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Monday 12 October 2026
12 October 2026 - 18 October 2026
November 2026
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
30.07.2026 - 04.10.2026
EUGÈNE CARRIÈRE. THE VISIONARY
The exhibition offers a novel, more conceptual look at one of the most prominent French artists of the second half of the 19th century, emphasising the influence he had on his contemporaries, as well as on the oeuvres of key figures of Early Modernism in the 20th century.
Although Eugène Carrière is well represented in the National Gallery permanent exposition at Kvadrat 500, his name remains relatively unknown to the general public. The team’s ambition is to present all his paintings, lithographs and drawings from the museum collection for the first time. During the research, it was discovered that these lithographs of high collectible worth were extremely valuable copies of unique bibliophilic compendia published in limited editions in Paris in the closing quarter of the 19th century. It is only the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the State Museum in Stuttgart, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the State Museum in Amsterdam, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, that can boast possession of such prints.
Carrière was among those artists who won recognition during their lifetime, and whose works were displayed in major museums. He invariably worked beyond the stylistic categories of the time without claiming to belong to any specific trend. Defying any sort of labelling, the painter, engraver and draughtsman, Carrière—a contemporary of Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon and Paul Gauguin—soon surrounded himself with the most influential figures in the artistic and literary worlds of his time. His oeuvre influenced Picasso who drew inspiration from his monochromatic painting.
Beyond the modernity of his subjects, it is precisely in the artist’s painting style that the great adventure of his art lies. A distinguished portraitist and master of family scenes and the theme of motherhood, and precursor of Minimalism, he eliminated details transforming images into archetypes and expressions of feeling beyond the conventional framework of a specific time. Achieving a soft, monochromic sfumato allowed him to create a complex and mysterious interplay of transparency and depth. Like fleeting apparitions, elusive to the brush, his figures seem to emerge from the landscape, from the background, as if from another time-space.
Although Eugène Carrière is well represented in the National Gallery permanent exposition at Kvadrat 500, his name remains relatively unknown to the general public. The team’s ambition is to present all his paintings, lithographs and drawings from the museum collection for the first time. During the research, it was discovered that these lithographs of high collectible worth were extremely valuable copies of unique bibliophilic compendia published in limited editions in Paris in the closing quarter of the 19th century. It is only the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the State Museum in Stuttgart, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the State Museum in Amsterdam, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, that can boast possession of such prints.
Carrière was among those artists who won recognition during their lifetime, and whose works were displayed in major museums. He invariably worked beyond the stylistic categories of the time without claiming to belong to any specific trend. Defying any sort of labelling, the painter, engraver and draughtsman, Carrière—a contemporary of Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon and Paul Gauguin—soon surrounded himself with the most influential figures in the artistic and literary worlds of his time. His oeuvre influenced Picasso who drew inspiration from his monochromatic painting.
Beyond the modernity of his subjects, it is precisely in the artist’s painting style that the great adventure of his art lies. A distinguished portraitist and master of family scenes and the theme of motherhood, and precursor of Minimalism, he eliminated details transforming images into archetypes and expressions of feeling beyond the conventional framework of a specific time. Achieving a soft, monochromic sfumato allowed him to create a complex and mysterious interplay of transparency and depth. Like fleeting apparitions, elusive to the brush, his figures seem to emerge from the landscape, from the background, as if from another time-space.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
10.09.2026 - 11.10.2026
Maya Antova – Mayoto - MACONDO
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
01.10.2026
CARMINA BURANA
Carl Orff Conductor Daniel Oren
Performance for adults Duration - 1:45
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Performed in Latin
Performance for adults Duration - 1:45
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Performed in Latin
Music and Dance Events
01.10.2026
Dimitri Ashkenazy & Gudni Emilsson
Conductor
Gudni Emilsson
Solоist/s
Dimitri Ashkenazy
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy – Overture “Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde”, Op.89
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Concert for Clarinet and Orchestra in A Dur, K.622
Franz Schubert – Symphony No. 4 “Tragic” in C minor, D 417
Gudni Emilsson
Solоist/s
Dimitri Ashkenazy
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy – Overture “Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde”, Op.89
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Concert for Clarinet and Orchestra in A Dur, K.622
Franz Schubert – Symphony No. 4 “Tragic” in C minor, D 417
Music and Dance Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
30.07.2026 - 04.10.2026
EUGÈNE CARRIÈRE. THE VISIONARY
The exhibition offers a novel, more conceptual look at one of the most prominent French artists of the second half of the 19th century, emphasising the influence he had on his contemporaries, as well as on the oeuvres of key figures of Early Modernism in the 20th century.
Although Eugène Carrière is well represented in the National Gallery permanent exposition at Kvadrat 500, his name remains relatively unknown to the general public. The team’s ambition is to present all his paintings, lithographs and drawings from the museum collection for the first time. During the research, it was discovered that these lithographs of high collectible worth were extremely valuable copies of unique bibliophilic compendia published in limited editions in Paris in the closing quarter of the 19th century. It is only the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the State Museum in Stuttgart, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the State Museum in Amsterdam, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, that can boast possession of such prints.
Carrière was among those artists who won recognition during their lifetime, and whose works were displayed in major museums. He invariably worked beyond the stylistic categories of the time without claiming to belong to any specific trend. Defying any sort of labelling, the painter, engraver and draughtsman, Carrière—a contemporary of Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon and Paul Gauguin—soon surrounded himself with the most influential figures in the artistic and literary worlds of his time. His oeuvre influenced Picasso who drew inspiration from his monochromatic painting.
Beyond the modernity of his subjects, it is precisely in the artist’s painting style that the great adventure of his art lies. A distinguished portraitist and master of family scenes and the theme of motherhood, and precursor of Minimalism, he eliminated details transforming images into archetypes and expressions of feeling beyond the conventional framework of a specific time. Achieving a soft, monochromic sfumato allowed him to create a complex and mysterious interplay of transparency and depth. Like fleeting apparitions, elusive to the brush, his figures seem to emerge from the landscape, from the background, as if from another time-space.
Although Eugène Carrière is well represented in the National Gallery permanent exposition at Kvadrat 500, his name remains relatively unknown to the general public. The team’s ambition is to present all his paintings, lithographs and drawings from the museum collection for the first time. During the research, it was discovered that these lithographs of high collectible worth were extremely valuable copies of unique bibliophilic compendia published in limited editions in Paris in the closing quarter of the 19th century. It is only the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the State Museum in Stuttgart, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the State Museum in Amsterdam, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, that can boast possession of such prints.
Carrière was among those artists who won recognition during their lifetime, and whose works were displayed in major museums. He invariably worked beyond the stylistic categories of the time without claiming to belong to any specific trend. Defying any sort of labelling, the painter, engraver and draughtsman, Carrière—a contemporary of Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon and Paul Gauguin—soon surrounded himself with the most influential figures in the artistic and literary worlds of his time. His oeuvre influenced Picasso who drew inspiration from his monochromatic painting.
Beyond the modernity of his subjects, it is precisely in the artist’s painting style that the great adventure of his art lies. A distinguished portraitist and master of family scenes and the theme of motherhood, and precursor of Minimalism, he eliminated details transforming images into archetypes and expressions of feeling beyond the conventional framework of a specific time. Achieving a soft, monochromic sfumato allowed him to create a complex and mysterious interplay of transparency and depth. Like fleeting apparitions, elusive to the brush, his figures seem to emerge from the landscape, from the background, as if from another time-space.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
10.09.2026 - 11.10.2026
Maya Antova – Mayoto - MACONDO
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
30.07.2026 - 04.10.2026
EUGÈNE CARRIÈRE. THE VISIONARY
The exhibition offers a novel, more conceptual look at one of the most prominent French artists of the second half of the 19th century, emphasising the influence he had on his contemporaries, as well as on the oeuvres of key figures of Early Modernism in the 20th century.
Although Eugène Carrière is well represented in the National Gallery permanent exposition at Kvadrat 500, his name remains relatively unknown to the general public. The team’s ambition is to present all his paintings, lithographs and drawings from the museum collection for the first time. During the research, it was discovered that these lithographs of high collectible worth were extremely valuable copies of unique bibliophilic compendia published in limited editions in Paris in the closing quarter of the 19th century. It is only the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the State Museum in Stuttgart, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the State Museum in Amsterdam, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, that can boast possession of such prints.
Carrière was among those artists who won recognition during their lifetime, and whose works were displayed in major museums. He invariably worked beyond the stylistic categories of the time without claiming to belong to any specific trend. Defying any sort of labelling, the painter, engraver and draughtsman, Carrière—a contemporary of Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon and Paul Gauguin—soon surrounded himself with the most influential figures in the artistic and literary worlds of his time. His oeuvre influenced Picasso who drew inspiration from his monochromatic painting.
Beyond the modernity of his subjects, it is precisely in the artist’s painting style that the great adventure of his art lies. A distinguished portraitist and master of family scenes and the theme of motherhood, and precursor of Minimalism, he eliminated details transforming images into archetypes and expressions of feeling beyond the conventional framework of a specific time. Achieving a soft, monochromic sfumato allowed him to create a complex and mysterious interplay of transparency and depth. Like fleeting apparitions, elusive to the brush, his figures seem to emerge from the landscape, from the background, as if from another time-space.
Although Eugène Carrière is well represented in the National Gallery permanent exposition at Kvadrat 500, his name remains relatively unknown to the general public. The team’s ambition is to present all his paintings, lithographs and drawings from the museum collection for the first time. During the research, it was discovered that these lithographs of high collectible worth were extremely valuable copies of unique bibliophilic compendia published in limited editions in Paris in the closing quarter of the 19th century. It is only the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the State Museum in Stuttgart, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the State Museum in Amsterdam, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, that can boast possession of such prints.
Carrière was among those artists who won recognition during their lifetime, and whose works were displayed in major museums. He invariably worked beyond the stylistic categories of the time without claiming to belong to any specific trend. Defying any sort of labelling, the painter, engraver and draughtsman, Carrière—a contemporary of Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon and Paul Gauguin—soon surrounded himself with the most influential figures in the artistic and literary worlds of his time. His oeuvre influenced Picasso who drew inspiration from his monochromatic painting.
Beyond the modernity of his subjects, it is precisely in the artist’s painting style that the great adventure of his art lies. A distinguished portraitist and master of family scenes and the theme of motherhood, and precursor of Minimalism, he eliminated details transforming images into archetypes and expressions of feeling beyond the conventional framework of a specific time. Achieving a soft, monochromic sfumato allowed him to create a complex and mysterious interplay of transparency and depth. Like fleeting apparitions, elusive to the brush, his figures seem to emerge from the landscape, from the background, as if from another time-space.
Exhibitions
03.10.2026
EXPO MOITEPARI
Financial conference on personal finance management, investments, and real estate.
https://expo.moitepari.bg/
https://expo.moitepari.bg/
Business Events
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
10.09.2026 - 11.10.2026
Maya Antova – Mayoto - MACONDO
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
30.07.2026 - 04.10.2026
EUGÈNE CARRIÈRE. THE VISIONARY
The exhibition offers a novel, more conceptual look at one of the most prominent French artists of the second half of the 19th century, emphasising the influence he had on his contemporaries, as well as on the oeuvres of key figures of Early Modernism in the 20th century.
Although Eugène Carrière is well represented in the National Gallery permanent exposition at Kvadrat 500, his name remains relatively unknown to the general public. The team’s ambition is to present all his paintings, lithographs and drawings from the museum collection for the first time. During the research, it was discovered that these lithographs of high collectible worth were extremely valuable copies of unique bibliophilic compendia published in limited editions in Paris in the closing quarter of the 19th century. It is only the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the State Museum in Stuttgart, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the State Museum in Amsterdam, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, that can boast possession of such prints.
Carrière was among those artists who won recognition during their lifetime, and whose works were displayed in major museums. He invariably worked beyond the stylistic categories of the time without claiming to belong to any specific trend. Defying any sort of labelling, the painter, engraver and draughtsman, Carrière—a contemporary of Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon and Paul Gauguin—soon surrounded himself with the most influential figures in the artistic and literary worlds of his time. His oeuvre influenced Picasso who drew inspiration from his monochromatic painting.
Beyond the modernity of his subjects, it is precisely in the artist’s painting style that the great adventure of his art lies. A distinguished portraitist and master of family scenes and the theme of motherhood, and precursor of Minimalism, he eliminated details transforming images into archetypes and expressions of feeling beyond the conventional framework of a specific time. Achieving a soft, monochromic sfumato allowed him to create a complex and mysterious interplay of transparency and depth. Like fleeting apparitions, elusive to the brush, his figures seem to emerge from the landscape, from the background, as if from another time-space.
Although Eugène Carrière is well represented in the National Gallery permanent exposition at Kvadrat 500, his name remains relatively unknown to the general public. The team’s ambition is to present all his paintings, lithographs and drawings from the museum collection for the first time. During the research, it was discovered that these lithographs of high collectible worth were extremely valuable copies of unique bibliophilic compendia published in limited editions in Paris in the closing quarter of the 19th century. It is only the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the State Museum in Stuttgart, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the State Museum in Amsterdam, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, that can boast possession of such prints.
Carrière was among those artists who won recognition during their lifetime, and whose works were displayed in major museums. He invariably worked beyond the stylistic categories of the time without claiming to belong to any specific trend. Defying any sort of labelling, the painter, engraver and draughtsman, Carrière—a contemporary of Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon and Paul Gauguin—soon surrounded himself with the most influential figures in the artistic and literary worlds of his time. His oeuvre influenced Picasso who drew inspiration from his monochromatic painting.
Beyond the modernity of his subjects, it is precisely in the artist’s painting style that the great adventure of his art lies. A distinguished portraitist and master of family scenes and the theme of motherhood, and precursor of Minimalism, he eliminated details transforming images into archetypes and expressions of feeling beyond the conventional framework of a specific time. Achieving a soft, monochromic sfumato allowed him to create a complex and mysterious interplay of transparency and depth. Like fleeting apparitions, elusive to the brush, his figures seem to emerge from the landscape, from the background, as if from another time-space.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
10.09.2026 - 11.10.2026
Maya Antova – Mayoto - MACONDO
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
10.09.2026 - 11.10.2026
Maya Antova – Mayoto - MACONDO
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
06.10.2026 - 09.10.2026
INTER DRONE EXPO
Air mobility, smart cities, electromobility, digitalization, cybersecurity & safety.
Business Events
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.10.2026 - 09.10.2026
MACHTECH & INNOTECH EXPO
International exhibition for machinery and technologies in metalworking industry.
Business Events
10.09.2026 - 11.10.2026
Maya Antova – Mayoto - MACONDO
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
06.10.2026
Business Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
06.10.2026 - 09.10.2026
INTER DRONE EXPO
Air mobility, smart cities, electromobility, digitalization, cybersecurity & safety.
Business Events
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.10.2026 - 09.10.2026
MACHTECH & INNOTECH EXPO
International exhibition for machinery and technologies in metalworking industry.
Business Events
10.09.2026 - 11.10.2026
Maya Antova – Mayoto - MACONDO
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
07.10.2026
34th Sofia Exhibition of Minerals, Fossils and Precious Stones
on 9, 10 and 11 October, from 10:00 to 19:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
07.10.2026
OFFICIAL CHANGE OF THE GUARD IN FRONT OF THE PRESIDENCY
In front of the Presidency
The ceremonial change of the guard in front of the Presidency marks the national and public holidays in Bulgaria. The officialchange of the guard takes place on the first Wednesday of every month at 12:00 o’clock.
Festivals
07.10.2026
GALA CONCERT
XXIV International master class of RAINA KABAIVANSKA
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Music and Dance Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
06.10.2026 - 09.10.2026
INTER DRONE EXPO
Air mobility, smart cities, electromobility, digitalization, cybersecurity & safety.
Business Events
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.10.2026 - 09.10.2026
MACHTECH & INNOTECH EXPO
International exhibition for machinery and technologies in metalworking industry.
Business Events
10.09.2026 - 11.10.2026
Maya Antova – Mayoto - MACONDO
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
08.10.2026
Gustav Kuhn Presents
Conductor
Gustav Kuhn
Solоist/s
Ania Vegry
Maria Radoeva
Ferdinand von Bothmer
Franz Hawlata
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
National Philharmonic Choir
Program
Joseph Haydn – “The Creation” – Oratorio for Soloists, Choir and Orchestra
Gustav Kuhn
Solоist/s
Ania Vegry
Maria Radoeva
Ferdinand von Bothmer
Franz Hawlata
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
National Philharmonic Choir
Program
Joseph Haydn – “The Creation” – Oratorio for Soloists, Choir and Orchestra
Music and Dance Events
08.10.2026
ROMЕ́O ET JULIETTE
Ballet to the music of Sergei Prokofiev
Duration 3:10 Intermission 2
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Duration 3:10 Intermission 2
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Music and Dance Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
06.10.2026 - 09.10.2026
INTER DRONE EXPO
Air mobility, smart cities, electromobility, digitalization, cybersecurity & safety.
Business Events
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
06.10.2026 - 09.10.2026
MACHTECH & INNOTECH EXPO
International exhibition for machinery and technologies in metalworking industry.
Business Events
10.09.2026 - 11.10.2026
Maya Antova – Mayoto - MACONDO
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
09.10.2026
LA CENERENTOLA
Opera by Gioachino Rossini
Duration 2:45 Intermission 1
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Performed in italian, with bulgarian and english subtitles
Duration 2:45 Intermission 1
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Performed in italian, with bulgarian and english subtitles
Music and Dance Events
09.10.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026 - Concert of Hannover Chamber Orchestra (Germany)
Conductor: Hans-Christian Euler. Soloists: Massimo Mercelli, flute (Italy) and Davide Alogna, violin (Italy).
Works of Mendelssohn, Hofmann, Schumann/Godard, Schubert, Saint-Saens.
The concert is part of the Cultural Calendar of the Ministry of Culture for 2026.
Works of Mendelssohn, Hofmann, Schumann/Godard, Schubert, Saint-Saens.
The concert is part of the Cultural Calendar of the Ministry of Culture for 2026.
Festivals
10.10.2026
10 Steps to a Brilliant Presentation
Desi Stoyanova will share with you 10 clear steps to follow so that your presentations achieve their goals, while at the same time are an exciting experience for the audience.
Business Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
10.09.2026 - 11.10.2026
Maya Antova – Mayoto - MACONDO
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
10.10.2026
ROMЕ́O ET JULIETTE
Ballet to the music of Sergei Prokofiev
Duration 3:10 Intermission 2
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Duration 3:10 Intermission 2
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Music and Dance Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
10.09.2026 - 11.10.2026
Maya Antova – Mayoto - MACONDO
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Maya Antova – Mayoto has transformed the exhibition space into a metaphorical Macondo, the town of solitude and magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece. The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the birth of Ivanka Sokerova, a ‘forgotten’ and lesser-known artist whose life was a fascinating fiction.
Sokerova was an example of the triumph of the spirit: as a child, she manifested her versatile talent, but her life changed after her right hand was complete paralysed due to illness. Thus, fate directed her to devote herself to art. Her life turned into a microcosm of solitude where the borderline between reality and fantasy became invisible.
The exhibition, titled MACONDO, is here to show that solitude is not stagnation but a state of mind where art becomes the only possible language. By inverting the exhibition space, Maya Antova – Mayoto urges the viewer to look at the ‘invisible’, and to rethink Ivanka Sokerova’s persona as the architect of a magical world built on the ruins of a paralysed reality.
The exhibition, arranged in a radically different way, resembles a kind of ‘topsy-turvy world’. All objects are positioned ‘beneath the ceiling’, some reaching the floor, others hanging in the air. To observe them, the viewer must look up—a gesture of rising above earthly suffering and searching for the transcendent; a kind of gravity of the spirit.
An illusion of fiction is achieved through 3D objects replicating sculptures by Sokerova. The ‘thread-hand’ detail (a symbol of matter with no structure) serves as the leitmotif of the exhibition.
At the centre of the installation, there is an inflatable boat roaming beneath the ceiling—a symbol of transition and escape from reality. Life jackets made of paper with prints of memories are ‘floating’ around it. Paper here represents the fragile raft of knowledge that keeps the personality afloat—a reference to all intellectual activities, translations, drawings, sculptures, collages and participation in Dadaist actions, all part of Sokerova’s artistic life.
When viewers look up at the boat and the paper jackets, they do not see a ‘sinking’, but ‘rising’. They understand that escaping from reality is not desertion but an act of supreme intellectual courage.
Ivanka Sokerova did not simply translate books or model clay—she constructed life jackets from thought so as not to sink into the loneliness of her Macondo. Today, these vests hang over us as a call to seek our own haven while the world around turns topsy-turvy.
The exhibition opens with an authorial performance by Maya Antova – Mayoto, titled ‘Traveling Back’, where quotes from literary texts dedicated to Sokerova intertwine with random noises and onomatopoeic elements, creating the feeling of the fragmented world of Macondo.
…
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
11.10.2026
ROMЕ́O ET JULIETTE
Ballet to the music of Sergei Prokofiev
Duration 3:10 Intermission 2
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Duration 3:10 Intermission 2
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Music and Dance Events
11.10.2026
Fortissimo Academy: Grieg
Conductor
Lyubomir Denev Jr.
Solоist/s
Anthony Sintow-Behrens
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Lyubomir Denev Jr.
Solоist/s
Anthony Sintow-Behrens
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Music and Dance Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
13.10.2026 - 18.10.2026
Exhibition "Ikebana in the Chrysanthemum Season"
13-18 October, from10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
13.10.2026 - 18.10.2026
Exhibition "Ikebana in the Chrysanthemum Season"
13-18 October, from10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
13.10.2026 - 18.10.2026
Exhibition "Ikebana in the Chrysanthemum Season"
13-18 October, from10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
15.10.2026
Onutė Gražinytė & Nayden Todorov
Conductor
Nayden Todorov
Solоist/s
Onutė Gražinytė
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Robert Schumann – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, оp.54
Clara Schumann- Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
Nayden Todorov
Solоist/s
Onutė Gražinytė
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Robert Schumann – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, оp.54
Clara Schumann- Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
Music and Dance Events
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
13.10.2026 - 18.10.2026
Exhibition "Ikebana in the Chrysanthemum Season"
13-18 October, from10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
17.10.2026
"20 Under 20", Class of 2026
"20 Under 20" is a ranking that recognizes, connects and promotes the most active and inspiring young people in Bulgaria under 20 years old.
Business Events
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
13.10.2026 - 18.10.2026
Exhibition "Ikebana in the Chrysanthemum Season"
13-18 October, from10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
17.10.2026
THE HERMIT OF RILA
Musical Poem by Father Kiril Popov
THE HERMIT OF RILA / Duration 2:00
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Performed in Bulgarian, with English subtitles.
THE HERMIT OF RILA / Duration 2:00
Main Hall
Children under 6 are not admitted to adult performances!
Performed in Bulgarian, with English subtitles.
Music and Dance Events
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
13.10.2026 - 18.10.2026
Exhibition "Ikebana in the Chrysanthemum Season"
13-18 October, from10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
18.10.2026
Bryn Terfel & Nayden Todorov
Conductor
Nayden Todorov
Solоist/s
Sir Bryn Terfel
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
About this event
Overtures and Opera Arias
Nayden Todorov
Solоist/s
Sir Bryn Terfel
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
About this event
Overtures and Opera Arias
Music and Dance Events
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
19.10.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026 - Piano recital of Jimmy Brière (Canada)
Works of Schubert, Liszt, Debussy, Corigliano, Brière.
Festivals
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
20.10.2026
Real Estate Business Forum
Annual business forum on the real estate market in Bulgaria, with main topics such as: new construction, urban environment, investments and modernization of the sector.
Business Events
20.10.2026 - 20.10.2027
THE WALL Vol. 7 Nevelin Ivanov I FEEL NOTHING ELSE BUT DISAPPOINTMENT
The 7th edition of “The Wall” presents the work of Nevelin Ivanov "I Feel Nothing Else but Disappointment".
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
20.10.2026
Romantic Choral Pictures
Conductor
Miroslav Popsavov
Solоist/s
Ensemble
National Philharmonic Choir
About this event
Works by FELIX MENDELSSOHN–BARTHOLDY, JOHANNES BRAHMS, FRANZ SCHUBERT, GIUSEPPE VERDI, GABRIEL FAURÉ
Miroslav Popsavov
Solоist/s
Ensemble
National Philharmonic Choir
About this event
Works by FELIX MENDELSSOHN–BARTHOLDY, JOHANNES BRAHMS, FRANZ SCHUBERT, GIUSEPPE VERDI, GABRIEL FAURÉ
Music and Dance Events
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
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Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
04.08.2026 - 21.10.2026
FRANCISCO GOYA - DREAMS OF A KEEN MIND
The Spaniard FRANCISCO GOYA (1746–1828) was one of the most prominent and influential creative figures in world culture. He produced over 1,000 paintings, as well as the graphic series titled Los Caprichos, Los Desastres de la Guerra, Tauromaquia, and Los Disparates.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
His stylistic and philosophical spectrum had a strong influence on the subsequent dynamic development of art, defining him as the last of the Old Masters and one of the earliest of Modernism. His extensive output—paintings, graphics and drawings—served as a leading aesthetic principle for many artistic trends of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism.
The twenty-one prints from the National Gallery collection follow Goya’s development from his earliest etchings, influenced by Diego Velázquez’s style, to his peak achievements as a social interpreter, remarkable for his sharpness, and a chronicler of dour events and complex human characters. The high artistic level of his four graphic series has left a deep imprint on the history of art.
The National Gallery houses seven works from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series, 1799. Satirising the institutional pillars of power, the church, the Inquisition, the parasitism of the feudal nobility, and the decay of the moral values of social classes, was the reason for the series to be banned from exhibiting.
Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War) series, which Goya began ca. 1810, and returned to ca. 1820, was not published by the artist during his lifetime. One of the works is titled ‘Prisoner. The Custody Is as Barbarous as the Crime’. It is considered unique, as it is rarely found in other museum and private collections around the world.
La Tauromaquia (The Art of Bullfighting) series, probably created between 1815 and 1816, reflected the artist’s interest in bullfighting. These works combine the flagrant cruelty of the corrida and his admiration for the skill and exciting action of the games. Of the thirty-three prints in the series, the National Gallery owns five.
While still working on La Tauromaquia, the artist in all probability launched into another series titled Los Disparates (The Follies), the meaning in his time being along the lines of stupidity or madness. The fantastic compositions are encrypted allegories whose impressive depth fascinated artists such as Baudelaire, Hugo, and Delacroix. The National Gallery’s collection houses four of those; two of them—‘Little Bulls’ Folly’ and ‘A Way of Flying’—are emblematic of the artist’s genius.
The National Gallery also owns the etching ‘Blind Singer’, emotionally described by Nikolay Raynov, in his ‘History of the Plastic Arts’ (1939), as ‘first’ among the ‘curious and significant’ graphic works of Goya.
The exhibition also includes a work by the Spanish surrealist artist, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), dedicated to Goya and his Caprichos.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
20.10.2026 - 20.10.2027
THE WALL Vol. 7 Nevelin Ivanov I FEEL NOTHING ELSE BUT DISAPPOINTMENT
The 7th edition of “The Wall” presents the work of Nevelin Ivanov "I Feel Nothing Else but Disappointment".
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 26.10.2026
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026
The largest exhibition of Asian automobiles in Sofia.
For the first time in Bulgaria, a specialized exhibition dedicated entirely to the Asian automotive industry will take place.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 will be held from October 22 to 26 at Arena 8888 Sofia and will present the largest selection of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean car brands in the country.
The event will bring together leading brands such as BYD, Geely, Dongfeng, BAIC, GWM, KGM, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, MG, Leapmotor, Lynk & Co, Voyah, and many others that define the development of the automotive market and mobility technologies today.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see dozens of new models, electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as the latest solutions in the automotive industry.
One of the main attractions will be the test drive zone, where everyone will be able to try selected models in real conditions and feel the difference behind the wheel.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 is not just an exhibition, it is an experience.
The program includes entertainment zones for all ages, an Asian food area, games, prizes, and activities for visitors throughout all event days.
The exhibition will take place across large-scale areas that ensure a comfortable visit and allow full exploration of all participants.
For the convenience of guests, free parking with over 800 spaces is provided.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 – Don’t miss it.
Dates: October 22–26, 2026
Location: Arena 8888 Sofia
https://www.asiamotorshow.eu/
For the first time in Bulgaria, a specialized exhibition dedicated entirely to the Asian automotive industry will take place.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 will be held from October 22 to 26 at Arena 8888 Sofia and will present the largest selection of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean car brands in the country.
The event will bring together leading brands such as BYD, Geely, Dongfeng, BAIC, GWM, KGM, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, MG, Leapmotor, Lynk & Co, Voyah, and many others that define the development of the automotive market and mobility technologies today.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see dozens of new models, electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as the latest solutions in the automotive industry.
One of the main attractions will be the test drive zone, where everyone will be able to try selected models in real conditions and feel the difference behind the wheel.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 is not just an exhibition, it is an experience.
The program includes entertainment zones for all ages, an Asian food area, games, prizes, and activities for visitors throughout all event days.
The exhibition will take place across large-scale areas that ensure a comfortable visit and allow full exploration of all participants.
For the convenience of guests, free parking with over 800 spaces is provided.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 – Don’t miss it.
Dates: October 22–26, 2026
Location: Arena 8888 Sofia
https://www.asiamotorshow.eu/
Business Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
22.10.2026
EVOLVE - Business Agility Bulgaria 2026
A conference aimed at showing how AI is changing the way organizations, teams, and leaders work, make decisions, and create value.
Business Events
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
20.10.2026 - 20.10.2027
THE WALL Vol. 7 Nevelin Ivanov I FEEL NOTHING ELSE BUT DISAPPOINTMENT
The 7th edition of “The Wall” presents the work of Nevelin Ivanov "I Feel Nothing Else but Disappointment".
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 20.11.2026
VERA NEDKOVA – KIRIL TSONEV ENCOUNTERS
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev belonged to the generation of artists who, during the 1930s, changed the face of Bulgarian plastic culture infusing it with a modern European spirit. The profound bond between them represented one of the most significant collegial and creative friendships in Bulgarian art of that period. Surviving memoirs, writings, and documents attest to their outstanding culture and erudition, through
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
22.10.2026
Delyana Lazarova Presents
Conductor
Delyana Lazarova
Solоist/s
Alexander Somov
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Antonín Dvořák – Concert for violoncello and orchestra in B Minor, opus 104
Sergei Rachmaninoff – Symphony No.3
Delyana Lazarova
Solоist/s
Alexander Somov
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Antonín Dvořák – Concert for violoncello and orchestra in B Minor, opus 104
Sergei Rachmaninoff – Symphony No.3
Music and Dance Events
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 26.10.2026
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026
The largest exhibition of Asian automobiles in Sofia.
For the first time in Bulgaria, a specialized exhibition dedicated entirely to the Asian automotive industry will take place.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 will be held from October 22 to 26 at Arena 8888 Sofia and will present the largest selection of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean car brands in the country.
The event will bring together leading brands such as BYD, Geely, Dongfeng, BAIC, GWM, KGM, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, MG, Leapmotor, Lynk & Co, Voyah, and many others that define the development of the automotive market and mobility technologies today.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see dozens of new models, electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as the latest solutions in the automotive industry.
One of the main attractions will be the test drive zone, where everyone will be able to try selected models in real conditions and feel the difference behind the wheel.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 is not just an exhibition, it is an experience.
The program includes entertainment zones for all ages, an Asian food area, games, prizes, and activities for visitors throughout all event days.
The exhibition will take place across large-scale areas that ensure a comfortable visit and allow full exploration of all participants.
For the convenience of guests, free parking with over 800 spaces is provided.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 – Don’t miss it.
Dates: October 22–26, 2026
Location: Arena 8888 Sofia
https://www.asiamotorshow.eu/
For the first time in Bulgaria, a specialized exhibition dedicated entirely to the Asian automotive industry will take place.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 will be held from October 22 to 26 at Arena 8888 Sofia and will present the largest selection of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean car brands in the country.
The event will bring together leading brands such as BYD, Geely, Dongfeng, BAIC, GWM, KGM, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, MG, Leapmotor, Lynk & Co, Voyah, and many others that define the development of the automotive market and mobility technologies today.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see dozens of new models, electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as the latest solutions in the automotive industry.
One of the main attractions will be the test drive zone, where everyone will be able to try selected models in real conditions and feel the difference behind the wheel.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 is not just an exhibition, it is an experience.
The program includes entertainment zones for all ages, an Asian food area, games, prizes, and activities for visitors throughout all event days.
The exhibition will take place across large-scale areas that ensure a comfortable visit and allow full exploration of all participants.
For the convenience of guests, free parking with over 800 spaces is provided.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 – Don’t miss it.
Dates: October 22–26, 2026
Location: Arena 8888 Sofia
https://www.asiamotorshow.eu/
Business Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
20.10.2026 - 20.10.2027
THE WALL Vol. 7 Nevelin Ivanov I FEEL NOTHING ELSE BUT DISAPPOINTMENT
The 7th edition of “The Wall” presents the work of Nevelin Ivanov "I Feel Nothing Else but Disappointment".
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 20.11.2026
VERA NEDKOVA – KIRIL TSONEV ENCOUNTERS
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev belonged to the generation of artists who, during the 1930s, changed the face of Bulgarian plastic culture infusing it with a modern European spirit. The profound bond between them represented one of the most significant collegial and creative friendships in Bulgarian art of that period. Surviving memoirs, writings, and documents attest to their outstanding culture and erudition, through
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
23.10.2026
Concert from the Arts for the Earth Festival
on 23 October from 18:00 o'clock
Free entrance
Free entrance
Music and Dance Events
23.10.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026 - “Amadeus Piano Duo” – Valentina Fornari and Alberto Nosè (Italy)
Works of Schubert, Respighi, Ravel, Kapustin.
In partnership with the Italian Cultural Institute.
In partnership with the Italian Cultural Institute.
Festivals
24.10.2026 - 25.10.2026
Albert Roussel Music Competition
On 24 and 25 October from 10:00 to 15:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Music and Dance Events
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 26.10.2026
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026
The largest exhibition of Asian automobiles in Sofia.
For the first time in Bulgaria, a specialized exhibition dedicated entirely to the Asian automotive industry will take place.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 will be held from October 22 to 26 at Arena 8888 Sofia and will present the largest selection of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean car brands in the country.
The event will bring together leading brands such as BYD, Geely, Dongfeng, BAIC, GWM, KGM, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, MG, Leapmotor, Lynk & Co, Voyah, and many others that define the development of the automotive market and mobility technologies today.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see dozens of new models, electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as the latest solutions in the automotive industry.
One of the main attractions will be the test drive zone, where everyone will be able to try selected models in real conditions and feel the difference behind the wheel.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 is not just an exhibition, it is an experience.
The program includes entertainment zones for all ages, an Asian food area, games, prizes, and activities for visitors throughout all event days.
The exhibition will take place across large-scale areas that ensure a comfortable visit and allow full exploration of all participants.
For the convenience of guests, free parking with over 800 spaces is provided.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 – Don’t miss it.
Dates: October 22–26, 2026
Location: Arena 8888 Sofia
https://www.asiamotorshow.eu/
For the first time in Bulgaria, a specialized exhibition dedicated entirely to the Asian automotive industry will take place.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 will be held from October 22 to 26 at Arena 8888 Sofia and will present the largest selection of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean car brands in the country.
The event will bring together leading brands such as BYD, Geely, Dongfeng, BAIC, GWM, KGM, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, MG, Leapmotor, Lynk & Co, Voyah, and many others that define the development of the automotive market and mobility technologies today.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see dozens of new models, electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as the latest solutions in the automotive industry.
One of the main attractions will be the test drive zone, where everyone will be able to try selected models in real conditions and feel the difference behind the wheel.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 is not just an exhibition, it is an experience.
The program includes entertainment zones for all ages, an Asian food area, games, prizes, and activities for visitors throughout all event days.
The exhibition will take place across large-scale areas that ensure a comfortable visit and allow full exploration of all participants.
For the convenience of guests, free parking with over 800 spaces is provided.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 – Don’t miss it.
Dates: October 22–26, 2026
Location: Arena 8888 Sofia
https://www.asiamotorshow.eu/
Business Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
20.10.2026 - 20.10.2027
THE WALL Vol. 7 Nevelin Ivanov I FEEL NOTHING ELSE BUT DISAPPOINTMENT
The 7th edition of “The Wall” presents the work of Nevelin Ivanov "I Feel Nothing Else but Disappointment".
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 20.11.2026
VERA NEDKOVA – KIRIL TSONEV ENCOUNTERS
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev belonged to the generation of artists who, during the 1930s, changed the face of Bulgarian plastic culture infusing it with a modern European spirit. The profound bond between them represented one of the most significant collegial and creative friendships in Bulgarian art of that period. Surviving memoirs, writings, and documents attest to their outstanding culture and erudition, through
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
24.10.2026 - 25.10.2026
Albert Roussel Music Competition
On 24 and 25 October from 10:00 to 15:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Music and Dance Events
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
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Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 26.10.2026
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026
The largest exhibition of Asian automobiles in Sofia.
For the first time in Bulgaria, a specialized exhibition dedicated entirely to the Asian automotive industry will take place.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 will be held from October 22 to 26 at Arena 8888 Sofia and will present the largest selection of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean car brands in the country.
The event will bring together leading brands such as BYD, Geely, Dongfeng, BAIC, GWM, KGM, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, MG, Leapmotor, Lynk & Co, Voyah, and many others that define the development of the automotive market and mobility technologies today.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see dozens of new models, electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as the latest solutions in the automotive industry.
One of the main attractions will be the test drive zone, where everyone will be able to try selected models in real conditions and feel the difference behind the wheel.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 is not just an exhibition, it is an experience.
The program includes entertainment zones for all ages, an Asian food area, games, prizes, and activities for visitors throughout all event days.
The exhibition will take place across large-scale areas that ensure a comfortable visit and allow full exploration of all participants.
For the convenience of guests, free parking with over 800 spaces is provided.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 – Don’t miss it.
Dates: October 22–26, 2026
Location: Arena 8888 Sofia
https://www.asiamotorshow.eu/
For the first time in Bulgaria, a specialized exhibition dedicated entirely to the Asian automotive industry will take place.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 will be held from October 22 to 26 at Arena 8888 Sofia and will present the largest selection of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean car brands in the country.
The event will bring together leading brands such as BYD, Geely, Dongfeng, BAIC, GWM, KGM, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, MG, Leapmotor, Lynk & Co, Voyah, and many others that define the development of the automotive market and mobility technologies today.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see dozens of new models, electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as the latest solutions in the automotive industry.
One of the main attractions will be the test drive zone, where everyone will be able to try selected models in real conditions and feel the difference behind the wheel.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 is not just an exhibition, it is an experience.
The program includes entertainment zones for all ages, an Asian food area, games, prizes, and activities for visitors throughout all event days.
The exhibition will take place across large-scale areas that ensure a comfortable visit and allow full exploration of all participants.
For the convenience of guests, free parking with over 800 spaces is provided.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 – Don’t miss it.
Dates: October 22–26, 2026
Location: Arena 8888 Sofia
https://www.asiamotorshow.eu/
Business Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
20.10.2026 - 20.10.2027
THE WALL Vol. 7 Nevelin Ivanov I FEEL NOTHING ELSE BUT DISAPPOINTMENT
The 7th edition of “The Wall” presents the work of Nevelin Ivanov "I Feel Nothing Else but Disappointment".
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 20.11.2026
VERA NEDKOVA – KIRIL TSONEV ENCOUNTERS
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev belonged to the generation of artists who, during the 1930s, changed the face of Bulgarian plastic culture infusing it with a modern European spirit. The profound bond between them represented one of the most significant collegial and creative friendships in Bulgarian art of that period. Surviving memoirs, writings, and documents attest to their outstanding culture and erudition, through
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 26.10.2026
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026
The largest exhibition of Asian automobiles in Sofia.
For the first time in Bulgaria, a specialized exhibition dedicated entirely to the Asian automotive industry will take place.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 will be held from October 22 to 26 at Arena 8888 Sofia and will present the largest selection of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean car brands in the country.
The event will bring together leading brands such as BYD, Geely, Dongfeng, BAIC, GWM, KGM, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, MG, Leapmotor, Lynk & Co, Voyah, and many others that define the development of the automotive market and mobility technologies today.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see dozens of new models, electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as the latest solutions in the automotive industry.
One of the main attractions will be the test drive zone, where everyone will be able to try selected models in real conditions and feel the difference behind the wheel.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 is not just an exhibition, it is an experience.
The program includes entertainment zones for all ages, an Asian food area, games, prizes, and activities for visitors throughout all event days.
The exhibition will take place across large-scale areas that ensure a comfortable visit and allow full exploration of all participants.
For the convenience of guests, free parking with over 800 spaces is provided.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 – Don’t miss it.
Dates: October 22–26, 2026
Location: Arena 8888 Sofia
https://www.asiamotorshow.eu/
For the first time in Bulgaria, a specialized exhibition dedicated entirely to the Asian automotive industry will take place.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 will be held from October 22 to 26 at Arena 8888 Sofia and will present the largest selection of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean car brands in the country.
The event will bring together leading brands such as BYD, Geely, Dongfeng, BAIC, GWM, KGM, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, MG, Leapmotor, Lynk & Co, Voyah, and many others that define the development of the automotive market and mobility technologies today.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see dozens of new models, electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as the latest solutions in the automotive industry.
One of the main attractions will be the test drive zone, where everyone will be able to try selected models in real conditions and feel the difference behind the wheel.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 is not just an exhibition, it is an experience.
The program includes entertainment zones for all ages, an Asian food area, games, prizes, and activities for visitors throughout all event days.
The exhibition will take place across large-scale areas that ensure a comfortable visit and allow full exploration of all participants.
For the convenience of guests, free parking with over 800 spaces is provided.
Asia Motor Show Sofia 2026 – Don’t miss it.
Dates: October 22–26, 2026
Location: Arena 8888 Sofia
https://www.asiamotorshow.eu/
Business Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
20.10.2026 - 20.10.2027
THE WALL Vol. 7 Nevelin Ivanov I FEEL NOTHING ELSE BUT DISAPPOINTMENT
The 7th edition of “The Wall” presents the work of Nevelin Ivanov "I Feel Nothing Else but Disappointment".
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 20.11.2026
VERA NEDKOVA – KIRIL TSONEV ENCOUNTERS
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev belonged to the generation of artists who, during the 1930s, changed the face of Bulgarian plastic culture infusing it with a modern European spirit. The profound bond between them represented one of the most significant collegial and creative friendships in Bulgarian art of that period. Surviving memoirs, writings, and documents attest to their outstanding culture and erudition, through
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
27.10.2026 - 31.12.2026
IVAN TOMANOV (1956−2017) - INSPIRATION
The ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund is visiting the National Gallery to present ‘Inspiration’, an exhibition by Karlovo artist Ivan Tomanov (1956–2017). The event is part of the programme marking the 45th anniversary of the Fund’s foundation.
The exhibition features some 20 sculptures and over ten drawings by the artist, as well as a portrait of him by painter Dimitar Lalev. The exhibits include a version of the composition, ‘Memory’ (2004), which was specially commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, where it is kept to this day.
Ivan Tomanov graduated from the Secondary School of Arts in Sofia in 1974, and acquired a degree in Sculpture at the National Academy of Arts in 1983, under Prof. Boris Gondov.
Art historian and exhibition curator Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov said about the artist: ‘We should stress that, alongside its extraordinary breadth, Ivan Tomanov’s oeuvre reveals a reflexive insight into the
issues of contemporary art—a quality rarely encountered in these latitudes.’
‘His exhibition, “Untitled: Drawings, Simulacra” (Karlovo, 2015; Sofia, 2016) still remains unique in the history of our culture. Above all by the fact that it dramatises the issue of expendability of the artist and the end of art itself. Without passing definitive judgments on these issues, Ivan Tomanov imposes something fundamental that is also valid for his entire oeuvre: works of art are not intended for ephemeral admiration; rather, they demand a certain tension in the process of perception, which enkindles reflections on their conception, maturation, and plastic creation. Whence, the primary focus of his creative inspiration: not so much to
appeal to the public as it is to make it [people] think…’
Media partner: BТА / Bulgarian News Agency.
Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov
The exhibition features some 20 sculptures and over ten drawings by the artist, as well as a portrait of him by painter Dimitar Lalev. The exhibits include a version of the composition, ‘Memory’ (2004), which was specially commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, where it is kept to this day.
Ivan Tomanov graduated from the Secondary School of Arts in Sofia in 1974, and acquired a degree in Sculpture at the National Academy of Arts in 1983, under Prof. Boris Gondov.
Art historian and exhibition curator Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov said about the artist: ‘We should stress that, alongside its extraordinary breadth, Ivan Tomanov’s oeuvre reveals a reflexive insight into the
issues of contemporary art—a quality rarely encountered in these latitudes.’
‘His exhibition, “Untitled: Drawings, Simulacra” (Karlovo, 2015; Sofia, 2016) still remains unique in the history of our culture. Above all by the fact that it dramatises the issue of expendability of the artist and the end of art itself. Without passing definitive judgments on these issues, Ivan Tomanov imposes something fundamental that is also valid for his entire oeuvre: works of art are not intended for ephemeral admiration; rather, they demand a certain tension in the process of perception, which enkindles reflections on their conception, maturation, and plastic creation. Whence, the primary focus of his creative inspiration: not so much to
appeal to the public as it is to make it [people] think…’
Media partner: BТА / Bulgarian News Agency.
Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
20.10.2026 - 20.10.2027
THE WALL Vol. 7 Nevelin Ivanov I FEEL NOTHING ELSE BUT DISAPPOINTMENT
The 7th edition of “The Wall” presents the work of Nevelin Ivanov "I Feel Nothing Else but Disappointment".
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 20.11.2026
VERA NEDKOVA – KIRIL TSONEV ENCOUNTERS
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev belonged to the generation of artists who, during the 1930s, changed the face of Bulgarian plastic culture infusing it with a modern European spirit. The profound bond between them represented one of the most significant collegial and creative friendships in Bulgarian art of that period. Surviving memoirs, writings, and documents attest to their outstanding culture and erudition, through
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
28.10.2026 - 29.10.2026
Bulgarian Security Summit
The inaugural Bulgarian Security Summit will bring together leading security experts, manufacturers, and professionals from across the region and beyond.
https://bulgariansecuritysummit.com/
https://bulgariansecuritysummit.com/
Business Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
28.10.2026 - 31.12.2026
HRISTO SIMEONOV (1935–2020) BETWEEN MATTER AND ANTIMATTER
Hristo Simeonov (1935–2020) belonged to the generation of artists whose creative searches unfolded amidst the evolving visual language of the second half of the 20th century. Within the context of Bulgarian art, this painter stood out for his idiosyncratic creative system—the result of long-standing research in physics, astrology, and cosmology—that existed at the intersection of painting, philosophy, science, and imagination.
The exhibition, ‘Between Matter and Antimatter’, features a selection of more than 50 works produced over a span of five decades. These range from still lifes, interiors, portraits, and landscapes—through which the artist maintained his connection to reality—to his magnum opus: Pariorealism.
In his earlier works, objects, light and space are rendered with precision, while the ordinary is transformed into an avenue for exploring the relationship between man and the surrounding world. The landscapes he produced throughout his life, reveal both nature and the urban environment as constant sources of inspiration. Seeking a novel artistic direction in the late 1970s, the artist formulated the concept of Pariorealism. Utilising the airbrush, employing unconventional spatial compositions, and engaging with ideas regarding rhythm, matter, and the Universe, he constructed images that transcended the established laws of
physical reality.
In the history of Bulgarian art, Hristo Simeonov’s figure is closely linked to sci-fi artists such as Stefan Lefterov, Vasil Ivanov, Tekla Aleksieva, and Dimitar Yankov.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Maria Kodinova, National Gallery
The exhibition, ‘Between Matter and Antimatter’, features a selection of more than 50 works produced over a span of five decades. These range from still lifes, interiors, portraits, and landscapes—through which the artist maintained his connection to reality—to his magnum opus: Pariorealism.
In his earlier works, objects, light and space are rendered with precision, while the ordinary is transformed into an avenue for exploring the relationship between man and the surrounding world. The landscapes he produced throughout his life, reveal both nature and the urban environment as constant sources of inspiration. Seeking a novel artistic direction in the late 1970s, the artist formulated the concept of Pariorealism. Utilising the airbrush, employing unconventional spatial compositions, and engaging with ideas regarding rhythm, matter, and the Universe, he constructed images that transcended the established laws of
physical reality.
In the history of Bulgarian art, Hristo Simeonov’s figure is closely linked to sci-fi artists such as Stefan Lefterov, Vasil Ivanov, Tekla Aleksieva, and Dimitar Yankov.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Maria Kodinova, National Gallery
Exhibitions
27.10.2026 - 31.12.2026
IVAN TOMANOV (1956−2017) - INSPIRATION
The ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund is visiting the National Gallery to present ‘Inspiration’, an exhibition by Karlovo artist Ivan Tomanov (1956–2017). The event is part of the programme marking the 45th anniversary of the Fund’s foundation.
The exhibition features some 20 sculptures and over ten drawings by the artist, as well as a portrait of him by painter Dimitar Lalev. The exhibits include a version of the composition, ‘Memory’ (2004), which was specially commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, where it is kept to this day.
Ivan Tomanov graduated from the Secondary School of Arts in Sofia in 1974, and acquired a degree in Sculpture at the National Academy of Arts in 1983, under Prof. Boris Gondov.
Art historian and exhibition curator Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov said about the artist: ‘We should stress that, alongside its extraordinary breadth, Ivan Tomanov’s oeuvre reveals a reflexive insight into the
issues of contemporary art—a quality rarely encountered in these latitudes.’
‘His exhibition, “Untitled: Drawings, Simulacra” (Karlovo, 2015; Sofia, 2016) still remains unique in the history of our culture. Above all by the fact that it dramatises the issue of expendability of the artist and the end of art itself. Without passing definitive judgments on these issues, Ivan Tomanov imposes something fundamental that is also valid for his entire oeuvre: works of art are not intended for ephemeral admiration; rather, they demand a certain tension in the process of perception, which enkindles reflections on their conception, maturation, and plastic creation. Whence, the primary focus of his creative inspiration: not so much to
appeal to the public as it is to make it [people] think…’
Media partner: BТА / Bulgarian News Agency.
Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov
The exhibition features some 20 sculptures and over ten drawings by the artist, as well as a portrait of him by painter Dimitar Lalev. The exhibits include a version of the composition, ‘Memory’ (2004), which was specially commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, where it is kept to this day.
Ivan Tomanov graduated from the Secondary School of Arts in Sofia in 1974, and acquired a degree in Sculpture at the National Academy of Arts in 1983, under Prof. Boris Gondov.
Art historian and exhibition curator Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov said about the artist: ‘We should stress that, alongside its extraordinary breadth, Ivan Tomanov’s oeuvre reveals a reflexive insight into the
issues of contemporary art—a quality rarely encountered in these latitudes.’
‘His exhibition, “Untitled: Drawings, Simulacra” (Karlovo, 2015; Sofia, 2016) still remains unique in the history of our culture. Above all by the fact that it dramatises the issue of expendability of the artist and the end of art itself. Without passing definitive judgments on these issues, Ivan Tomanov imposes something fundamental that is also valid for his entire oeuvre: works of art are not intended for ephemeral admiration; rather, they demand a certain tension in the process of perception, which enkindles reflections on their conception, maturation, and plastic creation. Whence, the primary focus of his creative inspiration: not so much to
appeal to the public as it is to make it [people] think…’
Media partner: BТА / Bulgarian News Agency.
Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
20.10.2026 - 20.10.2027
THE WALL Vol. 7 Nevelin Ivanov I FEEL NOTHING ELSE BUT DISAPPOINTMENT
The 7th edition of “The Wall” presents the work of Nevelin Ivanov "I Feel Nothing Else but Disappointment".
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 20.11.2026
VERA NEDKOVA – KIRIL TSONEV ENCOUNTERS
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev belonged to the generation of artists who, during the 1930s, changed the face of Bulgarian plastic culture infusing it with a modern European spirit. The profound bond between them represented one of the most significant collegial and creative friendships in Bulgarian art of that period. Surviving memoirs, writings, and documents attest to their outstanding culture and erudition, through
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
28.10.2026
Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor
Uroš Lajovic
Solоist/s
Lukáš Vondráček
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.1 in B-flat minor, Op.23
Petar Konjović – Symphony in C minor
Uroš Lajovic
Solоist/s
Lukáš Vondráček
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.1 in B-flat minor, Op.23
Petar Konjović – Symphony in C minor
Music and Dance Events
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
28.10.2026 - 29.10.2026
Bulgarian Security Summit
The inaugural Bulgarian Security Summit will bring together leading security experts, manufacturers, and professionals from across the region and beyond.
https://bulgariansecuritysummit.com/
https://bulgariansecuritysummit.com/
Business Events
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
28.10.2026 - 31.12.2026
HRISTO SIMEONOV (1935–2020) BETWEEN MATTER AND ANTIMATTER
Hristo Simeonov (1935–2020) belonged to the generation of artists whose creative searches unfolded amidst the evolving visual language of the second half of the 20th century. Within the context of Bulgarian art, this painter stood out for his idiosyncratic creative system—the result of long-standing research in physics, astrology, and cosmology—that existed at the intersection of painting, philosophy, science, and imagination.
The exhibition, ‘Between Matter and Antimatter’, features a selection of more than 50 works produced over a span of five decades. These range from still lifes, interiors, portraits, and landscapes—through which the artist maintained his connection to reality—to his magnum opus: Pariorealism.
In his earlier works, objects, light and space are rendered with precision, while the ordinary is transformed into an avenue for exploring the relationship between man and the surrounding world. The landscapes he produced throughout his life, reveal both nature and the urban environment as constant sources of inspiration. Seeking a novel artistic direction in the late 1970s, the artist formulated the concept of Pariorealism. Utilising the airbrush, employing unconventional spatial compositions, and engaging with ideas regarding rhythm, matter, and the Universe, he constructed images that transcended the established laws of
physical reality.
In the history of Bulgarian art, Hristo Simeonov’s figure is closely linked to sci-fi artists such as Stefan Lefterov, Vasil Ivanov, Tekla Aleksieva, and Dimitar Yankov.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Maria Kodinova, National Gallery
The exhibition, ‘Between Matter and Antimatter’, features a selection of more than 50 works produced over a span of five decades. These range from still lifes, interiors, portraits, and landscapes—through which the artist maintained his connection to reality—to his magnum opus: Pariorealism.
In his earlier works, objects, light and space are rendered with precision, while the ordinary is transformed into an avenue for exploring the relationship between man and the surrounding world. The landscapes he produced throughout his life, reveal both nature and the urban environment as constant sources of inspiration. Seeking a novel artistic direction in the late 1970s, the artist formulated the concept of Pariorealism. Utilising the airbrush, employing unconventional spatial compositions, and engaging with ideas regarding rhythm, matter, and the Universe, he constructed images that transcended the established laws of
physical reality.
In the history of Bulgarian art, Hristo Simeonov’s figure is closely linked to sci-fi artists such as Stefan Lefterov, Vasil Ivanov, Tekla Aleksieva, and Dimitar Yankov.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Maria Kodinova, National Gallery
Exhibitions
27.10.2026 - 31.12.2026
IVAN TOMANOV (1956−2017) - INSPIRATION
The ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund is visiting the National Gallery to present ‘Inspiration’, an exhibition by Karlovo artist Ivan Tomanov (1956–2017). The event is part of the programme marking the 45th anniversary of the Fund’s foundation.
The exhibition features some 20 sculptures and over ten drawings by the artist, as well as a portrait of him by painter Dimitar Lalev. The exhibits include a version of the composition, ‘Memory’ (2004), which was specially commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, where it is kept to this day.
Ivan Tomanov graduated from the Secondary School of Arts in Sofia in 1974, and acquired a degree in Sculpture at the National Academy of Arts in 1983, under Prof. Boris Gondov.
Art historian and exhibition curator Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov said about the artist: ‘We should stress that, alongside its extraordinary breadth, Ivan Tomanov’s oeuvre reveals a reflexive insight into the
issues of contemporary art—a quality rarely encountered in these latitudes.’
‘His exhibition, “Untitled: Drawings, Simulacra” (Karlovo, 2015; Sofia, 2016) still remains unique in the history of our culture. Above all by the fact that it dramatises the issue of expendability of the artist and the end of art itself. Without passing definitive judgments on these issues, Ivan Tomanov imposes something fundamental that is also valid for his entire oeuvre: works of art are not intended for ephemeral admiration; rather, they demand a certain tension in the process of perception, which enkindles reflections on their conception, maturation, and plastic creation. Whence, the primary focus of his creative inspiration: not so much to
appeal to the public as it is to make it [people] think…’
Media partner: BТА / Bulgarian News Agency.
Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov
The exhibition features some 20 sculptures and over ten drawings by the artist, as well as a portrait of him by painter Dimitar Lalev. The exhibits include a version of the composition, ‘Memory’ (2004), which was specially commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, where it is kept to this day.
Ivan Tomanov graduated from the Secondary School of Arts in Sofia in 1974, and acquired a degree in Sculpture at the National Academy of Arts in 1983, under Prof. Boris Gondov.
Art historian and exhibition curator Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov said about the artist: ‘We should stress that, alongside its extraordinary breadth, Ivan Tomanov’s oeuvre reveals a reflexive insight into the
issues of contemporary art—a quality rarely encountered in these latitudes.’
‘His exhibition, “Untitled: Drawings, Simulacra” (Karlovo, 2015; Sofia, 2016) still remains unique in the history of our culture. Above all by the fact that it dramatises the issue of expendability of the artist and the end of art itself. Without passing definitive judgments on these issues, Ivan Tomanov imposes something fundamental that is also valid for his entire oeuvre: works of art are not intended for ephemeral admiration; rather, they demand a certain tension in the process of perception, which enkindles reflections on their conception, maturation, and plastic creation. Whence, the primary focus of his creative inspiration: not so much to
appeal to the public as it is to make it [people] think…’
Media partner: BТА / Bulgarian News Agency.
Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
29.10.2026 - 06.12.2026
Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch. ARCHITECTURE: (THE) POSSIBLE ART
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Curator: Nadezhda Dzhakova, PhD
After his successive solo exhibitions in London, Paris, and Geneva, Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch., now presents 27 projects at the Sofia Arsenal Museum gallery whose reconstruction was carried out to his design in 2011.
Immersive installations, videos, scale models, sketches, technical drawings, and photographic documents showcase the diversity of his architectural oeuvre—ranging from theatres and sports facilities to philharmonic and opera houses, public spaces, and private residential buildings. A significant number of these projects have already been completed, or are currently under construction.
The exhibition also includes panels of architectural sculptures—or architectons—such as ‘Never, Never Land’, ‘Abode’, and the Monument to the Berlin Wall in Sofia. These works have previously been displayed in galleries, museums, and public spaces in Lisbon, Prague, Brussels, London, Paris, and Sofia.
The exhibition serves as an original architectural forum, with a rich accompanying programme, which includes lectures by internationally acclaimed architects, such as Dante O. Benini from Milan, Italy, and Prof. Octavio Mestre from Barcelona, Spain, and Arch. Fani Danadjieva Hansen, USA.
In its entirety, the exhibition comprehends architecture through its most up-to-date manifestations and challenges.
Furthermore, the topic of ‘architecture: (the) possible art’ is addressed—especially today, when, in the public spaces in Bulgaria, it is frequently perceived merely as square meters of construction for sale. This strips
it of its fundamental function and mission: to create a high-quality environment while showing respect for nature, cultural memory, and the human being.
This is the creative, the lecturer’s stance and creed that Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch., has consistently upheld throughout his long professional career.
The exhibition was made possible with the creative and organisational support of UACEG, INSTITUTO CERVANTES, ALUKÖNIGSTAHL, ОСА 2000, MP-STUDIO, BULGED, ROCA LAUFFEN, PHOENIX and KONICA MINOLTA.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; Bulgarian National Radio, ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Nadezhda Dzhakova, Head of SAMCA
Curator: Nadezhda Dzhakova, PhD
After his successive solo exhibitions in London, Paris, and Geneva, Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch., now presents 27 projects at the Sofia Arsenal Museum gallery whose reconstruction was carried out to his design in 2011.
Immersive installations, videos, scale models, sketches, technical drawings, and photographic documents showcase the diversity of his architectural oeuvre—ranging from theatres and sports facilities to philharmonic and opera houses, public spaces, and private residential buildings. A significant number of these projects have already been completed, or are currently under construction.
The exhibition also includes panels of architectural sculptures—or architectons—such as ‘Never, Never Land’, ‘Abode’, and the Monument to the Berlin Wall in Sofia. These works have previously been displayed in galleries, museums, and public spaces in Lisbon, Prague, Brussels, London, Paris, and Sofia.
The exhibition serves as an original architectural forum, with a rich accompanying programme, which includes lectures by internationally acclaimed architects, such as Dante O. Benini from Milan, Italy, and Prof. Octavio Mestre from Barcelona, Spain, and Arch. Fani Danadjieva Hansen, USA.
In its entirety, the exhibition comprehends architecture through its most up-to-date manifestations and challenges.
Furthermore, the topic of ‘architecture: (the) possible art’ is addressed—especially today, when, in the public spaces in Bulgaria, it is frequently perceived merely as square meters of construction for sale. This strips
it of its fundamental function and mission: to create a high-quality environment while showing respect for nature, cultural memory, and the human being.
This is the creative, the lecturer’s stance and creed that Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch., has consistently upheld throughout his long professional career.
The exhibition was made possible with the creative and organisational support of UACEG, INSTITUTO CERVANTES, ALUKÖNIGSTAHL, ОСА 2000, MP-STUDIO, BULGED, ROCA LAUFFEN, PHOENIX and KONICA MINOLTA.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; Bulgarian National Radio, ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Nadezhda Dzhakova, Head of SAMCA
Exhibitions
20.10.2026 - 20.10.2027
THE WALL Vol. 7 Nevelin Ivanov I FEEL NOTHING ELSE BUT DISAPPOINTMENT
The 7th edition of “The Wall” presents the work of Nevelin Ivanov "I Feel Nothing Else but Disappointment".
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 20.11.2026
VERA NEDKOVA – KIRIL TSONEV ENCOUNTERS
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev belonged to the generation of artists who, during the 1930s, changed the face of Bulgarian plastic culture infusing it with a modern European spirit. The profound bond between them represented one of the most significant collegial and creative friendships in Bulgarian art of that period. Surviving memoirs, writings, and documents attest to their outstanding culture and erudition, through
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
29.10.2026
Benjamin Herzl & Dennis Russell Davies
Conductor
Dennis Russell Davies
Solоist/s
Benjamin Herzl
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Philip Glass – Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.1
Anton Bruckner – Symphony No.6
Dennis Russell Davies
Solоist/s
Benjamin Herzl
Ensemble
Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra
Program
Philip Glass – Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.1
Anton Bruckner – Symphony No.6
Music and Dance Events
14.10.2026 - 30.10.2026
Andrey Yanev. Blue Mind – States of Watercolour
opening: 14 October, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
The term Blue Mind describes that particular state of hushed attentiveness experienced in the presence of water. Among Andrey Yanev’s watercolours, it hardly needs explanation.
Water, horizon, light and the transparency of colour draw the viewer into a different sense of time – a time of spreading and receding, of quiet inward movement.
The exhibition Blue Mind – States of Watercolour turns towards a natural realm within the artist’s visual world, one in which the sensibility of someone born by the sea quietly surfaces. In Yanev’s watercolours, the sea becomes a space in which seeing gradually turns into contemplation.
It is no coincidence, then, that the exhibition opens with works from the Portals series – works through which the noise of the city seems to subside and the narratives of everyday life to recede.
With this subtle shift in perception, the ‘blue mind’ begins to unfold through the slower rhythm of the main gallery, where the pauses are filled with music.
There, Andrey Yanev’s voice fills the space much as pigment spreads across the watercolours he has created over the past three decades – dissolving, leaving a trace, at times almost disappearing.
In the most recent works, created in 2026, this thread continues, while the artist’s language seems freer still. He seeks to capture the elusive – through Reflections, perhaps Between Two Cypresses, by looking Somewhere Beyond, or entering into Conversations with Infinity – while Blue Mind – States of Watercolour creates a space for stillness at the very heart of the city’s swirling autumn life.
+++
Curator: Elisaveta Stantcheva
Exhibition design: Petar Mitev
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
28.10.2026 - 31.12.2026
HRISTO SIMEONOV (1935–2020) BETWEEN MATTER AND ANTIMATTER
Hristo Simeonov (1935–2020) belonged to the generation of artists whose creative searches unfolded amidst the evolving visual language of the second half of the 20th century. Within the context of Bulgarian art, this painter stood out for his idiosyncratic creative system—the result of long-standing research in physics, astrology, and cosmology—that existed at the intersection of painting, philosophy, science, and imagination.
The exhibition, ‘Between Matter and Antimatter’, features a selection of more than 50 works produced over a span of five decades. These range from still lifes, interiors, portraits, and landscapes—through which the artist maintained his connection to reality—to his magnum opus: Pariorealism.
In his earlier works, objects, light and space are rendered with precision, while the ordinary is transformed into an avenue for exploring the relationship between man and the surrounding world. The landscapes he produced throughout his life, reveal both nature and the urban environment as constant sources of inspiration. Seeking a novel artistic direction in the late 1970s, the artist formulated the concept of Pariorealism. Utilising the airbrush, employing unconventional spatial compositions, and engaging with ideas regarding rhythm, matter, and the Universe, he constructed images that transcended the established laws of
physical reality.
In the history of Bulgarian art, Hristo Simeonov’s figure is closely linked to sci-fi artists such as Stefan Lefterov, Vasil Ivanov, Tekla Aleksieva, and Dimitar Yankov.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Maria Kodinova, National Gallery
The exhibition, ‘Between Matter and Antimatter’, features a selection of more than 50 works produced over a span of five decades. These range from still lifes, interiors, portraits, and landscapes—through which the artist maintained his connection to reality—to his magnum opus: Pariorealism.
In his earlier works, objects, light and space are rendered with precision, while the ordinary is transformed into an avenue for exploring the relationship between man and the surrounding world. The landscapes he produced throughout his life, reveal both nature and the urban environment as constant sources of inspiration. Seeking a novel artistic direction in the late 1970s, the artist formulated the concept of Pariorealism. Utilising the airbrush, employing unconventional spatial compositions, and engaging with ideas regarding rhythm, matter, and the Universe, he constructed images that transcended the established laws of
physical reality.
In the history of Bulgarian art, Hristo Simeonov’s figure is closely linked to sci-fi artists such as Stefan Lefterov, Vasil Ivanov, Tekla Aleksieva, and Dimitar Yankov.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Maria Kodinova, National Gallery
Exhibitions
27.10.2026 - 31.12.2026
IVAN TOMANOV (1956−2017) - INSPIRATION
The ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund is visiting the National Gallery to present ‘Inspiration’, an exhibition by Karlovo artist Ivan Tomanov (1956–2017). The event is part of the programme marking the 45th anniversary of the Fund’s foundation.
The exhibition features some 20 sculptures and over ten drawings by the artist, as well as a portrait of him by painter Dimitar Lalev. The exhibits include a version of the composition, ‘Memory’ (2004), which was specially commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, where it is kept to this day.
Ivan Tomanov graduated from the Secondary School of Arts in Sofia in 1974, and acquired a degree in Sculpture at the National Academy of Arts in 1983, under Prof. Boris Gondov.
Art historian and exhibition curator Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov said about the artist: ‘We should stress that, alongside its extraordinary breadth, Ivan Tomanov’s oeuvre reveals a reflexive insight into the
issues of contemporary art—a quality rarely encountered in these latitudes.’
‘His exhibition, “Untitled: Drawings, Simulacra” (Karlovo, 2015; Sofia, 2016) still remains unique in the history of our culture. Above all by the fact that it dramatises the issue of expendability of the artist and the end of art itself. Without passing definitive judgments on these issues, Ivan Tomanov imposes something fundamental that is also valid for his entire oeuvre: works of art are not intended for ephemeral admiration; rather, they demand a certain tension in the process of perception, which enkindles reflections on their conception, maturation, and plastic creation. Whence, the primary focus of his creative inspiration: not so much to
appeal to the public as it is to make it [people] think…’
Media partner: BТА / Bulgarian News Agency.
Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov
The exhibition features some 20 sculptures and over ten drawings by the artist, as well as a portrait of him by painter Dimitar Lalev. The exhibits include a version of the composition, ‘Memory’ (2004), which was specially commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, where it is kept to this day.
Ivan Tomanov graduated from the Secondary School of Arts in Sofia in 1974, and acquired a degree in Sculpture at the National Academy of Arts in 1983, under Prof. Boris Gondov.
Art historian and exhibition curator Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov said about the artist: ‘We should stress that, alongside its extraordinary breadth, Ivan Tomanov’s oeuvre reveals a reflexive insight into the
issues of contemporary art—a quality rarely encountered in these latitudes.’
‘His exhibition, “Untitled: Drawings, Simulacra” (Karlovo, 2015; Sofia, 2016) still remains unique in the history of our culture. Above all by the fact that it dramatises the issue of expendability of the artist and the end of art itself. Without passing definitive judgments on these issues, Ivan Tomanov imposes something fundamental that is also valid for his entire oeuvre: works of art are not intended for ephemeral admiration; rather, they demand a certain tension in the process of perception, which enkindles reflections on their conception, maturation, and plastic creation. Whence, the primary focus of his creative inspiration: not so much to
appeal to the public as it is to make it [people] think…’
Media partner: BТА / Bulgarian News Agency.
Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
30.10.2026 - 01.11.2026
MARKETING HACKERS CONFERENCE 2026
MHC is Bulgaria’s largest business conference dedicated exclusively to launching and scaling profitable online businesses.
Business Events
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
29.10.2026 - 06.12.2026
Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch. ARCHITECTURE: (THE) POSSIBLE ART
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Curator: Nadezhda Dzhakova, PhD
After his successive solo exhibitions in London, Paris, and Geneva, Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch., now presents 27 projects at the Sofia Arsenal Museum gallery whose reconstruction was carried out to his design in 2011.
Immersive installations, videos, scale models, sketches, technical drawings, and photographic documents showcase the diversity of his architectural oeuvre—ranging from theatres and sports facilities to philharmonic and opera houses, public spaces, and private residential buildings. A significant number of these projects have already been completed, or are currently under construction.
The exhibition also includes panels of architectural sculptures—or architectons—such as ‘Never, Never Land’, ‘Abode’, and the Monument to the Berlin Wall in Sofia. These works have previously been displayed in galleries, museums, and public spaces in Lisbon, Prague, Brussels, London, Paris, and Sofia.
The exhibition serves as an original architectural forum, with a rich accompanying programme, which includes lectures by internationally acclaimed architects, such as Dante O. Benini from Milan, Italy, and Prof. Octavio Mestre from Barcelona, Spain, and Arch. Fani Danadjieva Hansen, USA.
In its entirety, the exhibition comprehends architecture through its most up-to-date manifestations and challenges.
Furthermore, the topic of ‘architecture: (the) possible art’ is addressed—especially today, when, in the public spaces in Bulgaria, it is frequently perceived merely as square meters of construction for sale. This strips
it of its fundamental function and mission: to create a high-quality environment while showing respect for nature, cultural memory, and the human being.
This is the creative, the lecturer’s stance and creed that Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch., has consistently upheld throughout his long professional career.
The exhibition was made possible with the creative and organisational support of UACEG, INSTITUTO CERVANTES, ALUKÖNIGSTAHL, ОСА 2000, MP-STUDIO, BULGED, ROCA LAUFFEN, PHOENIX and KONICA MINOLTA.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; Bulgarian National Radio, ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Nadezhda Dzhakova, Head of SAMCA
Curator: Nadezhda Dzhakova, PhD
After his successive solo exhibitions in London, Paris, and Geneva, Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch., now presents 27 projects at the Sofia Arsenal Museum gallery whose reconstruction was carried out to his design in 2011.
Immersive installations, videos, scale models, sketches, technical drawings, and photographic documents showcase the diversity of his architectural oeuvre—ranging from theatres and sports facilities to philharmonic and opera houses, public spaces, and private residential buildings. A significant number of these projects have already been completed, or are currently under construction.
The exhibition also includes panels of architectural sculptures—or architectons—such as ‘Never, Never Land’, ‘Abode’, and the Monument to the Berlin Wall in Sofia. These works have previously been displayed in galleries, museums, and public spaces in Lisbon, Prague, Brussels, London, Paris, and Sofia.
The exhibition serves as an original architectural forum, with a rich accompanying programme, which includes lectures by internationally acclaimed architects, such as Dante O. Benini from Milan, Italy, and Prof. Octavio Mestre from Barcelona, Spain, and Arch. Fani Danadjieva Hansen, USA.
In its entirety, the exhibition comprehends architecture through its most up-to-date manifestations and challenges.
Furthermore, the topic of ‘architecture: (the) possible art’ is addressed—especially today, when, in the public spaces in Bulgaria, it is frequently perceived merely as square meters of construction for sale. This strips
it of its fundamental function and mission: to create a high-quality environment while showing respect for nature, cultural memory, and the human being.
This is the creative, the lecturer’s stance and creed that Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch., has consistently upheld throughout his long professional career.
The exhibition was made possible with the creative and organisational support of UACEG, INSTITUTO CERVANTES, ALUKÖNIGSTAHL, ОСА 2000, MP-STUDIO, BULGED, ROCA LAUFFEN, PHOENIX and KONICA MINOLTA.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; Bulgarian National Radio, ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Nadezhda Dzhakova, Head of SAMCA
Exhibitions
20.10.2026 - 20.10.2027
THE WALL Vol. 7 Nevelin Ivanov I FEEL NOTHING ELSE BUT DISAPPOINTMENT
The 7th edition of “The Wall” presents the work of Nevelin Ivanov "I Feel Nothing Else but Disappointment".
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 20.11.2026
VERA NEDKOVA – KIRIL TSONEV ENCOUNTERS
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev belonged to the generation of artists who, during the 1930s, changed the face of Bulgarian plastic culture infusing it with a modern European spirit. The profound bond between them represented one of the most significant collegial and creative friendships in Bulgarian art of that period. Surviving memoirs, writings, and documents attest to their outstanding culture and erudition, through
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions
18.09.2026 - 22.11.2026
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Memory Programme
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
DECHKO UZUNOV/IVAN PENKOV – DIRECTIONS
Opening: September 18, 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition Dechko Uzunov/Ivan Penkov: Directions is part of the Memory Programme at the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, which aims to contribute to raising awareness of the life and work of Dechko Uzunov by presenting research-based exhibitions that reveal different aspects of his oeuvre through artists who were part of his journey. This exhibition showcases the different paths taken by two fellow townsmen and friends during the interwar period.
In 1919, Ivan Penkov and Dechko Uzunov enrolled at the State School of Drawing; that same year, Uzunov painted a portrait of his friend that poked fun at his fascination with folk art. Three years later, the two organised a joint exhibition in Sofia to fund their studies at the Munich Art Academy. The young artists’ exhibition was noticed by Joseph Herbst, who wrote:
“Now, on the occasion of their departure abroad, the two artists had exhibited most of their works, from which their strong talents could be seen quite well. Dechko Uzunov promises to develop most in portrait painting. [...] Ivan Penkov is primarily a decorator with a strong sense of composition and a keen sensitivity to line” (J.H., Razvigor, April 1, 1922, no. 60, p. 4).
In an ironic twist of fate, the older of the two, Penkov, would go on to graduate from the Academy of Art under Prof. Uzunov. In 1939, with Uzonov’s active support, Ivan Penkov won the competition for a permanent teaching position in decorative art.
The selected works invite us to seek similarities amidst the differences between these two constantly experimenting artists during the period when Bulgarian visual arts were coming of age.
Presented in this exhibition are pieces from the collections of the Sofia City Art Gallery, the Dechko Uzunov Art Gallery, the Kazanlak Art Gallery, the Central State Archives, and private collections.
The exhibition also features the film Ivan Penkov: The Crossed-Out Classic (Bulgarian National Television, 2006), by screenwriter: Oskar Kristanov; cinematographer: Yaroslav Yachev; directors: Oskar Kristanov and Kosta Bikov; sound engineer: Petar Yosifov; music arrangement: Georgi (Johnny) Penkov. Duration: 48 min.
Exhibitions
28.10.2026 - 31.12.2026
HRISTO SIMEONOV (1935–2020) BETWEEN MATTER AND ANTIMATTER
Hristo Simeonov (1935–2020) belonged to the generation of artists whose creative searches unfolded amidst the evolving visual language of the second half of the 20th century. Within the context of Bulgarian art, this painter stood out for his idiosyncratic creative system—the result of long-standing research in physics, astrology, and cosmology—that existed at the intersection of painting, philosophy, science, and imagination.
The exhibition, ‘Between Matter and Antimatter’, features a selection of more than 50 works produced over a span of five decades. These range from still lifes, interiors, portraits, and landscapes—through which the artist maintained his connection to reality—to his magnum opus: Pariorealism.
In his earlier works, objects, light and space are rendered with precision, while the ordinary is transformed into an avenue for exploring the relationship between man and the surrounding world. The landscapes he produced throughout his life, reveal both nature and the urban environment as constant sources of inspiration. Seeking a novel artistic direction in the late 1970s, the artist formulated the concept of Pariorealism. Utilising the airbrush, employing unconventional spatial compositions, and engaging with ideas regarding rhythm, matter, and the Universe, he constructed images that transcended the established laws of
physical reality.
In the history of Bulgarian art, Hristo Simeonov’s figure is closely linked to sci-fi artists such as Stefan Lefterov, Vasil Ivanov, Tekla Aleksieva, and Dimitar Yankov.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Maria Kodinova, National Gallery
The exhibition, ‘Between Matter and Antimatter’, features a selection of more than 50 works produced over a span of five decades. These range from still lifes, interiors, portraits, and landscapes—through which the artist maintained his connection to reality—to his magnum opus: Pariorealism.
In his earlier works, objects, light and space are rendered with precision, while the ordinary is transformed into an avenue for exploring the relationship between man and the surrounding world. The landscapes he produced throughout his life, reveal both nature and the urban environment as constant sources of inspiration. Seeking a novel artistic direction in the late 1970s, the artist formulated the concept of Pariorealism. Utilising the airbrush, employing unconventional spatial compositions, and engaging with ideas regarding rhythm, matter, and the Universe, he constructed images that transcended the established laws of
physical reality.
In the history of Bulgarian art, Hristo Simeonov’s figure is closely linked to sci-fi artists such as Stefan Lefterov, Vasil Ivanov, Tekla Aleksieva, and Dimitar Yankov.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Maria Kodinova, National Gallery
Exhibitions
27.10.2026 - 31.12.2026
IVAN TOMANOV (1956−2017) - INSPIRATION
The ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund is visiting the National Gallery to present ‘Inspiration’, an exhibition by Karlovo artist Ivan Tomanov (1956–2017). The event is part of the programme marking the 45th anniversary of the Fund’s foundation.
The exhibition features some 20 sculptures and over ten drawings by the artist, as well as a portrait of him by painter Dimitar Lalev. The exhibits include a version of the composition, ‘Memory’ (2004), which was specially commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, where it is kept to this day.
Ivan Tomanov graduated from the Secondary School of Arts in Sofia in 1974, and acquired a degree in Sculpture at the National Academy of Arts in 1983, under Prof. Boris Gondov.
Art historian and exhibition curator Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov said about the artist: ‘We should stress that, alongside its extraordinary breadth, Ivan Tomanov’s oeuvre reveals a reflexive insight into the
issues of contemporary art—a quality rarely encountered in these latitudes.’
‘His exhibition, “Untitled: Drawings, Simulacra” (Karlovo, 2015; Sofia, 2016) still remains unique in the history of our culture. Above all by the fact that it dramatises the issue of expendability of the artist and the end of art itself. Without passing definitive judgments on these issues, Ivan Tomanov imposes something fundamental that is also valid for his entire oeuvre: works of art are not intended for ephemeral admiration; rather, they demand a certain tension in the process of perception, which enkindles reflections on their conception, maturation, and plastic creation. Whence, the primary focus of his creative inspiration: not so much to
appeal to the public as it is to make it [people] think…’
Media partner: BТА / Bulgarian News Agency.
Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov
The exhibition features some 20 sculptures and over ten drawings by the artist, as well as a portrait of him by painter Dimitar Lalev. The exhibits include a version of the composition, ‘Memory’ (2004), which was specially commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, where it is kept to this day.
Ivan Tomanov graduated from the Secondary School of Arts in Sofia in 1974, and acquired a degree in Sculpture at the National Academy of Arts in 1983, under Prof. Boris Gondov.
Art historian and exhibition curator Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov said about the artist: ‘We should stress that, alongside its extraordinary breadth, Ivan Tomanov’s oeuvre reveals a reflexive insight into the
issues of contemporary art—a quality rarely encountered in these latitudes.’
‘His exhibition, “Untitled: Drawings, Simulacra” (Karlovo, 2015; Sofia, 2016) still remains unique in the history of our culture. Above all by the fact that it dramatises the issue of expendability of the artist and the end of art itself. Without passing definitive judgments on these issues, Ivan Tomanov imposes something fundamental that is also valid for his entire oeuvre: works of art are not intended for ephemeral admiration; rather, they demand a certain tension in the process of perception, which enkindles reflections on their conception, maturation, and plastic creation. Whence, the primary focus of his creative inspiration: not so much to
appeal to the public as it is to make it [people] think…’
Media partner: BТА / Bulgarian News Agency.
Assoc. Prof. Boris Danailov
Exhibitions
17.09.2026 - 08.11.2026
JAPANESE PRINTS: 18th–20th CENTURIES
The Palace The National Gallery collection – one of the most representative of Japanese prints in Southeast Europe – follows the development of the major movements and graphic techniques over the past two centuries. The works have been acquired in various ways: through purchases, from exhibitions in 1957 and 1963, from the International Print Biennial in Varna (founded in 1981), donations from artists at their exhibitions in Bulgaria between the 1970s and the late 20th century. Of crucial importance was the 1975 Agreement on Cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which led to the expansion of the exchange of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. An event of key importance is the exhibition organised jointly with the Japan Foundation in Sofia fifty years ago.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The current exhibition has been included in the programme of the 37th Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria. The earliest presented period is associated with the well-known UKIYO-E woodblock print, occupying a central place in the development of Japanese printmaking during the Edo period (1603–1868). In the early 20th century, two new trends emerged: shin-hanga (‘new prints’) and sōsaku-hanga (‘creative prints’). Although developing practically simultaneously, they were based on a different understanding of the role of the artist and the process of creating a graphic work.
SHIN-HANGA emerged in the early 20th century as an attempt to breathe fresh life into traditional ukiyo-e. The established production model was preserved, where the creation of a print was the result of joint work between the publisher, artist, carver and printer.
SŌSAKU-HANGA established a different principle: the artists alone designed the composition, processed the woodblock and printed the work themself. In their prints, the tradition of Japanese woodcut engraving was combined with the artistic principles of European Modernism.
After the end of the Second World War, Japanese artists gradually revived their international contacts, some of them established ties with China, the USSR, and the countries of Eastern Europe. It was in such a context that one of the early acquisitions was included in the newly established Department of Foreign Art at the National Gallery – In 1957, the Bulgarian state purchased works shown in an exhibition organised by graphic artist Mircho Yakobov at the Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery, at 125, G.S. Rakovski Street in Sofia.
The late 1950s marked a pivotal period where Japanese graphics entered an era of significant technical and artistic diversity. Moving beyond woodcuts, lithography, etching, dry point, mezzotint and various mixed techniques were increasingly used. In the second half of the 20th century, Japanese artists actively took part in international exhibitions and biennales, achieving major recognition on the world graphic scene. This period is extensively represented in the National Gallery collection. Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
30.10.2026 - 01.11.2026
MARKETING HACKERS CONFERENCE 2026
MHC is Bulgaria’s largest business conference dedicated exclusively to launching and scaling profitable online businesses.
Business Events
23.09.2026 - 18.11.2026
Piano Extravaganza Festival 2026
Within this year’s edition, Piano Extravaganza Festival will present four piano recitals and two chamber music concerts. We hope that our extraordinary artists and the variety of the repertoire for those 6 events would satisfy even the most sophisticated connoisseur. We would be delighted to welcome you at the wonderful venues of the Central Military Club and the “Bulgaria” Chamber Hall in Sofia!
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Tickets at EVENTIM.
Festivals
29.10.2026 - 06.12.2026
Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch. ARCHITECTURE: (THE) POSSIBLE ART
Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art
Curator: Nadezhda Dzhakova, PhD
After his successive solo exhibitions in London, Paris, and Geneva, Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch., now presents 27 projects at the Sofia Arsenal Museum gallery whose reconstruction was carried out to his design in 2011.
Immersive installations, videos, scale models, sketches, technical drawings, and photographic documents showcase the diversity of his architectural oeuvre—ranging from theatres and sports facilities to philharmonic and opera houses, public spaces, and private residential buildings. A significant number of these projects have already been completed, or are currently under construction.
The exhibition also includes panels of architectural sculptures—or architectons—such as ‘Never, Never Land’, ‘Abode’, and the Monument to the Berlin Wall in Sofia. These works have previously been displayed in galleries, museums, and public spaces in Lisbon, Prague, Brussels, London, Paris, and Sofia.
The exhibition serves as an original architectural forum, with a rich accompanying programme, which includes lectures by internationally acclaimed architects, such as Dante O. Benini from Milan, Italy, and Prof. Octavio Mestre from Barcelona, Spain, and Arch. Fani Danadjieva Hansen, USA.
In its entirety, the exhibition comprehends architecture through its most up-to-date manifestations and challenges.
Furthermore, the topic of ‘architecture: (the) possible art’ is addressed—especially today, when, in the public spaces in Bulgaria, it is frequently perceived merely as square meters of construction for sale. This strips
it of its fundamental function and mission: to create a high-quality environment while showing respect for nature, cultural memory, and the human being.
This is the creative, the lecturer’s stance and creed that Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch., has consistently upheld throughout his long professional career.
The exhibition was made possible with the creative and organisational support of UACEG, INSTITUTO CERVANTES, ALUKÖNIGSTAHL, ОСА 2000, MP-STUDIO, BULGED, ROCA LAUFFEN, PHOENIX and KONICA MINOLTA.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; Bulgarian National Radio, ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Nadezhda Dzhakova, Head of SAMCA
Curator: Nadezhda Dzhakova, PhD
After his successive solo exhibitions in London, Paris, and Geneva, Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch., now presents 27 projects at the Sofia Arsenal Museum gallery whose reconstruction was carried out to his design in 2011.
Immersive installations, videos, scale models, sketches, technical drawings, and photographic documents showcase the diversity of his architectural oeuvre—ranging from theatres and sports facilities to philharmonic and opera houses, public spaces, and private residential buildings. A significant number of these projects have already been completed, or are currently under construction.
The exhibition also includes panels of architectural sculptures—or architectons—such as ‘Never, Never Land’, ‘Abode’, and the Monument to the Berlin Wall in Sofia. These works have previously been displayed in galleries, museums, and public spaces in Lisbon, Prague, Brussels, London, Paris, and Sofia.
The exhibition serves as an original architectural forum, with a rich accompanying programme, which includes lectures by internationally acclaimed architects, such as Dante O. Benini from Milan, Italy, and Prof. Octavio Mestre from Barcelona, Spain, and Arch. Fani Danadjieva Hansen, USA.
In its entirety, the exhibition comprehends architecture through its most up-to-date manifestations and challenges.
Furthermore, the topic of ‘architecture: (the) possible art’ is addressed—especially today, when, in the public spaces in Bulgaria, it is frequently perceived merely as square meters of construction for sale. This strips
it of its fundamental function and mission: to create a high-quality environment while showing respect for nature, cultural memory, and the human being.
This is the creative, the lecturer’s stance and creed that Prof. Boyko Kadinov, D.Arch., has consistently upheld throughout his long professional career.
The exhibition was made possible with the creative and organisational support of UACEG, INSTITUTO CERVANTES, ALUKÖNIGSTAHL, ОСА 2000, MP-STUDIO, BULGED, ROCA LAUFFEN, PHOENIX and KONICA MINOLTA.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; Bulgarian National Radio, ELLE magazine, and rozali.com.
Nadezhda Dzhakova, Head of SAMCA
Exhibitions
20.10.2026 - 20.10.2027
THE WALL Vol. 7 Nevelin Ivanov I FEEL NOTHING ELSE BUT DISAPPOINTMENT
The 7th edition of “The Wall” presents the work of Nevelin Ivanov "I Feel Nothing Else but Disappointment".
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
The long-term project of the National Gallery, launched in 2020, aims to promote the work of contemporary masters of mural painting, graffiti artists and conceptual painters. On an especially designated wall in the atrium of Kvadrat 500 (with the impressive dimensions of 240 x 2,700 cm), the artists create monumental works in harmony with the sculptures of Lyubomir Dalchev, Alexander Dyakov, Pavel Koychev, Krum Damyanov, Galin Malakchiev, etc., which are part of the representative museum exhibition. In 2022, the partnership with Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation begins, which has been ongoing for five years. With their support a complete renovation was carried out, including the construction of the decorative panel, which allows the selected artists greater freedom in the realisation of their ideas.
Act I: “Dear colleagues,
With a few short sentences I will turn my triumph into failure.”
This text from his site-specific installation Nevelin Ivanov writes on plexiglass panels with special ropes. Periodically, the artist will add a new sentence, creating a complete text. The sentences will be executed by the artist in his signature technique of wall embroidery, shown for the first time in the work “I Wanted to Become an Artist, But I Became a Bad Boy” in the exhibition of the nominées for the 2025 Baza Contemporary Art Award at the Sofia City Art Gallery.
Nevelin Ivanov (b. 2002) is a Bulgarian visual artist. The multidisciplinary approach and undisguised exhibitionism with which he sometimes explores himself, his corporeality, desires and obsessive thoughts make his works highly recognisable. His solo exhibitions: “If I Had a Pig, I Would Name It Nevo” (2023), “Nevo's Bedroom” (2024), “I Will Stop Being an Artist When It Starts to Snow Indoors” (2025), etc. demonstrate his signature expressiveness and place him among the most interesting young artists of our time.
“The Wall” is realised with the support of Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
Exhibitions
16.06.2026 - 16.06.2027
Temporary Exhibition New Acquisitions
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
12.02.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Copper - Ancient and Modern"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
11.04.2025 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Minerals and Colorful Creatures. Drawings by Nature"
The Minerals of Bulgaria exposition has been expanded with a new theme: Unique mineral finds from Bulgaria, a project financed by the Ministry of culture. In 6 display cases, minerals with the most beautiful crystals, rare colors and shapes are exhibited, selected for tens of years by hundreds of geologists and collectors from all over Bulgaria.
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets
Exhibitions
01.04.2026 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Natural Art from Chalcedony"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2026
Temporary exhibition "Smart Minerals for Smartphones"
from 10:00 to 18:00 o'clock
Entrance with museum tickets.
Entrance with museum tickets.
Exhibitions
22.10.2026 - 20.11.2026
VERA NEDKOVA – KIRIL TSONEV ENCOUNTERS
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev belonged to the generation of artists who, during the 1930s, changed the face of Bulgarian plastic culture infusing it with a modern European spirit. The profound bond between them represented one of the most significant collegial and creative friendships in Bulgarian art of that period. Surviving memoirs, writings, and documents attest to their outstanding culture and erudition, through
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
which they discovered and valued each other.
Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev, independently spent their youth in major European art centres—Vienna and Munich.
Free movement across Europe was a common occurrence for their generation. It played a pivotal role in shaping their world views, distancing them from traditional Bulgarian genre realism and grounding them in the spirit of modern Western plastic culture.
Vera Nedkova returned permanently to Bulgaria in 1934. After a long sojourn in Vienna, she found herself in a highly conservative and closed artistic milieu. The person in whom she recognised a genuine European stature and a modern mindset was the artist Kiril Tsonev. It was he who introduced her to artistic circles and assisted her in arranging her first solo exhibition in Sofia, held at the Preslav Gallery in 1934. It
was to him that Nedkova owed the foreword, translation, and preparation of the catalogue featuring Austrian reviews, as well as her acquaintance with Nikola Mavrodinov, a prominent figure in the Bulgarian art world.
Her close creative collaboration with Kiril Tsonev proved pivotal. Recognising her exceptional talent and European expression, he invited her that same year to join the Society of New Artists, the most progressive association in 1930s Bulgaria.
Their encounter, commencing with a collegial support for a young artist’s debut, evolved into a partnership between two creators whose talent and modern outlook shaped the trajectory of Bulgarian painting for a long period of time.
Having long since won the acclaim of both the public and critics, the art of Vera Nedkova and Kiril Tsonev has made a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian culture.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency; Bulgarian National Television; ELLE, and rozali.com
Diana Draganova-Stier, exhibition curator
Exhibitions
10.12.2025 - 30.01.2027
Zahari Zograph Immersive Exhibition
The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.
Exhibitions