Exhibition "The Energy of the Spirit of Innovation" - a Selection from the Collection of the “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” Foundation
Opening: May 16, 2025 (Friday), 6 p.m.
Location: The Mission Gallery, 2 Alexander Zhendov Street
Curator: Prof. Dr. Chavdar Popov
Organisers: State Institute for Culture under the Minister of Foreign Affairs and St. St. Cyril and Methodius Foundation
Featured artists: Dimitar Kirov, Hristo Simeonov, Hristo Simeonov, Sava Savov, Gancho Karabadzhakov, Petko Abadzhiev, Alexander Raykov, Vladimir Goev, Kalina Taseva, Tsanko Panov, Yanaki Kavrakov, Andrey Daniel, Magda Abazova, Yordan Parushev, Olga Valnarova, Nikola Nikolov, Alexander Raykov
The exhibition presents a small part from the rich collection of the “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” Foundation. The paintings of famous Bulgarian artists included in the selection aim at showing in a nutshell various aspects and trends in Bulgarian fine arts since the last quarter of the 20-th century and the first decade of the 21-st century.
This period comprises significant changes and transformations in the Bulgarian fine arts climate – authors are challenged to a large extent with new prospects and new horizons, arising within the circumstances of the existing social system. At first sight, it seems a bit of a paradox that the creative works of Bulgarian artists is brought very close to the achievements of modern art. In this sense we could perceive clearly features and clues of innovation within the context of the respective period as well as we could rediscover less known works of art by distinguished masters of the brush.
The close interrelation of the Foundation with leading trends in the plastic arts is not accidental. Founded as far back as 1982, this was the first foundation of an European type which was established in the socialist bloc of countries. This cultural institution was constituted by Svetlin Roussev who was not only its founder but acted as its Vice President until the end of his life.
Within the perspective of the past forty years the Foundation activity involves a wide range of venues and means of financial support of the fine arts –first and foremost starting with patronage, sponsorship of a variety of creative achievements of students at the Academy and budding painters, conservation and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage, relevant programs and projects in the domain of the fine arts and last, but not least, providing awards for participation in biennales, organised by the Union of Bulgarian Artists.
For a long period of time, the discovery of young talents has been a top priority of the Foundation activities. A nation-wide competition for young painters, sculptors and engraving artists has been initiated since 2002, which had been complemented by a substantial award fund. For a certain period of time the Foundation has also been engaged in the support and encouragement of visiting artists in the studios of Cite des Arts in Paris.
The positive results of all these activities could be grasped throughout the overall pattern of the collection, which has been compounded in many different dimensions. Apart from the sources, mentioned so far, for the whole period of time the Foundation has also been enriched by donations, which have been contributed regularly to it thanks to the high reputation and wide international recognition of the organisation.
The popularisation and socialisation of the works by Bulgarian artists is also an important aspect of the “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” Foundation activities and in this respect this current exhibition is a good example of the above.
It is hard to find any common denominator in terms of subject matter, genre or style of the exhibition. It should be rather searched and detected in the energy of the spirit of innovation in the sphere of the plastic and spiritual culture of present-day Bulgaria to which the Foundation has contributed significantly and without any doubt.
Prof. Dr. Chavdar Popov