Bulgarian-Brazilian Exhibition "Beyond the Surface", Organised By "Amateras" Foundation
On 15 June at 6 p.m., the exhibition “Beyond the Surface” by the Amateras Foundation will open at the “Mission” Gallery to the State Institute for Cultureto the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The exhibition is a joint project between Bulgaria and Brazil and is part of this year’s edition of Sofia Paper Art Fest.
The exhibition presents contemporary artistic practices from Brazil that explore the themes of memory, identity, cultural layers, and the invisible connections between humans, nature, and society. The works examine the processes that remain hidden behind what is visible, namely the accumulation of personal and collective memory, the transformations of matter, and the capacity of art to reveal deeper layers of human experience. The project offers an opportunity for encounter between different creative traditions, artistic practices, and interpretations of the contemporary world.
The exhibition is part of a long-standing cultural exchange program between Bulgaria and Brazil that began in 2016 at the initiative of the Amateras Foundation, Elora Studio, and partner organizations from both countries. After a temporary hiatus during the pandemic, the project was resumed in 2025 with events in São Paulo and continues to evolve through exhibitions, artist residencies, educational programs, and professional exchanges.
A special highlight of the opening will be Andrea Barbour’s performance “Corpo Presente” (Present Body). In it, the artist explores the relationships between the body, the environment, and other forms of life, viewing the skin not as a boundary, but rather as a space for exchange between matter, energy, and memory. Following the performance, an installation will remain in the gallery, composed of images, organic materials, and fragments collected during the performance, which will function as a material trace of the ephemeral event.
The opening will be attended by the Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the Republic of Bulgaria H.E. Paulo Roberto Campos Tarice da Fontoura.
The exhibition is curated by Daniela Todorova from “Amateras” Foundation, Angela Barbour, and Eliana Ankhina. The exhibition features works by Andrea Barbour, Angela Barbour, Katarina Suleiman, Sildo Oliveira, Eliana Ankhina, Jacqueline Aronis, Luciane Kunde, Mario Fiore, and Ninetas Rabner.
The exhibition will be open from 15 June to 31 August on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.