First major international contemporary art fair in Bulgaria

“Sofia Art Fair” will take place at the “John Atanasoff” forum in Sofia Tech Park. The event will bring together artists, galleries, collectors, business representatives, and the international professional community.

Over three days, visitors to the “Sofia Art Fair” will indulge in the world of contemporary artists and become acquainted with the diversity and trends in the latest art from Bulgaria and abroad. The accompanying events program will focus on topics such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality; exploring the horizons and challenges that technology unveils to artists, designers, and the global culture as a whole. Special curatorial tours are planned to acquaint guests with the participants’ works, along with artist meetings and a rich accompanying program featuring distinguished guests from Bulgaria and Europe. Thus, the “Sofia Art Fair” will become a platform for holding meaningful conversations, establishing personal and professional contacts, and allowing visitors to purchase works with collectors and investment value.

Close to 40 galleries from Bulgaria and Europe will showcase works by selected artists in the central exhibition space. At the same time within the forum, an exhibition of young Bulgarian contemporary artists participating in the initiative on a pro bono basis will take place. All galleries and artists will be selected by an international jury of curators and art historians, including local specialist art historians and curators Radoslav Mehandzhiyski and Teodora Konstantinova (founders of a series of projects dedicated to innovative education in the field of contemporary art), Johan Gustavsson (well-established curator from the Netherlands who recently expressed interest in the Bulgarian scene and had his first curatorial show in Bulgaria), Martina Yordanova (curator and representative of the Bulgarian National Gallery) and Nina Gscheider (art historian and contemporary art collector from Austria with extensive experience and understanding of the international network of art).

“Sofia Art Fair” is a transformative visual and cultural experience that brings together artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts from Bulgaria and Europe. The event aims to rethink the artistic landscape in Bulgaria by demonstrating the vital diversity of contemporary art, promoting intercultural dialogue, celebrating unique creative expressions, and contributing to the growth of the art market in Bulgaria. The organizer of this ambitious event is the “Sofia Breathes” Foundation, which has successfully implemented the first urban culture festival “Sofia Breathes” in the capital for years. Founder and CEO of the foundation is Suni Danadzha. The festival showcased the art and talent of artists in the fields of music, dance, fine and applied arts, cinema, theater, architecture, design, social and educational initiatives, and ecology.

Those interested in participating in the “Sofia Art Fair” can submit their applications by completing the application form from January 18 until April 15, 2024, through the website www.sofiaartfair.art.

The project consultants are Snezhana Krasteva, Bulgarian curator with international career spreading from Beijing to London and currently head of the curatorial programs at the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale in Saudi Arabia; Maria Vassileva, art historian and curator with extensive experience both in institutional and private context, founder of one of the most active contemporary art galleries in Sofia; Hristina Bobokova, Bulgarian art historian and art manager focusing on projects supporting local contemporary artists, Nikolay Nedelchev, the founder of the largest private contemporary art collection in Bulgaria, Franz Ihm, collector and insurance specialist from Austria partnering with Sofia Art Fair in relation to insurance services as well as general advisor and Simona Krasteva, young international art dealer with diverse activities within the field of contemporary art.

Project partners: Ministry of Innovation and Growth, French Cultural Institute, Art and Culture Today, “Lachezar Tsotsorkov” Foundation, Sofia Tech Park, VP Consulting, Buzalov & Chanova Business Lawyers, TDB Play, American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria, Art Fair Service, Follow Art, TECTUS, Trend Research Center, TECHCITY, JT Design, Ogilvy Bulgaria.