SOFIA PAPER ART FEST 2017
The year 2017 marks a time of collision of the modernistic impulse with the aspiration for purely human, but forsaken values, the confrontation of the “spiritual” and the “materialistic”, of the “inherent” and the “alien”, of man and nature. This confrontation, apart from being a global social problem, reflects the perception of modern man to whom all is transient including art. People no longer cherish the little things in life, which constitute the basics of life. However, there is one event entitled SOFIA PAPER ART FEST which carries our spirit into a different world – that of paper art.
This year AMATERAS FOUNDATION is holding the seventh edition of SOFIA PAPER ART FEST. Various events will be presented during the period May 9 – June 6, 2017. This year’s motto of the Fest, selected by the organizers and the participants, is SAVE NATURE THROUGH ART. It directs the audiences to the richness of contents and the specific ideas of the events, accompanying the 2017 edition. Namely, that is the notion that through the beauty of art the collision between man and nature could be overcome. The present edition of the Festival is focused on the idea that through art as a mediator between man and the environment, harmony could be achieved.
This year and next year are very important not only for SOFIA PAPERT ART FEST but also for this country due to the fact that in 2018 Bulgaria will host the EU Presidency. This significant event is reflected in the program of the Fest.
The major targets set by the organizers are related to the strategic priorities of the culture program 2013-2023 SOFIA – CAPITAL CITY OF CREATIVITY, as well as with the presentation of Bulgaria abroad. One of the events directly connected to the presentation of Bulgaria abroad is the long-term project of Todor Todorov and Daniela Todorova entitled Ancient Messages which combines the artworks of the two artists in one common center – the heritage of Bulgaria’s nature and culture, and its connection with many other cultures around the world.
The main module of SOFIA PAPER ART FEST 2017 is in the period May 9 – June 6, 2017 and will be presented in the capital. After June 6th 2017 the artists are planning part of the events to be presented in different places in Bulgaria and abroad. All the locations with the exception of the Mazda Gallery and the Arthur Gallery are in the heart of downtown Sofia distinguished for its rich cultural life.
The focus of the 2017 edition of the Fest is the cultural dialogue and the presentation of professional networks and companies in Sofia; the presentation of exhibitions of the SPAF collection abroad in connection with the EU Presidency of Bulgaria in 2018; exhibitions in Europe, Asia and South America.
This year SOFIA PAPER ART FEST has the following major priorities:
1. SOFIA – HOST CITY OF BULGARIA’S EU PRESIDENCY – this is the basics of the entire program of this year’s seventh edition. A special presentation of the SPAF strategy and program in 2018 to the international partners, the Embassies, the culture centers, the tour operators, the media, the professional societies, the NGOs is planned to be held at the Foreign Ministry Culture Center. There will also be a presentation of the Congress of IAPMA (International Association of Paper-Making Artists, headquarters in Germany) to be hosted by SPAF in Sofia in May 2018. Participants in the Congress will include over 250 members of IAPMA mostly from Europe, the total number of participants in the events and exhibitions will be over 500 artists from all over the world.
2. EDUCATION AND ECOLOGY – A new understanding of the world we live in – new technologies and experiments. Paper art with hand-made paper from plants and recycled paper. The Amateras annual exhibition of paper art is focused on European artists and on debuting young artists. The Finnesse Gallery will present this exhibition – 67 artists from 22 countries. The Sofia Press Gallery, the Arthur Gallery and the Arte Gallery will present solo projects of Bulgarian and foreign artists. The Mission Gallery at the Foreign Ministry will present an exhibition on the occasion of the EU Presidency of Bulgaria in 2018. The Mazda Gallery will show a Far Eastern Art exhibition.
3. HUMANISM – projects with social priority organizations – a workshop for vision impaired people and a workshop for migrants together with the Union of the Blind – an exposition of artworks including the Braille alphabet and interactive installations. Guest lecturer from Brazil.
4. SOFIA ABROAD – VISITING EXHIBITIONS PROGRAM – documentaries, exhibitions and presentations abroad until the end of 2017. In May 2017 and through the second half of the year – exhibitions and presentations for the eighth SPAF edition in 2018 which will be held during the EU Presidency of Bulgaria.
5. VISITING PROJECTS ABROAD – Paris and Strasbourg, France, Sao Paolo and Bello Orizonte, Brazil, Helsinki, Finland.
6. FILM-SHOWINGS – documentaries on the preservation of forests and nature targeting unique and new international principles in the field of culture and living world heritage.
7. PERFORMANCE of Angela Barbour – related to migrants – a problem that has gathered head within the past few years.
8. PAPER TECHNIQUE – lecture and workshop with demonstrations of technique from the Far East.
OPENINGS
May 9 (Tuesday) – SAVE NATURE THROUGH ART – MAZDA Gallery
On May 9th – the Day of Europe – the official opening of SOFIA PAPER ART FEST 2017 will be held at the Mazda Gallery. Thus, it is not surprising that the first exposition with which SPAF will start is entitled SAVE NATURE THROUGH ART corresponding to the motto of the Fest. The artworks on display are by Japanese artists who accentuate on using paper made of natural material. They make their paper by applying traditional local technique and also by using modern innovative technique.
It is for the first time that the opening of SPAF takes place at the Mazda Gallery. The purpose the curator Daniela Todorova chose the date and the location for the opening is not accidental. It is due to the unison of the cultural initiatives of the Gallery with the European values which have been laid down as the basis of the entire long-term cultural policy of SOFIA PAPER ART FEST – united in difference, tolerant and innovative through art.
The AMATERAS Foundation and Mazda are long-standing partners. From the very beginning, the MAZDA Gallery was selected as one of the main locations for various events directly related to Japanese art. The gallery’s policy corresponds to the ideas and aspirations of the organizers of the FEST. Thus, the gallery has turned into an emblematic location for expositions of paper art. The long-term strategy of the Foundation to present expositions in non-standard locations has been endorsed through the MAZDA Gallery for this successful and elegant model of partnership in the field of contemporary art in the busy city.
The exhibition at the Mazda gallery will be held from May 9th to June 6th 2017.
May 11 (Thursday) AMATERAS ANNUAL PAPER ART MINI FORMAT EXHIBITION- COMPEITION – FINNESSE Gallery
The SPAF program emblematic event is the mini format exhibition-competition, the oldest international project of AMATERAS Foundation in its long-term international exchange. This exposition is the reason for the existence of Sofia Paper Art Fest, and has made Bulgaria very significant
over 700 artists from 42 countries who work in the media of paper art. The idea of the exposition is through the mini format artworks to demonstrate world tendencies in the most recent form of contemporary paper art. This exhibition makes analogies and references to tendencies, related to design, as well as to other methods and technique in hand-made paper both traditional and innovative. The exhibition entitled Touch Nature will introduce 67 artists from 22 countries. In a specific way each of the artists presented her has a national identity. However, the artists will all be united as if children in a big family. “We are all different and identical at the same time, we all need to be creative, constructive and to love each other” according to the curator Daniela Todorova.
The exhibition will open on May 11 at the Finnesse Gallery. The competition prizes of the international jury will be announced by Todor Todorov, Director of Amateras Foundation.
The motto of the exhibition SENSE NATURE directs our attention to the idea of one other event of the Fest planned for May 19 – a workshop for the blind. The workshop will take place at the Finnesse Gallery and some of the mini format artworks are made with the help of the Braille alphabet.
May 15 EARTH VIEWS – solo exhibition of Eliana Anghinah, Brazil at the ARTHUR Gallery
The solo project entitled EARTH VIEWS of the Brazilian artist Eliana Anghinah will be presented at the cozy Arthur Gallery on May 15th. The artist is a member of the International Association of Paper Making Artists /IAPMA/. The works from this exhibition are made of banana paper and have characteristic features due to the interesting material and the non-traditional artistic method, as well as to the specific “terrestrial” colors corresponding to the idea and contents of the project, reflected in the title EARTH VIEWS.
The events on May 15th and 16th give an opportunity to artists unfamiliar in Bulgaria from faraway countries to present their vision on current interesting topics. Through her exhibition Eliana Anghinah expresses her attitude to and conception of Nature and Mother Earth through the materials and with her artworks.
Eliana Anghinah is a famous artist in this field, a member of IAPMA and her exhibition in Sofia has one other important mission: she will be one of those artists who will share the experience of IAPMA in the field of international cultural life. This is connected with an events in the Fest program to present the program and the hosting of the IAPMA congress in Bulgaria in 2018.
May 16 - SEEDS OF TIME – solo project of Angela Barbour, Brazil at the SOFIA PRESS Gallery
On May 16th (Monday) the Sofia Press Gallery will present an exhibition of images by Angela Barbour. The exhibits represent works made by the Brazilian artist Angela Barbour printed on silk and paper. The Sofia Press Gallery was especially chosen for this event because of the variety of cultural events the Gallery has organized and hosted. Angela Barbour’s project fully corresponds to the art space of the Gallery. Apart from contemporary art and non-conventional art forms, the artist has curated a number of international and social projects. She will participate in two other SPAF 2017 events – the workshop With Closed Eyes, including her work with the blind, on May 19th at the Finnesse Gallery, as well as in the very attractive events of this year’s program – the performance Flying Memories. On this SPAF event the artist stated: “The concept of this project fits extraordinarily with the research theme of the Sofia Paper Art Fest 2017 which, as a guiding thread, seeks for a better world where artists have a role of bringing to people their own identity and care for the world."
The exhibition of the artworks presenting the different stages and the variety of view points of Angela Barbour will be on show from May 16th to May 30th at the Sofia Press Gallery.
May 18 ANCIENT MESSAGES – The MISSION Gallery
On May 18th at the Foreign Ministry Mission Gallery the exhibition Ancient Messages will open as a fragment of the large scale project of the organizers and founders of AMATERAS Foundation, Todor Todorov and Daniela Todorova. Only a number of artworks and several documentaries will be shown as just a small part of the project. The joint project of Daniela Todorova and Todor Todorov is one of the key events of both SPAF 2017 and of the forthcoming EU Presidency of Bulgaria. Through their artworks the artists are united in a joint conception related to the cultural heritage and natural of Bulgaria, as well as to the deep connection with many traditions and cultures around the world. The title of the exhibition Ancient Messages is eloquent if the ideas and aspirations of the artists.
A special presentation of the program of SPAF 2018 is planned to be hosted for the foreign diplomatic missions and culture institutes, which is a joint initiative with the Foreign Ministry Culture Institute aimed at a large-scale presentation of the cultural processes and the heritage of Bulgaria in different countries during Bulgaria’s EU Presidency.
The Ancient Messages exhibition will be held at the MISSION Gallery from May 18 to May 31.
May 20 – GAME WITH FIRE - ARTE Gallery
May 20 European Night of Galleries and Museums
During the European Night of Galleries and Museums SPAF will present to the public in Sofia a variety of events united through paper art. All five exhibitions will be open free of charge with special activities
at each gallery.
The emblematic Sofia Paper Art Fest PAPER STREET will be opened during the Night of Galleries and Museums. It will be located at the Largo – a space of particular importance as a center of cultural life from ancient times up to now. The PAPER STREET at the LARGO will be open to the public from 4.00 p.m. to 24.00 p.m. on May 20th. The program of the official opening will include: a paper fashion exhibition, a paper fashion show and workshop for children, pavilions with origami, paper artworks, designer’s items, traditional crafts, utilitarian items, etc.
The performance Flying Memories, by the Brazilian artist Angela Barbour is a key event in the program accentuating on a specific and pressing problem – migrating people who have lost everything but hope for the future.
Films on ecological problems and on the cultural heritage on Bulgarian soil will be shown later in the program.
Additional information is available on the Face Book page of AMATERAS Foundation