великобритания), Никола Станчов (България) и Елена Кузмова (България), Пиер Марсо (Франция), Вероник Нор-Минка (Франция), БУБА(Франция) и БАБу.
Какво ни ограничава да снимаме?
И коя снимка се счита за стойностна фотогрфия? Това са въпросите, които можем да си зададем гледайки една снимка - уловен момент или фотографирано свидетелство.
С новите технологии и интердисциплинарни области на изкуството, статута на фотографията е неопределен, и по този начин естетическият статут на фотографията е изключително неясен и разнопосочен, защото както любители, така и професионалисти, могат да правят и да манипулират снимките. Позовавайки се на триптиха "красотата - истината - ред" можем лесно да съдим фотографията.. Но ако следваме чуствителността и емоционолността, фотографията може да превърне в изкуство снимките от ежедневието.
Нашата надежда е, че тази изложба ще остане като свидетелство за уникалността на фотографията като изразно средство и възможността, която дава на всеки от нас да се превърне лесно в артист...
Луиджи и Лука
L&L е фотографски дует, който започва съвместна работа през 2007 г. Луиджи и Лука са обекти на своите снимки, представляващи изкусен меланж от мизансцен и интимен дневник. В тях те непрекъснато преминават от измислицата към реалността, от класицизма към натурализма, като създават привлекателна и заедно с това провокативна вселена. Фотографиите на Луиджи и Лука показват до каква степен двамата са омаяни от образите на модата и от препратките към превърналите се в икони произведения на изкуството. L&L превръщат себе си в желаещи и желани герои. Раздвояват се до безкрай, за да удовлетворят своите фантазми, като играят със самите себе си и с изобразителните кодове.
Те са Ерос и Татанос в сцени, напомнящи изтезания. Сценариите на дуета непрекъснато варират между glamour и trash. От Свети Себастиян до най-безмилостните сцени с golden shower, двамата ни убеждават в променливостта на границите между творба и интимен дневник и доказват, че противопоставянето между обществен и частен живот вече не съществува.
В поредицата фотографии, показани тук, Луиджи и Лука играят странна Кама Сутра в пустинята, която изважда на показ техните фантазми. Нереалните и невъзможните им видения създават изненадващо съвременен "плаващ свят". Двамата застават пред обектива като полу-комични, полу-трагични еротични денди, за да се превърнат в отдалечени от нас благодарение на фотографията обекти на желанието. Те създават почти абсурден въображаем свят, който все пак е реален заради предметите от ежедневието и модните ready made порно аксесоари. Двамата творци объркват следите, принуждават ни да се чувстваме изгубени във времето и пространството и като използват необичаен контекст, създават ефект "извън времето" или "не във времето"
L & L прокарват мостове между светове и епохи с помощта на еротизираща машина. По време на многобройните им пътувания техните фантазми придобиват конкретни форми, а възможността за експериментиране предлага разказ за еротичното им номадство. Невъзможно е да причислим творчеството им към контретна художествена област. Любопитството и възхищението ни се подсилват от удивителната прилика между двамата. По думите на Макс Пела : "Те използват приликата си в драматични мизансцени с привкус на кръвосмешение между близнаци".
Фотографиите с голи тела и пейзажи на Луиджи и Лука отразяват раздробяването на обществото на отделни племена със специфични опознавателни кодове и знаци.
Ян Перол
Бернар Коест
Бернар Коест е истински "дигитален" фотограф, т.е. той познава, работи, обича цифровата фотография, но се и подхранва от това, което тя не е и я принуждава да напредва натам, където понякога, от мързел, тя не отива: той е привърженик с вкус към приключението. Цифровата фотография, от една страна радикално трансформира практиката и изкуството му и от друга страна, диалога му със съвременното изкуство.
Работата на Коест може да се раздели на три периода: класически, трансгресивен, завършен – отговарящи на трите метаморфози, за които говори Ницше в "Тъй рече Заратустра".
В началото фотографиите му са черно-бели – класически, репортажни, повляни от Картие Бресон и големите американци, подхранени от цялата история на фотографията. Два примера : Noir et/ou Blanc, изложена през 1983 в Джакарта и Circulez... 1986.
Но този привиден класицизъм е разрушен отвътре от Дада, от Салвадор Дали, от ситуационизма. Това са, например, пърформанса L’Art en Vitrine от 1991, произведението Le mythe décisif от 1993 - критичната забележка към остария АКБ (Анри Картие Бресон) и баснята за решителния момент - , фотографската инсталация Les Pieds sur Terre от 1997.
И после, цифровата революция, която започва с обработката на самите тиражи – с макетното ножче, през "физическото copy-paste" -, и най-вече желанието да създава и излага по различен начин.
Дали се дължи само на дигиталното? Със сигурност не, никой артист не е дете само на техниката. Персонална промяна обяснява това ново отношение към изкуството, към образа, към творенето, към позволяването. Но дискретно психологически – психологията не е прислуга на естетиката – всеки артист се сблъсква с техниката: цифровизацията е причинена от това позволяване и даването на живот на ново пространство за творене, на нови методи за творене, на ново време и ритъм за създаване на произведение.
Да погледнем произведението, то е изложено в София.
Франсоа Сулаж
СОФИЙСКИЯТ АРСЕНАЛ - МУЗЕЙ ЗА СЪВРЕМЕННО ИЗКУСТВО
Френският Институт в България и фондация Easyart представят в рамките на експерименталния "Европейски месец на фотографията":
Човешкият фактор
9 ноември – 11 декември 2011
Kуратор: Алберто Стайков
Oткриване: 9 ноември, сряда, 18.00 ч.
СОФИЙСКИ АРСЕНАЛ - МУЗЕЙ ЗА СЪВРЕМЕННО ИЗКУСТВО
бул. "Черни връх" №2, София, www.samcaproject.org
Изложбата "Човешкият фактор" разглежда и изследва противоположната човешка същност. Това, което различава и изгражда индивида като личност, е собствената му индивидуалност. Тя ни кара да мислим, да създаваме, да поставяме въпроси, да разсъждаваме и намираме. Това са фотографии, заснети в жанра на портрета и репортажа, и отразяват индивидуалистичната и колективистичната природа на човека и отношенията между отделните личности.
В изложбата са представени както готови проекти, така и творби, специално създадени за нея.
Участници: Павлина Чакърова, Диляна Стоименова, Ивайло Стоянов, Петър Недков, Александер Акоста , Димитър Владимиров, Вяра Янева, Илияна Кънчева.
Граждани на света
"За да живееш щастливо, разполагай с благоразумие или с въже, на което да се обесиш. Сътвори живота си като едно произведение на изкуството – силен, уникален и съвършен. Установи в себе си твой собствен закон, едновременно непоклатим и жив."
Диоген от Синопа
Алберто Стайков показва емоция, създадена от вида на една фотография като доказателство на механизъм между това, което се възприема от хората и съзнателните и несъзнателни реакции. Можете да видите в образите на Стайков взаимодействието на различните поведенчески прояви на човека съобразно заобикалящата ги околна среда. Стайков се определя като гражданин на света и с неговите образи той ни показва богатството и разнообразието на човечеството с неговите култури и знания. Той се опитва да свърже необходимостта от солидарност между всички народи. Можем да кажем, че зрителят се идентифицира с неговите образи, споделяйки емоциите и надеждите, които могат да изпитат гражданите на света.
Адриан Вела
request the pleasure to invite you to the opening of the exhibition
Jasenka Tucan-Vaillant (Contemporary Art Textile)
11 October 2011, Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art
2, Cherni Vrah Blvd., Sofia
www.re-production-exhibition.blogspot.com
Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art
presents exhibition
Re-production
Curators – Alla Georgieva, Nadezhda Dzhakova
Artists: Adelina Popnedeleva, Alexander Valchev, Alla Georgieva, Boryana Rossa, Ventsislav Zankov, Galya Yotova, Zvonka Simčič, Iva Yaranova, Ivan Kostolov, Irina Danilova, Iskra Blagoeva, Kalina Dimitrova, Ludmil Lazarov, Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova, Oleg Mavromatti, RASSIM, Samuil Stoyanov, Svetlozara Alexandrova, Simeon Simeonov
09.09. – 02.10.2011
Opening: 9 September 2011, Friday, 6 p.m.
A mother breastfeeding her little one, Madonna with the infant – these are the traditional images – formulae of motherhood, well-known to all of us from the works of art. In each and every epoch this eternal theme is interpreted by artists in a different way.
The present exhibition offers a new reading of the problems and trends of parenthood as seen by contemporary painters.
The word “reproduction” according to the unilingual dictionary means recreation and multiplication. It also means biological reproduction and reproduction through printing out of an image. The separation of the prefix “Re-” in the title of the project emphasizes its dual meaning. “Re-“as a repetitiveness of an action –repetitiveness of delusions and grandiose utopias, starting from political ideologies to unconditional trust in the triumph of technical progress and “re-” as recovery-return- to the lost meanings, to the forgotten centurial traditions and the experience accumulated by the preceding generations, a process in which the copies are restored with the originals.
Modern parenthood exists amidst an intricate interlacing of natural instincts, religious beliefs in the divine origin of life, occultism and mysticism, the latest scientific research in the field of bio and genetic technologies, the liberal and democratic rules, imposed in the specific countries restrictive laws and the coveted personal freedom and individual choice.
Will we distinguish the differences between artificial reproduction and natural or will we be satisfied with more sophisticated ways of reproduction?
These are some questions marking the item contemporary parenthood. The works of 19 artists reflex its different aspects in the present exposition.
For more information please contact: Alla Georgieva alladari@dir.bg, 0887 397 948
Nadezhda Dzhakova dzhakova@yahoo.de, 0888 559 040
1 September 2011, 11.00 hours, Information Center of the EU, 9 Moskovska Str., Sofia
The Bulgarian information bureau of the European Parliament will have a conference starting at 11:00 hours to present the exhibition “Bulgarian Art Included in the Collection of the European Parliament” which will be opened on 1 September 2011 at 18:30 hours in the Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art, 2 Cherni Vrah Blvd., Sofia.
The exhibition “Bulgarian Art Included in the Collection of the European Parliament” which will take place until 6 September, presents 15 works by 11 contemporary Bulgarian artists selected by the art committee of the European Parliament which has purchased them for its collection. It includes paintings, photographs and sculptures of Andrey Daniel, Bozhidar Boyadjiev, Boyko Mitkov, Boris Misirkov/Georgi Bogdanov, Vasilena Gankovska, Georgi Trifonov, Ivan Kostolov, Luben Genov, Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova, Nina Ruseva and Stanislav Pamukchiev.
After the exhibition in the Bulgarian Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art, the Bulgarian collection will be permanently displayed in Brussels.
As soon as this exhibition ends, the Bulgarian collection will be transported to Brussels where it will be displayed in a special exhibition at the European Parliament in mid-October. We expect that this exhibition will be opened by the President of the European Parliament, Mr. Jerzy Buzek, and then the art works will be located permanently in the EP buildings in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg.
For more information:
www.europarl.bg/view/bg/media/press-release/pr-2011/pr-2011-September/pr-2011-Sep-3.html
At an official ceremony to be held on June 17, 2011 at 10.00 a.m. Mr. Vezhdi Rashidov, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria, and H. E. Ms. Tove Skarstein, Ambassador of the Kingdom, of Norway in Bulgaria, will announce the successful completion of the first stage of the project BG 0051 "Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art".
The project is in the total amount of EUR 1,247,789 and is realized with the financial backing of Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area. The total gratuitous aid granted for the project "Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art" covers 85% of all costs; the remainder has been provided by the Ministry of Culture. The Norwegian government has provided 95% of the funds under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area.
The first stage includes a major reconstruction of the building of the Sofia Arsenal at 2 Cherni Vrah Blvd. as per the project of Kadinovi Bros Architectural Agency selected after holding a contest. The exhibition area on the first floor has been completed in full.
It has been planned to carry on with the project. During the second stage the second and third floors of the building will be completed. A new depository will be constructed in compliance with all contemporary museum requirements, as well as a separate hall for temporary exhibitions. As suggested by Vezhdi Rashidov, Minister of Culture, and with the assistance of Sofia Municipality, the area around the museum will include an open sculpture park with an area of 5,000 square meters.
On the initiative of H. E. Ms. Tove Skarstein the exhibition of Norwegian contemporary art "Paradigm" will be opened as well.
The Prime Minister, the senior staff of the National Assembly and Sofia Municipality, representatives of the diplomatic corps and many other public officials will be invited at the ceremony.
National Art Gallery
Official ceremony on June 17, 2011 for the successful completion of the first stage of the project BG 0051 "Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOEO4ZN-HcE
At an official ceremony to be held on June 17, 2011 at 10.00 a.m. Mr. Vezhdi Rashidov, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria, and H. E. Ms. Tove Skarstein, Ambassador of the Kingdom, of Norway in Bulgaria, will announce the successful completion of the first stage of the project BG 0051 "Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art".
The project is in the total amount of EUR 1,247,789 and is realized with the financial backing of Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area. The total gratuitous aid granted for the project "Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art" covers 85% of all costs; the remainder has been provided by the Ministry of Culture. The Norwegian government has provided 95% of the funds under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area.
The first stage includes a major reconstruction of the building of the Sofia Arsenal at 2 Cherni Vrah Blvd. as per the project of Kadinovi Bros Architectural Agency selected after holding a contest. The exhibition area on the first floor has been completed in full.
It has been planned to carry on with the project. During the second stage the second and third floors of the building will be completed. A new depository will be constructed in compliance with all contemporary museum requirements, as well as a separate hall for temporary exhibitions. As suggested by Vezhdi Rashidov, Minister of Culture, and with the assistance of Sofia Municipality, the area around the museum will include an open sculpture park with an area of 5,000 square meters.
On the initiative of H. E. Ms. Tove Skarstein the exhibition of Norwegian contemporary art "Paradigm" will be opened as well.
The Prime Minister, the senior staff of the National Assembly and Sofia Municipality, representatives of the diplomatic corps and many other public officials will be invited at the ceremony.
National Art Gallery
The Ministry of Culture and the National Art Gallery will hold a meeting for the media on 24 March 2011 at 11:00 hours. The Minister of Culture, Vezhdi Rashidov, and the Norwegian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Her Excellency Tove Skarstein, will inspect the progress of the first stage of the reconstruction and reorganization of the building of the Sofia Arsenal complex into a Museum for Contemporary Art – Sofia and will announce the achievements.
The first stage includes a reconstruction of the first floor, replacement of all installations in the building and of the roof. Following the acceptance of the first stage, in compliance with the procedure of the European Economic Area by which the project is funded, funding for the second stage will be applied for.
The project for the construction of the new museum is funded by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area, with the financial backing of Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The beneficiary of the project is the Ministry of Culture, National Art Gallery.
The building which will be reconstructed to house the Museum for Contemporary Art is part of a group architectural complex, a legacy of local importance, “Sofia Arsenal”. The value of the first stage is BGN 1,8 million.
The beginning of the reconstruction and reorganization was marked by Mr. Vezhdi Rashidov, Minister of Culture, at an official ceremony on 29 October 2010.
With assistance by the Sofia Mayor, Mrs. Fandakova, after the completion of the first stage of the reconstruction the area around the new museum will become an outdoor sculpture park of ca. 5 decares.
On 26 October 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at an official ceremony Mr. Vezhdy Rashidov, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria and her Excellency Mrs. Tove Skarstein, ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Sofia will mark the beginning of the reconstruction of the building of the Sofia Arsenal into a Contemporary Art Museum, branch of the National Art Gallery.
The reconstruction of the building, which is located at 2, Cherny Vrah Blvd., Sofia, is implemented under a project financed by the governments of Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein through the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area. The Norwegian government provides 97% of the funds. The total amount granted for the project is EUR 1 060 621 covering 85% of all expenses and the remaining part is provided by the Ministry of Culture.
National Art Gallery
Tender documentation for the open tender to award a small public contract for the: Reconstruction of the existing building part of the Sofia Arsenal cluster of buildings, a landmark of national heritage, for the purposes of the Museum of Modern Art in the City of Sofia.
Download the documentation
Open tender to award a small public contract for the:
DESIGN OF THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE EXISTING BUILDING PART OF THE SOFIA ARSENAL CLUSTER OF BUILDINGS, A LANDMARK OF NATIONAL HERITAGE, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART IN THE CITY OF SOFIA – DETAILED DESIGN PHASE
Tender documentation - DOWNLOAD