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Contemporary Art from Bulgaria and Romania

The MKM is showcasing key positions across the artistic landscape of Bulgaria and Romania. Represented in this selection are internationally acclaimed artists, together with influential protagonists of the national art scenes and newcomers. On view are works by Luchezar Boyadjiev, Pravdoliub Ivanov, Oda Jaune, Kiril Prashkov, Svetlin Roussev and Nedko Solakov from Bulgaria, and by Marius Bercea, Dumitru Gorzo, Gili Mocanu, Ramona Raus and Ioan Sbârciu from Romania. The exhibition is intended to mark Bulgaria‘s and Romania‘s recent accession to the EU.
This survey of the artistic output of both countries is, at the same time, based on a – quiet personal – appraisal by the exhibition’s artistic commissioner and its two curators. What is taking place in the art scenes of these two countries? Which artistic centres are in the ascendancy, and which substantive and media-specific themes are emerging? Which artists are already of decisive influence and which warrant introduction?
It is with these questions in mind, that the Commissioner of the exhibition, Markus Lüpertz, and the two curators Iara Boubnova and Liviana Dan have made their selection. For a number of years, Markus Lüpertz has held a professorship at the Academy of Art in Cluj; Iara Boubnova is an internationally renowned curator and, among her other posts, is Director of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Sofia and Liviana Dan is an art critic and engaged as a curator ar the Brukenthalmuseum in Sibiu, to name just some of her activities.

According to Liviana Dan, painting is currently the artistic flavour of the month in Romania – not as a mere fashion phenomenon, but as a serious reflection on the nature of, and the opportunities within painting, and as a departure from well-trodden (including state-sponsored) paths. Of course, this should not imply that equally as many Romanian artists are not working in other media, but there currently exists a thriving and important painting scene to which the artists featured in this exhibition belong, and which is distributed across various centres in Romania, particularly Cluj and Bucharest.

The epicentre of the Bulgarian‘s art scene is the capital Sofia. The selected artists work in a diverse range of media, ranging from installations and objects (Nedko Solakov, Pravdoliub Ivanov), photography and drawing (Luchezar Boyadjiev, Kiril Prashkov) to painting (Svetlin Roussev, Oda Jaune). Some artists are as equally at home in a diverse range of different media. Pravdoliub Ivanov and Nedko Solakov will show their works at this year’s Venice Biennial; the latter will participate in the documenta as well.

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