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Saturday 16 November 2024
11 November 2024 - 17 November 2024
November 2024
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
01.11.2024

THE CARNIVAL OF ANIMALS

Children's performance to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns
Duration 1:00
Chamber hall
Music and Dance Events
01.11.2024

AUSTRIAN HARMONIES

Chamber concert
Chamber hall
Music and Dance Events
01.11.2024

CRYSTAL LIRA 2024

Award ceremony
Main Hall
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
02.11.2024

DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE for children

Opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – version adapted for children
Runnig time: 01:00
Chamber hall
Performed in Bulgarian.
Music and Dance Events
02.11.2024

HÄNSEL UND GRETEL

Opera for children by Engelbert Humperdinck
Chamber hall
Performed in Bulgarian
Music and Dance Events
02.11.2024

Revivalists of Art Classic Art and Vocal Ensemble "Elitsi"

Chamber Hall
Solоist/s
Elena Kossenko
Ida Shopova
Kaloyan Nikolov
Kristian Vladovski
Martin Lazarov
Ensemble
Vocal Ensemble “Elitsi”
Classic Art
Marin Goleminov – Old Bulgarian Quartet, authentic Bulgarian troparia, works by E. Grieg, J. S. Bach, W. A. Mozart
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
03.11.2024
Music and Dance Events
03.11.2024

THE THREE PIGGIES

Musical by Alexandar Raichev
Duration 1:00
Chamber hall
Performed in Bulgarian.
Music and Dance Events
03.11.2024

Concert of Silhouettes Chamber Ensemble

Chamber Hall
Solоist/s
Ensemble
Chamber Ensemble Silhouettes
Program
Ludwig van Beethoven – Trio for piano, clarinet (or violin), and cello in B-flat major, Op. 11, “Gassenhauer Trio”
Robert Schumann – „Märchenerzählungen“ – Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano, Op. 132
Johannes Brahms – Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
04.11.2024
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.11.2024

Rainer Honeck & Plamena Mangova

Bulgaria Concert Hall Conductor
Konstantin Dobroykov
Solоist/s
Plamena Mangova
Rainer Honeck
Ensemble
Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra
Program
Benjamin Britten – Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy – Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Orchestra in D minor, MWV 04
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
07.11.2024

Concert, dedicated to Konstantin Iliev

Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Simeon Pironkoff
Solоist/s
Margarita Ilieva
Svetlin Hristov
Eva Perchemlieva
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Konstantin Iliev – Symphony No. 3
Konstantin Iliev – “Musical Moments” for Symphony Orchestra
Ivan Spassov – Songs of a soul flying to paradise
Simeon Pironkov – Music for Two Pianos
Music and Dance Events
07.11.2024

ROMЕ́O ET JULIETTE

Ballet to the music of Sergei Prokofiev / Premiere
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
08.11.2024

WINNIE THE POOH

Musical by Andrey Drenikov
Chamber hall
It is performed in Bulgarian
Music and Dance Events
08.11.2024

ROMЕ́O ET JULIETTE

Ballet to the music of Sergei Prokofiev / Premiere
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
09.11.2024
Music and Dance Events
09.11.2024
Music and Dance Events
09.11.2024

DAS RHEINGOLD

Opera by Richard Wagner – adapted for children
Chamber hall
Music and Dance Events
09.11.2024

Concert of Angel Stankov & Friends

Chamber Hall
Solоist/s
Angel Stankov
Nona Krincheva
Stefaniya Yankova
Victor Traykov
Program
Johannes Brahms – Sonata, Op. 78
Johannes Brahms – Piano Quartet No.1 in G minor, Op. 25
Music and Dance Events
09.11.2024

ROMЕ́O ET JULIETTE

Ballet to the music of Sergei Prokofiev / Premiere
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
10.11.2024

THE GRUMPY GOAT

Opera for children by Yuli Damyanov
Chamber hall
Music and Dance Events
10.11.2024

ROMЕ́O ET JULIETTE

Ballet to the music of Sergei Prokofiev / Premiere
Music and Dance Events
10.11.2024

Angela Gheorghiu – Opera Gala

Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Nayden Todorov
Solоist/s
Angela Gheorghiu
Saimir Pirgu
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
George Frideric Handel – “Music for the Royal Fireworks” – Overture HWV 351
Georg Friedrich Händel – Aria of Almirena (Lascia ch’io pianga) from Opera “Rinaldo”
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Lensky’s Aria
Giacomo Puccini – Duet of Tosca and Cavaradossi (“Mario,Mario”), Act I from Opera “Tosca”
Giacomo Puccini – “La tregenda”, Act II from the Opera “Le Villi”
Arrigo Boito – Margarita’s Aria from “Mefistofele” Opera
Giacomo Puccini – Aria of Cavaradossi (E lucevan le stelle), Act III from Opera “Tosca”
Giacomo Puccini – Aria of Mimi and Rodolfo (O soave fanciulla) from Opera “La bohème”
Giuseppe Verdi – Overture from Opera “Nabucco”
Giuseppe Verdi – Aria of Amelia (Morrò, ma prima in grazia), Act III from Opera “Un ballo in maschera”
Giuseppe Verdi – “Mercè, diletti amici… Come rugiada al cespite” – Ernani’s Aria, Act I from the opera “Ernani”
Umberto Giordano – “Vicino a te s’acqueta” – Duet of Maddalena and Andrea from the Opera “Andrea Chénier”
Pietro Mascagni – Intermezzo from Opera “Cavalleria Rusticana”
Francesco Cilea – Federico’s lament (È la solita storia del pastore) from the opera “L’arlesiana”
Giacomo Puccini – Aria of Cio-Cio-san (Un bel di vedremo), Act II from Opera “Madam Butterfly”
Giuseppe Verdi – Brindisi from Opera “Traviata”
Music and Dance Events
10.11.2024

KNIGHTS, QUEENS, WONDERS

Chamber concert - EARLY MUSIC CONSORT
Chamber hall
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
13.11.2024

Opera Gala with Angela Gheorghiu in Wiener Konzerthaus

Wiener Konzerthaus
Conductor
Nayden Todorov
Solоist/s
Angela Gheorghiu
Saimir Pirgu
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
George Frideric Handel – “Music for the Royal Fireworks” – Overture HWV 351
Georg Friedrich Händel – Aria of Almirena (Lascia ch’io pianga) from Opera “Rinaldo”
Giacomo Puccini – Duet of Tosca and Cavaradossi (“Mario,Mario”), Act I from Opera “Tosca”
Giacomo Puccini – “La tregenda”, Act II from the Opera “Le Villi”
Arrigo Boito – Margarita’s Aria from “Mefistofele” Opera
Giacomo Puccini – Aria of Cavaradossi (E lucevan le stelle), Act III from Opera “Tosca”
Giacomo Puccini – Aria of Mimi and Rodolfo (O soave fanciulla) from Opera “La bohème”
Giuseppe Verdi – Overture from Opera “Nabucco”
Giuseppe Verdi – Aria of Amelia (Morrò, ma prima in grazia), Act III from Opera “Un ballo in maschera”
Giuseppe Verdi – “Mercè, diletti amici… Come rugiada al cespite” – Ernani’s Aria, Act I from the opera “Ernani”
Umberto Giordano – “Vicino a te s’acqueta” – Duet of Maddalena and Andrea from the Opera “Andrea Chénier”
Pietro Mascagni – Intermezzo from Opera “Cavalleria Rusticana”
Francesco Cilea – Federico’s lament (È la solita storia del pastore) from the opera “L’arlesiana”
Giacomo Puccini – Aria of Cio-Cio-san (Un bel di vedremo), Act II from Opera “Madam Butterfly”
Giuseppe Verdi – Brindisi from Opera “Traviata”
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
15.11.2024

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

Musical fairy-tale by Alexander Vladigerov
Runnig time: 01:00
Chamber hall
It is performed in Bulgarian
Music and Dance Events
15.11.2024

MESSA DA REQUIEM

Giuseppe Verdi
Duration 1:30
Main Hall
It is performed in Latin with Bulgarian and English subtitles
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.11.2024
Music and Dance Events
16.11.2024

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Musical - Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Duration 3:00 Intermission 1
Main Hall
Performed in Bulgarian, with English subtitles
Music and Dance Events
16.11.2024

With the seven notes of the Septet…

Chamber Hall
Solоist/s
Borislav Simeonov
Nadejda Tzanova
Peter Makedonski
Rosen Idealov
Yavor Zhelev
Ensemble
Philharmonica String Quartet
Program
Giuseppe Torelli – Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra in D major
Johann Nepomuk Hummel – Septet No.2, Op. 114
Camille Saint-Saëns – Septet in E-flat major, Op. 65
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
17.11.2024

Stories with the Magic Flutes

Chamber Hall Solоist/s
Vesela Trichkova
Ensemble
Flautissimo Quartet
Music and Dance Events
17.11.2024

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

11:00
Musical - Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Duration 3:00 Intermission 1
Main Hall
Performed in Bulgarian, with English subtitles
Music and Dance Events
17.11.2024

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

17:00
Musical - Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Duration 3:00 Intermission 1
Main Hall
Performed in Bulgarian, with English subtitles
Music and Dance Events
17.11.2024

Bach’s Violin Concertos

Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Diana Ilkoska
Solоist/s
Zornitsa Ilarionova
Bojidara Kouzmanova
Program
Johann Sebastian Bach – Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.1 in A minor, BWV 1041
Johann Sebastian Bach – Violin Concerto in E major, BWV 1042
Johann Sebastian Bach – Concerto for two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
18.11.2024

Poem of Flowers

Chamber Hall
Solоist/s
Avgust - Alexander Pavlov
Galya Pavlova-Boteva
Snezhina Kumanova
Stefani Krasteva
Svetlin Hristov
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
19.11.2024

Chamber concert

Bulgaria Concert Hall
Program
Edward Elgar – Piano Quintet, Op. 84
Frank Bridge – Piano Quintet, H.49
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.11.2024

Concert of New Symphony Orchestra

Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Petko Dimitrov
Solоist/s
Marin Tinev
Ensemble
New Symphony Orchestra
Program
Johann Sebastian Bach – Suite No.1 for Orchestra in C major, BWV 1066
Jean Françaix – “Flower Clock” for Oboe and Orchestra
W. A. Mozart – Symphony No. 41
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
21.11.2024

Georgi Cherkin & Rossen Milanov

Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Rossen Milanov
Solоist/s
Georgi Cherkin
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Piano Concerto No.23 in A major, KV 488
Richard Strauss – An Alpine Symphony (Eine Alpensinfonie), Op. 64
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
22.11.2024

THE CARNIVAL OF ANIMALS

Children's performance to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns
Duration 1:00
Chamber hall
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.11.2024

THE CARNIVAL OF ANIMALS

Children's performance to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns
Duration 1:00
Chamber hall
Music and Dance Events
23.11.2024

THE THREE FAIRIES AND THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

Musical by Dimitar Kostantsaliev
Chamber hall
Music and Dance Events
23.11.2024

Brahms & Shostakovich

Bulgaria Concert Hall
Solоist/s
Emanuil Ivanov
Ensemble
Quarto Quartet
Program
Johannes Brahms – Piano Quintet, Op. 34 in F minor
Dmitri Shostakovich – Piano Quintet in G minor, Op.57
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
20.06.2024 - 24.11.2024

LABOUR: When the Foundations Were Laid

Museum of Art from the Socialist Period
The exhibition focuses on one of the most significant themes in the art of Socialism—labour. Among the artists behind the paintings, sculptures, graphics and applied art works, names such as Iliya Petrov, Dechko Uzunov, Stoyan Sotirov, Nikola Tanev, Stoyan Venev, Ekaterina Savova-Nenova, and Alexander Poplilov, stand out.
Both classic examples of Socialist Realism and unknown or previously unexhibited works are on display. In addition to their high artistic qualities, some of them represent authentic documents from one of the most controversial and dramatic periods in Bulgaria’s political history. Such is Nikola Tanev’s graphic series of the construction of the Lovech-Troyan Railway, the Kutsian mine, and the Republic colliery in Pernik, as well as graphic works by Pavel Valkov depicting the erection of the Georgi Dimitrov Mausoleum in Sofia.
After the Second World War, a totalitarian model of governance was established in Bulgaria, with the Communist Party at the helm. Within a few years only, control had been imposed on all spheres of political, social and cultural life.
Art and culture began to perform propaganda functions. The new ‘proletarian’ or ‘Party’ art created its mythologems, among which—along with the ‘leader’ and the ‘hero’—the image of the worker was assigned a central place.
The Socialist world view made labour one of the principal ideologemes turning it into a rigid narrative and a tool for imposing its own power. It was labour itself that was the instrument, the means for transforming society and the moulding of the new man. The social demiurges remodelled this fundamental, age-old impulse and necessity of human beings to work to ensure their livelihood, into a glorified, almost sacral activity, standing on the loftiest pedestal of Socialist virtues.
The parade pathos of Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian art from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, bequeathing classic examples of this artistic style and thematic engagement. In the subsequent decades of totalitarian rule, the interpretations and intonations of the expression of the theme would change; other motifs and novel imagery were to come, but these will be the subjects of the next editions of the ‘Labour’ exhibition.
Media Partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
24.11.2024
Music and Dance Events
24.11.2024

The lost princess

A concert with songs from the musicals "Anastasia" and "The Sound of Music"
Duration: 0:50
Chamber hall
Music and Dance Events
24.11.2024

The Magic World of Ghibli | Fortissimo Family

Bulgaria Concert Hall
Solоist/s
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
26.11.2024

Concert of Yoanna Ruseva & Svetlin Hristov

Chamber Hall
Solоist/s
Svetlin Hristov
Yoanna Ruseva
Program
Clara Schumann – Three Romances, Op. 22
Maurice Ravel – Sonata for Violin and Piano No.1 in a moll
Igor Stravinsky – “Berceuse” from “Firebird” Ballet
Sergei Prokofiev – Sonata for Violin and Piano No.1 in F minor
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
27.11.2024

SO IN LOVE

Chamber Hall
Solоist/s
Elena Mehandzhiyska
Marcho Apostolov
Margarita Ilieva
Music and Dance Events
27.11.2024

THE GREEN BIRD

A musical fairy tale - Premiere
Chamber hall
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
28.11.2024

THE GREEN BIRD

A musical fairy tale - Premiere
Chamber hall
Music and Dance Events
28.11.2024

Wagner & Brahms

Bulgaria Concert Hall
Conductor
Georgi Dimitrov
Solоist/s
Gabriela Georgieva
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
National Philharmonic Choir
Program
Richard Wagner – Overture from Opera “The Flying Dutchman”
Richard Wagner – Senta’s Ballad from the Opera “The Flying Dutchman”
Richard Wagner – Prelude and death of Isolde from the opera „Tristan and Isolde“
Johannes Brahms – Tragic Overture
Johannes Brahms – “Songs of Faith” for Mixed Choir and Orchestra, Op. 54
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
29.11.2024

THE THREE PIGGIES

Musical by Alexandar Raichev
Duration 1:00
Chamber hall
Performed in Bulgarian.
Music and Dance Events
29.11.2024

ADRIANA LECOUVREUR

Opera by Francesco Cilea / Premiere
Duration: 2:30
Main Hall
It is performed in Italian, with Bulgarian and English subtitles
Music and Dance Events
16.10.2024 - 15.12.2024

IN FRONT OF THE EYES | Kalin Serapionov

The Palace
Opening on Wednesday, 16 October, 6 p.m.
Curator: Iaroslava Boubnova
Among the most acclaimed artists in Bulgaria, Kalin Serapionov is closely associated with unleashing the potential and development of the vast possibilities of video in the context of art. He is focused on its potential to hold attention, form an image and generate suspense with no narrative techniques and literariness of the subject.
Serapionov was already devoting himself to video back in the 1990s, independently studying the possibilities of cameras using magnetic tape and the VHS format. Today, he steps confidently in the domain of digital technologies, with a markedly critical attitude to the clichés that impose themselves in their ubiquity.
The exhibition ‘Before Our Eyes’ is of a retrospective nature, presenting some of Kalin Serapionov’s emblematic works. The outrageously ironic video, ‘The Museum—Cause of Meeting and Acquaintance’ (1997), was among the earliest, filmed almost 30 years ago in the building that is hosting the current exhibition...
Kalin Serapionov’s exhibition, ‘Before Our Eyes’, was specifically assembled for the traditional architecture of The Palace. Screens pulsating with colours and shapes, large-format thematic projections and portrait messages form the shared space of the entire video installation.
General sponsor: MFG Foundation. With the support of Beyond Data Bulgaria LLC and Gaudenz B. Ruf.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
30.11.2024
Religious Holidays
06.06.2024 - 31.05.2025

The Wall Vol. 5: Filipina Stamenkova REFLECTIONS

Kvadrat 500 Atrium Entrance at 95, Vasil Levski Blvd.
Curator: Martin Kostashki
The fifth edition of the National Gallery project, ‘The Wall’, presents ‘Reflections’, a site-specific installation by artist Filipina Stamenkova.
The mirror is a unique object, and an aspect of a deeply personal experience within the space where we find ourselves. What we see changes as we move—much like the sequence of frames in a film, an experience based on the principle of anamorphosis.
The artist explains: ‘When visitors reach this wall, they see themselves reflected in the mirror and thus occupy a central place in the installation. In the context of architecture and exteriors, mirrors retain the magical ability to bend, distort, expand and transform images and, through them, our perception of those images and our relationship with the living space. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes surprising or even comforting, often strange and confusing experience, the act of capturing oneself in a reflective surface is so fundamental to our continued assessment. The mirrored surface is strangely passive, yet intrusive and energetic, not only because it reflects the environment and the people around but, because of the very nature of its reflective quality, it transforms the way we see the world that surrounds us.’
When viewers see themselves reflected in a work, art immediately inspires a pronounced interest and creates a magical fascination similar to that in the myth of Narcissus.
The scale of the mirrored sculptural installation expands the visual space of the Kvadrat 500 Atrium, adding another aspect to its entry into the inner life of the gallery—by changing it and creating a new space.
The installation was designed and built by Woood Makerspace, a shared workplace for people with ideas who are skilful with their hands, with tools, and who have an aptitude for engineering. A place for bold projects, design developments and creative workshops in ceramics and woodcarving, the atelier is well known for its production in Georgia, Morocco, South Africa, as well as throughout Europe. To this day, a condition for accepting a commission is that it be complex and require brainstorming and creativity. The Woood brand is also popular for its work with the fashion giant Louis Vuitton, for which it has produced various façade and interior installations for the brand’s boutiques in London, Paris, Tokyo, and other cities. In Bulgaria, Woood is widely known for a number of projects relating to urban causes: the Imp-Act Agency’s Christmas decoration, the hidden letters of the Reading Sofia Foundation, as well as for initiatives developing the capital’s tourist image of the, in partnership with Sofia Airport and soSofia.com, the independent platform for city symbols.
The project was made possible with the financial support of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
30.11.2024

SHEGOBISHKO OF THE ISLAND OF MIRACLES

Musical Georgi Kostov
Duration: 60 minutes
Chamber hall
Performed in Bulgarian
Music and Dance Events
30.11.2024

DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE for children

Opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – version adapted for children
Runnig time: 01:00
Chamber hall
Performed in Bulgarian.
Music and Dance Events
30.11.2024

ADRIANA LECOUVREUR

Opera by Francesco Cilea / Premiere
Duration: 2:30
Main Hall
It is performed in Italian, with Bulgarian and English subtitles
Music and Dance Events