Bulgarian-American Credit Bank Presentation

Speaker: Vesela Nozharova – Art Historian, Curator

Vesela Nozharova is an art historian and curator, author of the book “Introduction to Bulgarian Contemporary Art 1982–2015”. She was the curator of the Bulgarian Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007 and co-curator of the Bulgarian Pavilion at the 11th Venice Architecture Biennale. She is also a co-founder of the curatorial collective “Art – Works and Documents”. Vesela has curated numerous exhibitions both in Bulgaria and abroad (Istanbul, Vienna), including the exhibition “Smoke. A History of Tobacco”, which opened the European Capital of Culture program in Plovdiv in 2019. Since 2015, she has been the curator of Credo Bonum Gallery in Sofia. In recent years, Vesela has also been involved in teaching and mentoring programs. She lectures on the history of art as part of the platform “Introduction to Contemporary Art”, and in early 2024, she the Curatorial School at the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center in Gabrovo, upon invitation.

In this special presentation, Vesela Nozharova will present the Bulgarian-American Credit Bank’s model for supporting contemporary art and culture. Vesela will talk about the landmark projects supported by the bank in recent years.

Language: Bulgarian

FOLLOW.ART is bringing its innovative creative workshop to Sofia Art Fair, and we’d be delighted for you to join us!
This two-in-one event combines an inspirational panel talk with art industry experts and an interactive workshop, tailored to help curators and artists thrive in today’s art world.

This interactive workshop and talk are designed to help curators and artists navigate today’s complex and dynamic art world and discover new ways to thrive in it. Through practical tips, inspiring stories, and hands-on activities, you will learn how to:
- Present yourself with clarity and confidence
- Build and grow professional networks
- Sustain your practice through micro-patronage
- Take first steps toward creating your own initiatives

Discussion panel by EMPROVE foundation with participants: Yulian Tabakov and Kapka Kaneva

What does a story of strength look like when it passes through the heart of an artist? In this talk, two prominent figures in Bulgarian art—Kapka Kaneva and Julian Tabakov—will meet with a woman from the #WomenSurvivors community, whose stories inspired the exhibition Awakening Between the Lines. Together, they will reflect on their deeply personal and creatively transformative exchange. Because true art does more than provoke—it changes even its own creator.

This panel invites today’s artists to open both their creativity and their personhood to meaningful causes—topics that bring depth, resonance, and a different level of artistic maturity.

Discussion panel with the artists: Gabriela von Habsburg (Luxembug), Giuseppe Lo Schiavo (Italy), Mia Florentine Weiss (Germany) and Sabina Knetlova (The Czech Republic).

The discussion presents in more details the artworks in the Expanded Perspectives curatorial project which will be positioned in and around the forum John Atanasoff building in Sofia Tech Park where Sofia Art Fair takes place. A project realized by the independent platform for contemporary art and culture Art and Culture Today.

Speaker: Christopher Springham, UK. Chairman of the Responsible Investment Forum: Europe, Entrepreneur and Green Energy Consultant

A rational businessman who is a 'fool for art' discusses the beneficial conflict between logic and love.

Christopher will provide some reflections on a successful business career, his lifelong passion for the arts and reveal they are not such different worlds, both ripe with commercial and creative opportunity. What drove him to collect art and what insights it has brought regarding the social and economic benefits of the creative economy?

Speaker: Szabolcs Vida

Szabolcs Vida is Director of Strategy and Exhibitions at Light Art Museum, Budapest - one of the most exciting private museums in Europe with specific focus on contemporary art related to light and a fascinating space providing memorable experience for its visitors.

The presentation focuses on how a private initiative such as the Light Art Museum Budapest can evolve into a sustainable institution — not only in financial terms, but through its cultural relevance, social impact, and contribution to the contemporary art discourse. By highlighting a specific branch of contemporary art, it explores how such initiatives can serve as progressive institutional models, demonstrating the meaningful role privately founded museums may play in today’s cultural landscape.

Martin Janda, Austria, Chairman of the association of conemporary art galleries in Austria

What makes a city a thriving hub for contemporary art? Beyond standout galleries and artists, it’s the collective infrastructure — associations, festivals, and shared platforms — that fuel sustained growth and market relevance.

In this talk, Martin Janda, founder of Galerie Martin Janda and President of the Association of Austrian Galleries of Modern Art, will reveal how strategic collaboration among galleries turns local scenes into dynamic, internationally recognized markets. Drawing on Vienna’s Curated by festival and national cultural policy advocacy, he’ll share insights on how joint efforts drive visibility, expand networks, and create sustainable opportunities for galleries, collectors, and stakeholders.

Speaker: Marc-Olivier Wahler, Director of MAH Museum of Art and History, Geneva

How can a museum resonate with multiple rhythms of attention, use, and meaning?

This talk explores the concept of the multifrequency museum — a prototype for tomorrow’s institution as a living, porous system that embraces coexisting modes of engagement, from critical inquiry to playful drift, from deep listening to unexpected forms of collective imagination.

Speaker: Rafael Mateu de Ros, Spain.

Advisor and Member of the Art Committee of the Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson, a Spansish Foundation with immense financial contribution to arts and culture. A PhD in both Art History and Law, Rafael Mateu is trustee of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and a board member of several major cultural institutions. A founding partner of Ramón y Cajal Abogados, he leads its Art Law and Cultural Heritage Department and is a prominent figure in art collecting, provenance protection, and cultural policy within the EU.

Speaker: Krisztina Szipőcs, Hungary. Deputy director of Ludwig Museum for Contemporary art, Budapest

From a private collection to a Central European institutionThe Ludwig Museum – Museum of Contemporary Art in Budapest was established in 1989, on the eve of the political transition in Hungary. The founding donation by German collectors Peter and Irene Ludwig was motivated by a clear political and cultural ambition: to build bridges between East and West through the universal language of art.

How do cultural undercurrents become commercial movements? What happens when creativity and capital collide? And how should we — as funds, investors, brands, and individuals — show up in a world that’s increasingly visual, fast-moving, and emotionally charged?

Drawing on his cross-disciplinary work in music, fashion, film, publishing, and brand strategy, Timothée Verrecchia explores the quiet yet powerful ways culture drives history and commerce. With experience spanning collaborations with Apple, Sony, Universal, and the UN, as well as curating exhibitions and producing cross-industry projects, Timothée offers a unique lens on how this power operates today.

Speaker: Latifa al Khalifa, director of Art Station, International artists residency

How can artist residencies and educational initiatives transform cultural ecosystems in the Gulf? In this talk, Latifa Al Khalifa, Director of The Art Station, will share how the RAK Art Foundation is shaping new models of cultural patronage through residencies and mentorship programs in Muharraq. Drawing on her experience as an artist, curator, and writer engaged with the cultural narratives of the Middle East and North Africa, she will discuss how The Art Station fosters cross-cultural dialogue, supports emerging talent, and redefines what arts education can look like in the region.

Speaker: Benedicte Alliot, France. Director of Cité internationale des arts in Paris

Bénédicte Alliot is the Director General of the Cité internationale des arts in Paris, one of the world’s largest and certainly most prestigious residency centers, simultaneously hosting over 300 artists from all disciplines and backgrounds. Since 2016, she has led the institution’s transformation towards greater inclusivity, developing programs for artists in exile and underrepresented communities. With a background in cultural diplomacy and professional focus fostering international artistic exchange and cooperation, she will explore the capacity of cultural diplomacy as a strategic tool in the institutional apporach to a wide range of issues and social inbalances.

Speaker: AGORIA (Sébastien Devaud), France.

A prominent French DJ and multidisciplinary artist whose work bridges the organic and the digital. He is widely recognized for his pioneering contributions to electronic music and has performed on some of the world’s most iconic stages, including Coachella and Tomorrowland. Agoria has expanded his creative practice into the realm of contemporary art, focusing on biological generative art - a discipline that blends algorithms, artificial intelligence, and data from living organisms to create dynamic, evolving works. His installation Sigma Lumina, presented at the Musée d’Orsay in February 2024 was the first entirely digital project presented at the museum and was visited by more than 100,000 viewers.

In this SAF Talk, Agoria will reflect on the evolving role of the artist in a time shaped by artificial intelligence, rapid change, and emotional disconnect. "Today, citizens are shifting from a world they once rejected for its meaning to a world they no longer understand the rules of. The artist becomes more than a creator: they become a compass".

Eelco van der Lingen, The Nerherlands. Director of Mondriaan Fonds

When we accept the problem of western modernism and look for the perspectives neglected, how can we correct history and stimulate true diversity? In this SAF Talk, Eelco van der Lingen, Director of the Mondriaan Fund, the Netherlands’ leading public fund for visual arts and heritage, will explore practical tools for cultural diplomacy and institutional transformation, sharing how policy, funding, and international collaboration can foster real diversity in the arts.

Eelco van der Lingen is a leading figure in shaping innovative policies that promote creativity, sustainability, and international cooperation in contemporary art. Thanks to his vision and experience, the Mondriaan Fonds affirms the Netherlands as one of Europe’s leading centers for cultural dynamism and innovation.