The State Institute for Culture Received a Donation from Bulgarian Artist Living in Italy, Alzek Misheff
On May 11, 2025, on the Day of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles St. Cyril and St. Methodius, the great Bulgarian artist Alzek Misheff, who has lived in Italy for more than half a century, received the honorary title “Doctor Honoris Causa” of the National Academy of Arts. In the meeting hall of the Municipal Council of the city of Acqui Terme, Italy, the artist Alzek Misheff was awarded the honorary title "Doctor Honoris Causa" of the National Academy of Arts for his exceptional merits and contribution to the development of contemporary visual art, and the title was presented to him personally by the Rector of the National Academy of Arts, Prof. Georgi Yankov. In the presence of the mayor of the city Acqui Terme, Mr. Danilo Rapetti, municipal councilors from the city, the Consul General of Bulgaria in Milan, Ms. Ana Paskaleva, the Consul Ms. Elena Nakova, the Director of the State Institute for Culture under the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova, Assoc. Prof. Vasil Kolev from the National Academy of Arts and other official guests, the official ceremony of awarding the title to Alzek Misheff took place.
The overall organization was taken over by the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Milan and the Municipality of Acqui Terme, where in the most representative hall there is a large-scale work by Alzek Misheff, which has become part of the city's landmarks.
After the ceremony in the municipality, a reception was held at the artist's home, during which he donated his work to the Art Fund of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, entitled "Wind". This is the second work that the artist donates through the State Institute for Culture to the Art Fund of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As a sign of gratitude and respect, the director of the Institute Snezhana Yoveva presented him with a special plaque on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Institute's establishment. A work by Alzek Misheff was included in the representative exhibition "Diplomacy and Art" Part 2, which has so far been successfully presented in Sofia, Skopje, Podgorica, Cetinje, Sarajevo, Tirana, and in early June will be a guest at a gallery in Burgas at the invitation of the National Academy of Arts.
Alzek Misheff is a Bulgarian and Italian artist, born on October 8, 1940 in the town of Dupnitsa. In 1966 he graduated in painting from the Higher Institute of Fine Arts "Nikolai Pavlovich", today the National Academy of Arts. In 1971 he emigrated to Italy, settling in Milan. In the 1970s he established himself as a leading figure of the European avant-garde, and in 1976 critic Achille Bonito Oliva included him among the thirty most significant European artists. During this period, Misheff became known for his performances such as the installation of swimming pools in galleries and theaters, the actions "How to Fly with Flippers" (1975) and "The Mole" (1978), as well as the large-scale installation "Music from the Sky" (Milan, USA, 1979). Key projects of Misheff are "Swimming the Atlantic Ocean" on board the liner "Queen Elizabeth 2" (1982) and the large-scale action "500 Young Faces" in Italy and France (1984-85). He participated in significant international exhibitions such as the Quadrianale in Rome (1977). Later, he actively experimented with music and technology, using the infrared baton “Lightning II” and presenting multimedia performances at the Venice Biennale (2000, 2007) and at the Pavilion for Contemporary Art (PAC) in Milan (2005). At the same time, he increasingly focused on large-scale painting, creating works such as “Symphonic Orchestra II” (2013) for the municipal meeting hall in Acqui Terme, as well as the series “Country concerts” (2015). After a 50-year absence, Alzek Misheff returned to Bulgaria with two exhibitions – “The Latest Small Paintings of the Swimmer” at Swimming pool (2019) and the large retrospective exhibition “Acqui-Milan-Sofia” at the National Gallery in 2021.
In 2023 the documentary about Alzek Misheff "To Fly with Fins" directed by Maria Averina won the State Institute for Culture’s award for best Bulgarian documentary at the Master of Art Film Festival. The Italian premiere of the film took place on November 7, 2024 in Milan at the prestigious Anteo Palazzo del Cinema and was organized by the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Milan, and then in Rome at the initiative of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute.
Alzek Misheff is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, including the "Golden Age" award of the Ministry of Culture for his remarkable international career (2024) at the proposal of the State Institute for Culture, an honorary diploma of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ivan Kondov, for his entire creative work and outstanding contribution to the promotion of Bulgarian culture in Italy (2024), awarded on September 26, 2024 at the Prefecture in Milan during the celebration of the 145th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Italy, the Annual Award "Revived Heritage" for lifetime achievement of the Institute for the Study of Arts at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (2024), etc. In 2018, he was awarded the title "Honorary Citizen of the City of Dupnitsa". In 2023, Misheff became an honorary citizen of the Italian city of Acqui Terme, where he has lived for the past three decades.
In 2024, the Academic Council of the National Academy of Arts decided to award Misheff the honorary title of "Doctor Honoris Causa" for his significant contribution to the development of contemporary visual art.