This year Bobbina cultural space will be part of the European Night of the Museums. We are presenting the latest experimental pop-up exhibition by The Artist at Play community.

Inertia - a continuous flow of movements, events, and emotions that provide a vast field for reflection. Such is the theme of the 11th and last until September, The Artist at Play. The theme challenges the young artists to dive deep and explore what it means for them - a mechanical movement, a state of drifting through events, a constant repetition, or a personal trauma.

The artists:

Izabela Markova + Todor Georgiev @izabela_markova_ & @tozzionzi
Yulia Shumilova + Ivet Dimitrova @shumilova_art & @ivi.dim
Filip Boyadjiev @truefilip_
Lilith Gore (FashionGore) @fashiongore
Bogomil Bratoev @mrusnite
Dumisani Karamanski @dumikaramanski & Raya Apostolova @ra.ya.a
Stefanie Georgieva @stefaniegeorgieva
Luydmila Otuzbirova & Niya Grigorova @lucygreenwitch + @_x_persona_non_grata_x_

The Artist at Play is a pop-up monthly event that challenges artists to experiment. People from various fields can participate - the theme is the same, but the interpretation depends on the artists. Each artist has a month to work on their idea, and on the last Tuesday of the month, we gather at Cultural Space Bobbina to see what they have accomplished.

Inertia - a continuous flow of movements, events, and emotions that provide a vast field for reflection. Such is the theme of the 11th and last until September, The Artist at Play. The theme challenges our artists to dive deep and explore what it means for them - a mechanical movement, a state of drifting through events, a constant repetition, or a personal trauma. Come on May 14th in Cultural Space Bobbina to see the interpretation of our participants.

This volume will be also be a part of the European Night of Museums, so if you miss the 14th you will have a chance to come on the 18th May as well!

The artists:

Izabela Markova + Todor Georgiev @izabela_markova_ & @tozzionzi
Yulia Shumilova + Ivet Dimitrova @shumilova_art & @ivi.dim
Filip Boyadjiev @truefilip_
Lilith Gore (FashionGore) @fashiongore
Bogomil Bratoev @mrusnite
Dumisani Karamanski @dumikaramanski & Raya Apostolova @ra.ya.a
Stefanie Georgieva @stefaniegeorgieva
Luydmila Otuzbirova & Niya Grigorova @lucygreenwitch + @_x_persona_non_grata_x_

The event image is based on a photo from the performance 'Performance still' by Mona Hatoum.

The Artist at Play is a pop-up monthly event that challenges artists to experiment. People from various fields can participate - the theme is the same, but the interpretation depends on the artists. Each artist has a month to work on their idea, and on the last Tuesday of the month, we gather at Cultural Space Bobbina to see what they have accomplished.Partners of the event: Cultural Space Bobbina and Association A.R.K.I.

Welcome to the first event of EKLEKTIK - a collective that provides a platform for artists from different fields of art to express themselves.

Eclectic, derived from the Greek word "eclectos" meaning "chosen from different sources", embodies the essence of diversity and difference. Compiled from a myriad of influences, perspectives and mediums, Eclectic is dedicated to the living tapestry of the infinite human imagination, attracting and nurturing creativity that knows no limitations.

The evening will begin with two performances by the experimental duo, КОНСКИ КОСЪМ, in which music and literature intertwine fingers. The second performance created by Dimi Dedikov and HEX PIXIE, who through the eyes of experimental theatre will take us into the circus of corporate irony.

Nikola Stoyanov will present a sensory visual installation that captivates the senses and calls for an exploration of the subject-object-space theme.

The evening will continue to the unstoppable rhythm of Haus Hamali, Outofitt, Grosen, HERA, Elma and... a third secret thing.

The designer of the event is Ventsislav Petrov and the designer of the Eclectic logo is Elena Chergilanova.

Join us at Bobbina Culture Space on 10.05, 19:00, for a memorable journey through the eclectic realms of creativity.

Line up 25/04/24 (in order of appearance)

Paul Regan (IE) - Step 2 - performance

Marko Markovic (AT/HR) - ISLANDS OF UTOPIA

Mathieau Sylvestre (DE/FR) - Main Core.- sound performance

Ropotamo Co. - jam session

+

The Artist at Play curated by Synaesthesia Collective -

Bilyana Tokmakchieva & Boyan Spаssov (BG) - My Memory Box

Vesela Karapetrova (BG) - Untitled - video installation

Yoana Zhecheva (BG) - Aethereal Forms - installation

Sofia Underground Performance Art Festival was created in 1997 by critic and curator Ruen Ruenov (1958-2011) as a series of performances developing in a long happening in the vaults of the National Palace of Culture.

Over time, Sofia Underground has transformed into an international forum that provides an opportunity to explore different aspects of performance art, emphasizing the importance of free expression and experimentation. An event providing space for dialogue and discussion that encourages diversity and innovation in performance art.

Live art, the art of the moment, which is globally recognized as an important tool for expressing different ideas and challenging stereotypes and prejudices.

This forum is a place where artists can express themselves freely and create meaningful and socially engaged projects that impact society and provoke thought. Participants share ideas, get inspiration from each other, and collaborate together on projects. In this sense, Sofia Underground becomes a catalyst for cultural diversity in the country and a unique platform for the expression of individuality through performance art. It brings together people from different cultures, ethnicities and positions to share their passion for creativity and create unique experiences where space, audience and artists become part of a whole.

"Lost Underwater" was launched in 2020 as an artistic research that tries to tell some of the forgotten stories of the sunken villages left underwater. Villages that were displaced due to the intensive construction of reservoirs in Bulgaria in the period 1950-1986.

Drawing on archival footage, interviews and field research, we experiment with the collected materials. The approach is again multi-layered - textile collages, video and soundscapes come together to create an atmosphere where visitors can immerse themselves in the forgotten past and history of these places.

The exhibition and the whole project are dedicated to all the people who were forced to leave and destroy their houses, abandon the land they cultivate and settle in a new place.

The project was realized with the financial support of the National Fund "Culture", program "Debuts", in partnership with the Bulgarian National Film Archive.

Website: www.podvodata.com

* Julius Gabriel (Berlin, Germany) is a saxophonist whose work dives into the boundaries of his instrument. By exploring the dynamic interplay between acoustics and hypnosis he creates a jazz, psychedelic and ambient experience. As a part of his Еurope tour hе will play in Sofia presenting his new album.https://open.spotify.com/artist/1TX1lSSO1LBY25cbD9nALB...

* sbogom 1000 (Sofia, Bulgaria) is an experimental electronic artist focused on the genres of drone and ambient music. His live performances incorporate elements of ritualism and mysticism.
His upcoming performance will include pieces of his new album "bewitching science, swallow me whole!"https://open.spotify.com/artist/7BWXvkuEVSoEVNKEGOOti0

*Jawhinge (Plovdiv, Bulgaria) is a musical project focused on a sequence of seemingly unrelated audio experiments conveyed into a cohesive story. You will hear a set consisting of personal work, improvisation and specially selected sounds which aims to get your minds and bodies moving.https://open.spotify.com/artist/6eZZo3ipADRvFtDAngyd4z

Exactly one year ago was the first ever event The Artist at Play. A lot has happened since then but one is certain celebration is due! We want to say a big THANK YOU to all the artists who decided to accept the challenge and help us foster this awesome community and also to congratulate our favorite culture space - Bobbina on our one year work anniversary Without you none of this could have happened so come to celebrate together on the 26th with the new theme WHITE and the new group of talented people. White is the color of many things -- toxic lead paint, the empty canvas, the colour symbolizing purity, equality and uniformity. White synthesizes COLOR, MOVEMENT, SOUND AND SPACE as seen in Fontana's "cut" paintings.

Our artists:

Yoanna Laskova - visual artist @junglejim4203
Teodora Yugova - visual artist @yugova.illustration
Borimir Totev - video artist @borimir.t
Mateya Arkova - illustrator @m.atea.illustrations
Neliya Chalakova - photographer @smellynelly2.2
Iliyana Velinova - photographer @ivphotography_matters
Antonio Stefanov - illustrator @aantonnini19:30 performance by
Ina Dobreva - @ina.rose.nova

The Artist at Play is a pop-up monthly event that challenges artists to experiment. People from various fields can participate - the theme is the same, but the interpretation depends on the artists. Each artist has a month to work on their idea, and on the last Tuesday of the month, we gather at Cultural Space Bobbina to see what they have accomplished.
Partners of the event: Cultural Space Bobbina and Association A.R.K.I.

"Deep Diving : HER" is a visual exploration of femininity. Through photographic mosaics of close-ups and details of flowers, Johana Trayanova invites reflection on the diversity of female states and essence.

Each mosaic of 20 details represents an abstract portrait of a flower selected by the author. Trayanova delves into delicate contours and nuances, aiming for an intimate perspective that reveals the complex relationships between overt and discreet manifestations of femininity and the female experience. The photographs capture folds, layers, and hidden aspects, offering a spectrum of sensations – from stillness to movement, closeness to distance, tenderness to cruelty. Multiple facets of female identity disperse and converge repeatedly.

The medium of instant film is preferred due to its ability to transform after exposure and the opportunity to "play" with its emulsion. These experiments, conducted by Johana Trayanova with her polaroids, further complicate the interpretation of the mosaics and broaden the field for viewer interpretation. The viewing experience is enriched by the soundscape created for the project by Deyan Tsvyatkov.

"Deep Diving : HER" is the result of collaborative work between Johana Trayanova and the curators from the community The Artist at Play. The exhibition is organised by Bobbina Cultural Space, Association "A.R.K.I.", and Two Little Boats with the support of Arrogant Wolf winery.

In the 9th edition of The Artist At Play we are going on a deep dive underground with the theme “METAL”. From Richard Serra’s steel inclined planes, Louise Bourgeois’ gigantic spider sculpture “Maman”, and Eduardo Chillida’s abstract Comb of the Wind, to metal and noise music, this material has pushed artistic expression beyond the norms towards wild experimentation that has defined entirely new genres. Come on the 27th of February to see how it has inspired our artists:

Hannah Ivanov - painting @ivanovovnavi
Marina Ivanova - visual artist https://www.behance.net/marinaivanovacreate
Svetoslav Ninov - printmaking @undermaasta
Scav and Sasha Hadjieva - sound + visual & performing arts
https://soundcloud.com/scav
Krista Yankova - textile artist @kpncta
Deora Miteva - photography @demarcyk
Boyana Aleksieva - visual arts @bliss.fullydisconnected
George Shishkin - visual artist @cztowiek_jez

19:30 performans by konski kosum, konski kosum

Bozhidar Savov @naistina
YoannaLaskova @junglejim4203
Boris-Mihail Vaklinov @baka_bobi

The Artist at Play is a pop-up monthly event that challenges artists to experiment. People from various fields can participate - the theme is the same, but the interpretation depends on the artists. Each artist has a month to work on their idea, and on the last Tuesday of the month, we gather at Cultural Space Bobbina to see what they have accomplished.Partners of the event: Cultural Space Bobbina and Association A.R.K.I.

Soft, flexible, flexible, thin, sheer or rough, heavy, thick, warm- a fabric with many faces is the inspiration behind our theme in the first month of the year.

From Christo and Jean Claude, to Joseph Beuys and Noga Felt to Georges Méliès' A Serpentine Dance, fabric and its movement provokes artists to discover new means of expression. Come on 30.01 to see how our participants have interpreted this multi-layered theme.

Artists:
Karina Dobreva @cari_na_do
Ylia Stoyanova @yuliastoianova22
Georgi Pavlov @georgi.pv
Diana Petrova @abba.jourrr
Yoana Zhecheva @yoanaaa.zh
Damyana Velkova @angelfruit44
Yoana Ivanova @y.onta
Dara Docheva @darad.cheva
Dara Zhelyazkova @dara_zhe
Teodora Kuneva @tteddassexhibition

soundtrack by Yves_O (Studio DauHaus)

19:30 Performance "козар е нищо без…" by Georgi Pavlov @georgi.pv

When the energies of the numbers 1 and 9 unite, they create a powerful synergy that ignites the spark of divine inspiration in individuals.

1 represents a new beginning, creativity, and independence, while 9 symbolizes spiritual growth, humanitarianism, and enlightenment.

When the number 11919 appears, it is believed that angelic beings are trying to communicate with us.

The recurring appearance serves as a reminder to seek balance in all aspects of our lives.

1 19 19 is the code name for the new collection of Sculptural accessories and clothing, handcrafted by Kamelia Davidkova.

Photography, video, and concept by Angelika Davidkova.

Angels and demons in the faces of Oleg Apostolov and Maya Antova.

Music by Fashiongore.

• Kamelia Davidkova – fashion designer and founder of ABSTRACTION. At the exhibition, she presents the new collection of Sculptural Earrings "11919" between cracks and piquancy.

https://www.instagram.com/abstract_faces/

https://abstractionfaces.com/

• Anjelika Davidkova – photographer and the other half of ABSTRACTION. With a powerful swing, she creates visual art. She will wink at you several times in photos, videos, and collages of the journey.

https://www.instagram.com/anjelika.davidkova/

• Oleg Apostolov – model, demon, and muse

https://www.instagram.com/hans.n.ocean/

• Maya Antova – model, angel, and muse

https://www.instagram.com/mia.antova/

• Fashiongore – multimedia artist, delving deep into the ambient/noise scene.

https://www.instagram.com/fashiongore/

"Decay" is the first solo exhibition of the young Bulgarian contemporary artist David Tadese. Between 5 and 10 December, Bobbina Cultural Space will host some of David's most recent work, in which he plays not only with different mediums and formats, but also with diverse sources of inspiration - from classical figurative techniques to African tribal decorations and symbols.

David Tadesse graduated in Printmaking at the National School of Fine Arts and a BA in Painting from the National Academy of Art, where he also studies for an MA. He currently works with a wide variety of materials - acrylic paints, latex, sprays, stencils, charcoal on paper, wood, and glass. He is not afraid to experiment with textures and colours and manages to wield them with remarkable clarity and boldness. His style, though undergoing a dynamic and particularly intense development, is undoubtedly recognizable. Elongated figures presented graphically, surrounded, and sometimes pierced, by bright patches of pure colour - orange, green, pink and black. The colours, as well as the somewhat decorative elements, seem to come straight from the African tradition, and this is of course no accident.

David explores a cultural heritage that he is family-connected to. He draws on his Ethiopian origins to bring the imagery of the tribal mask and body marks to the forms we see in his original works.

Curators: Bilyana Tokmakchieva and Boyana Raycheva

Silence is never absolute. If we listen we can find more than the absence of vibration.

A group of artists dive into the bottomless pit to find out what lurks in their silence

sbogom1000 (drone, post-minimal)

Returning with a second album of the year, the project presents "Омайна тишина, погълни ме!" - an album dedicated to time, its marks and what is hidden in silence.

We will hear a short improvisation based on motifs from the album.

https://sbogom1000.bandcamp.com

nqma nikoi (experimental / noise)

Mixing influences from Japanese rakugo and no theatre, the project presents a short musical drama in the tradition of free improvisation. The story tells of an unfortunate man's encounter with the spirit of death. (Aoi Kao / Blue face)青い顔

https://nqmanikoi.bandcamp.com

musical statues (ambient / electronic)

Margarit Alexiev's solo project for minimalist ambient music. Inspired by the interaction between natural sounds and those generated electronically, he creates improvisational compositions.

https://soundcloud.com/margg-names

Yoanna Laskova (visual artist / glass / illustration)

Within the framework of the event, she presents a glass and light installation, part of a series of sculptures and cyanotypes, directly inspired by the album "Омайна тишина, погълни ме!".

https://www.behance.net/yoannalaskova

Puma and The Dolphin (dj set)

His dj sets circulate around obscure disco, afro conga, New York 80’s avant - garde,

balearic nightmares, minimal electronica, slow dance. If it’s strange, it's there. He makes a welcome return to "Invisible inc” on 2th of February with his new EP " Phantom Impulses “.

https://invisible-inc.bandcamp.com/album/phantom-impulses-ep

This November, The artist at play sinks into the theme FLESH.
You will see what it means for each of the artists on 28.11 in the Cultural Space Bobina. For the first time, The Artist at Play will feature two international artists - Efstathia Savvidou ( Greece) and Anneta Timotheou (Cyprus)

Artists:
Hristyan Georgiev - visual artist @hrist.yan
Bilyana Tokmakchieva - visual artist @bilyana.tokma
Simona Arsova - sculptor @fflower4ild
Kaya Tsenkulovska- textile artist @goodgirl.kaiski
Stefan Domuzov - sculptor @stefan.domuzov
Simona Petkova - photographer
David Karapetyan - artist @davit3342
Efstathia Savvidou - visual artist @f.stazia
Anneta Timotheou - visual artist https://www.behance.net/annetatimotheou

20:00 Reading of miniatures by Diana Petrova @dianaaapetrovaaa

The October edition of The artist at play challenges artists to reflect on the theme of reflection - physical, personal or social.

Artists:
Bogdan Varbanov - photographer (@bogdanvarbanov.photography)
Anna Stankova - painting (@anna_stankov)
Viktor Toshkov - illustrator (@corcordium.illustrates)
Vesela Karapetrova - illustrator (@vessblackstone)
Hristiana Yordanova - visual artist (@nqma_vreme)
Alexandrina Mavrodieva - photographer (@maauro________)

The Artist at Play is a pop-up monthly event that challenges artists to experiment. People from various fields can participate - the theme is the same, but the interpretation depends on the artists. Each artist has a month to work on their idea, and on the last Tuesday of the month, we gather at Cultural Space Bobbina to see what they have accomplished.
Partners of the event: Cultural Space Bobbina and Association A.R.K.I.

The first edition of The Artist at Pay for the autumn will take place from 15 to 17 September as part of Quartal Festival '23: The Power of the People.
The theme is Organism, and this edition features multidisciplinary artists working in photography, installation, 3D, video, audio and performance.

Artists:
Johana Trayanova - photographer (@johana.trayanova)
Yordan Stoyanov - 3D visual artist (@yordan__stoyanov)
Dimana Aleva (LUTENICA) - music, performance and video artist (@sganatpantalonneekupon)
Alexander Karchinskiy - photographer
Kiril Kiryakov - visual artist (@kiryakovk)
Ivo Radev - sound artist (@ivolietvawe)
Yoani Yamazaki - performance and music artist ( @yoani )
Anthony Lalev - video artist (@toni.butoni) with Georgi Mitkov- Gargata - cinematographer (@gargata.umre)

The latest edition of The artist at play before summer explores the theme of Light. The artists who will show us different interpretations are:

Petya Todorova and Alexandra Popova - installation
Scav - sound
Boyana Raicheva - visual arts

The third edition of The artist at play focuses on the theme of trash. The artists who will show us their interpretation are:

Liliana Ignatova

Bilyana Tokmakchieva
Konstantin Dimitrov
Yoana Zhecheva

The Artist at Play aims to create a space for free experimentation and mistakes, which is at the heart of contemporary art. Once a month we challenge a group of young artists to step out of their comfort zone and experiment on a given theme. At the end of the month we get together to see what they have achieved. In order to make art accessible to more young people, their work will be sold for a fixed price of 50BGN during the event.

With the support of Cultural Space Bobbina.
The photo for the event was provided by @yordan_stoyanov

black river

an exhibition and album dedicated to change, the ephemeral and the soft dark flow of events that have somehow brought us here. all of this was done over a period of several years filled with great contrasting emotions, intense personal and global changes and constant wandering.

Album:
several noisy ambient compositions, almost all done as improvisation. recorded with very limited and cheap equipment, the music aims to create a sonic narrative for the listener with a lo-fi aesthetic and hypnotic feel.

Photos:
some made by mistake or camera malfunction, the photos document this period in colors and textures. this is how we remember it - a big blur of beautiful nonsense. all made completely analog.

Pictures:
an abstract visualization of some of the music, but mostly attempts to have fun with shapes and colors on canvas. experimenting with techniques and materials, the paintings are a way to test and provoke both the viewer and the artist.

fear breeds ambiguity. ambiguity breeds uncertainty. and uncertainty leads to change.

visual artists:
Ioanna Laskova
Bojidar Savov

We are doing our first ever “Vinyl DJ Workshop” led by the very excellent Berlin-based Mat Fink and Mini Nik at @bobbina_cs on Saturday! The workshop will last 3 hours - from 6 till 9pm, will cost just 20bgn and all participants will get a free pass for our party at Tell Me later that evening!DM Isterika or Bobbina to reserve your spot and bear in mind that they are limited.You’re in for a treat!!In Mat and Nik’s own words: We kindly invite you to join our Vinyl DJ workshop.

No matter if you are a complete beginner or if you have advanced DJ experience, we will show you what we think is the most important to start touching and using the equipment. In a playful & hands on approach, we will share our tricks of how to keep getting better at mixing vinyl.We’ve been mixing records for over 10years and we feel deeply that it helps us to appreciate and love dance music even more. We believe everybody can learn this beautiful art form. So we look forward to sharing our thoughts and techniques on the TECHNICS with you.

The second edition of The artist at play is coming on April 25. The theme is water and the four young artists who will show us their interpretation are:

Liliana Alexandrova
Delyan Saykov
Glenda Cucci
Theodora Kuneva

The Artist at Play aims to create a space for free experimentation and mistakes where creativity can flourish. Once a month we challenge a group of young artists to step out of their comfort zone and experiment on a given topic. At the end of the month we get together to see what they have achieved. In order to make art accessible to more young people, their work will be sold for a fixed price of 50BGN during the event.

The artist at play is a new format event.
The familiar kind of exhibition is replaced by an experimental game in which artists step out of their comfort zone.
What are the rules?
Once a month 3 artists are given a theme to create on.
After that, the artworks will only be viewable for 2h and bought for a fixed price of 50lv.
The aim of the game is to make art accessible and fun.
In the first edition we will see the works of : David Tadese, Stefan Domuzov and Samuel Velev.

The artist at play is an event by artists for artists

“This selection of animation work from femme directors and animators
from Seoul to Paris encompasses many different styles and genres and
focuses on showing unique illustration styles and use of graphics.
In the selection we have multi-award winning shorts from Spela
Cadez, Sujin Moon and Lola Lefevre plus premieres from Jenny Wright
and Sacha Beeley. Plus a premiere for Girls in Film's own production
company of work by Diyala Muir.”

– Becs Rainey, Head of GiF UK

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl pwr!!! Time to bring some sugar, spice and everything nice to the list of events with the GIRLS IN FILM! The collective that changes the gender bias in the film industry by bringing women to its forefront. GIRLS IN FILM are coming straight to Sofia for a special panel with selected titles, hand-picked for FIG. TREE! We are speechless, and so would you.

Website: https://www.girlsinfilm.net

Cuisine (du) Terror, borrowed from a French culinary tradition, defines a cuisine that represents an intimate relationship between the kitchen and the environment.

The project pleads for a recalibration of knowledge: it concerns the question of who/what is cooking and who/what is cooked. The trendy culinary technique "sous-vide" reveals that most types of flesh start cooking at around 50 degree Celsius, a temperature recently observable in several countries in the world. Borrowing this fact, is it possible to conclude that we are being slow-cooked alive in our own environment without even knowing about it? Who is the chef? Who is the butcher? Our relationship with Earth has never been so cruel yet so intimate.

The dinner allows an interplay between food, sound and story-telling, creating a space for multi-sensorial reflections. You will be introduced to this experience by Trang Hà, who is a designer and artist based in The Hague. She is currently sustaining and merging two fields of interest: graphic design and food. Through careful observations of the changes in her surroundings, she sketches out new methods to consume food and to do so in a way that one could engage with the environment and understand its complexities. Trang Hà finished her BA in Graphic Design in 2020 at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, The Netherlands.

The other two hosts of the event will be Alina Papazova and Andreas Poikans. Alina is a visual artist based in Sofia. Since 2020, she has been teaching at New Bulgarian University, where she graduated with a BA in Visual Arts and an MA in Ceramics and Porcelain. Alina works in ceramics and illustration, experimenting with many other artistic media. Her art incorporates mythological elements, symbolically influenced by different cultures, transformed in a humorous way. By placing herself and current social issues in the context of their world, which is diametrically opposed to contemporary life, she creates a process of integrating some of their core teachings into her own culture.

Andrejs Poikāns is a new media and sound artist from Riga, Latvia, currently based in The Hague, Netherlands. He is a graduate of New Media Arts BA programme in Liepaja University (2017-2020), currently continuing his studies as a master’s student in the Institute of Sonology at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague (with a focus on electro-acoustic music composition and sound art). Mostly his works are researched based studies of media histories that attempt to explore alternative narratives of science and technology at their intersection with philosophy and politics. Some of his working methods involve software-based art, net-art, installation art, generative art, creative coding and acousmatic music. Throughout the past 2 years his research has been preoccupied with listening modes and the metaphysics of voice. Inspecting how the voice, which stands on a threshold of subjectivity (both manifesting itself in thought and expression), can tell a history of our relationship with listening, thinking and acting in the world.

"Never this close" is a site-specific performance by Georgi P. Pavlov, part of the project we are not alone (#002).Most of the time when performing a live set the musicians and artists, even when improvising, leave some kind of recording at the end, as a final piece of the set. These recordings are afterwards sold, uploaded to different platforms, distributed on different mediums, etc. but most of the time they strictly keep the structure of author/audience/performance/creation. Thus, the experimental set often falls short of its radical potential - the most the audience can do is be intimately close to the performer.In performance we find the opposite, the only thing that remains after the performance is the documentation (narratives, photos, etc.)Through "Never this close", I aim to blur the aforementioned boundaries by asking the questions: what is the essential difference between performance as an art and the act of performing? Who is involved in the creative process when it is in front of the viewer's eyes, or between the viewers? Do we need to be alone and are we alone at all in the creative process? And to what extent is it possible to radicalise the process?The act aims to deconstruct and reconstruct the creative process of composing an experimental set, turning the space into a kind of pentolinium/instrument. The distance between form and content is contracted, allowing this form-content method to create a work that plays with the aforementioned boundaries.It is in this act that proximity (closeness) is a major factor in the recognition and realisation of the work. Its function is to bring the audience as close as possible to the creative process, totally changing the parameters of how we actually create, perform, and experience a live se, giving a sense of transparency and involving the "viewer".As well as questioning the basic categories of the experimental set, "Never this close" aims to reorder them in a new productive way, thus showing the presence of a host of other elements in the creative process - the productive lack of solitude, for example - that often remain hidden."we are not alone" is Georgy P. Pavlov's performance project, which aims to explore the possibilities of the game between formalism and content, process and work, and to what extent it is possible to radicalise the functions we are all so comfortable with, even when experimenting.

Artist and illustrator Karina Dobreva presents "Cicadas" - a project dealing with the idea of the human body and mind trying to hide in the night, merging with the surrounding space. Cicadas are invisible creatures, a symbol of the mystery of the summer nights.

The works are painted in black pen, iridescent with shades of petrol purple and grey, on thin, constantly tearing paper. The materials used are fragile and impermanent - just like the states one can fall into during such experiences.

The exhibition can be visited between 05-12 January, between 16:30 and 19:30.

The project is supported by the National Culture Fund.

"The Secret Garden" is a return to the mystique and magic of nature: exquisite colorful birds, branches heavy with juicy fruit, all-consuming greenery and untouched beauty. When the harmony of nature is unbroken by man. And man is allowed only as an observer - he can watch, enjoy, but not harm.

"The Secret Garden" tells us about that, unfortunately, distant from our times power of nature, which has attracted, enchanted, admired and frightened man. Back when nature was stronger and not yet plundered.

The series of paintings - watercolor, acrylic and ink on paper

The Syndicate (film series, 2015)
A non-commercial project created in the form of a film series. The pilot series "Distances" focuses on the emergence of the initial impulse, so important for any action, turned into an outright provocation addressed to the artistic community, society and especially the State in the person of its rulers.

MORPHOGENESIS (short film 2022)
"What is form? How does it arise and what is its nature?" are questions that the short documentary asks us through minimalist footage and electronic, experimental music. The film explores a world lying on the edge of reality - too fragile to be milked and too mundane to be denied.

STATELESS (2019)
A short film based on original and unedited texts from the diaries of a suicidal man ... who never touched his life!

For the 5th sequent year Æther Sofia invites you to take part in an open dialogue, a visual and discursive tale of narratives, angles and perspectives, a woven spider net operating system, addressing the banality of evil and spreading the importance of politics of care.

In its 2022 edition, RE-SPIRIT / TRANS-SPIRIT is seen as a collective attempt to bring forth urgent issues and topics as one fertile piece of soil rather than fragmented polluted waste-grounds. It invites connections to flow and undercurrents, it creates unexpected movements, and amplifies motives that make one organism vital and strong. It wants to trigger the importance of collective thinking, to wake up the unconscious, while gaining new skills and language to surge the residues of political, social, economic, and human injustices, when needed most – TODAY!

We see the present political instability as a possibility to fuel the city of Sofia with a platform that unfolds as a gift and provides a possibility to share and openly discuss the current state of affairs, locally as well as globally.

We argue that we urgently need a policy that puts care first and foremost. By care, we not only mean ‘hands-on’ care, or the work people do when looking after the physical and emotional needs to others – this is obviously critical and urgent as this dimension of caring remains. However, ‘care’ is also understood as a social capacity and activity that includes the care of everything necessary for the well-being and flourishing of life.

To put care center stage means to recognize and embrace our interdependencies. In this collective manifesto, we use the term 'care' generously to embrace family and community care, activate cooperative alternatives and create solidarity economies. ‘Care’ becomes our collective and individual capacity to provide the political, social, material and emotional conditions that enable the vast majority of people and living beings on this planet to thrive, along with the planet itself. With this approach, we want to understand care as active and necessary on every scale of life.

To begin with, SAW will attempt to diagnose the interconnected nature of the current reign of carelessness. It purposefully travels from the global dimensions that put profit over people through careless states and communities, to how the banality of carelessness ultimately affects our interpersonal intimacies. Sofia Art Week investigates the interplay of movements, scaling up from the personal to the planetary, in order to outline caring alternatives to our contemporary condition.

Different art and social practices will intersect to discover the capacity and potentiality of care, shared and resourced on an egalitarian basis. We will not offer solutions, but sketches of caring-imaginaries, which draw on past examples, present manifestations and future possibilities for forms of interconnected care. Rethinking these dependencies of care is pivotal for politics today if we hope to foster a politics of tomorrow.

Not care, but carelessness is the slogan led by the capitalist machine. The dominant life-draining system strongly leans on histories of devaluation, reshaping and deepening inequality, while we lose human belonging and dignity, as a result of the effective practice of demolition and erasing the vocabulary and meaning of care. No wonder right-wing politics and populism have once again proved seductive. It is easily fueled, given the deep difficulties and unbearable collective fears of living in an indifferent world.

Defensive self-interest pursues in circumstances like these when our sense of security and comfort is disrupted. Do you care for yourself exclusively? Is there anything left to care for others? We fail to challenge the limits placed on our caring capacities, practices and imaginations.

Now what we wonder would happen if we instead put care at the center of life?

SAW SOFIA ART WEEK is made possible with the financial support of NFK

National Fund "Culture"

& Singer- Zahariev Foundation

website: www.sofiaartweek.com

Moving Images Moving Bodies started as an exhibition project of the Goethe-Institut Bulgaria, aiming to present video art from Bulgaria and Germany. The unusual year of 2020 changed the plans, but instead of thwarting it, it allowed the project to grow and develop. After two curatorial selections by Ludwig Seyfarth, Kalin Serapionov and Krassimir Terziev with films by nearly 20 authors, a "video art week" with an exhibition at three locations, performances, meetings and evening screenings is now forthcoming.

Video art began to develop when the first portable video camera appeared on the US market in 1967. Along with technical experiments, theatrical performances are also documented, which, like ordinary physical performances, are often held only to be recorded. In the beginning, Bulgarian video art was also strongly influenced by performance and the study of the human body, although here too the line between documentation and independent video art is often mimicked.

Today, technical opportunities, including those for digital manipulation, have expanded endlessly and are available where previously political boundaries have created differences in technological status. The topic of the human body, also related to the study of interpersonal relationships, is still the main focus of video art or the art of working with moving images. Examples from the current cultural scene in Bulgaria and Germany show this.

Website: www.ica-sofia.org