Exhibition - "The BRICK" Campaign
02.07.2024 – 14.07.2024
Union of Bulgarian Artists - "Rayko Alexiev" Exhibition Hall, Sofia
Opening – 18:00, 02.07.2024
The "The Brick" Exhibition presents the results and works of the large-scale campaign "The Brick/2023", which was presented for the first time in the capital city. The project aims to restore an old campaign of art critic Dimitar Grozdanov, but also to initiate a dialogue in society about the essence, understanding and promotion of contemporary art in general. The public presentation of contemporary art needs specific PR, which requires various non-traditional approaches to address the public, so that it is more comprehensible and accessible to people outside the art circles. The organizers believe that the campaign and its associated exhibitions, events, talks, film and catalog support the processes of promoting the ideas and essence of contemporary art.
THE BEGINNING / 1992-1993
The first "The Brick" campaign was implemented back in 1992-1993 based on the idea of the art critic Dimitar Grozdanov. Back then 50 artists were mailed or hand-delivered a brick each with the idea of turning it into a work of art. 28 people participated in the campaign inspired by the idea that the brick is a metaphor for "laying the first brick" for the beginning of a modern or contemporary art museum in Bulgaria. The created works of art are exhibited at the "Akrabov" Gallery in Plovdiv. According to Dimitar Grozdanov, "the idea for the brick at that moment was so simple and clear to such an extent that later many people wondered if it was actually their idea". At the same time, the creation of a museum of contemporary art in the early 90s of the 20th century in Bulgaria was also a topic that excited many awake minds from the art circles. Later on, this was exactly what the art critic Vesela Nozharova noted, that "the topic of the Museum passes as an immeasurable refrain throughout the entire period in which contemporary art is practiced". Grozdanov also adopted it, and for him the development of the "Process - Space" Festival into a museum of contemporary art was the most idealistic program. The "The Brick" Exhibition was a guest at the "Process-Space" Festival in May 1993 as part of the festival program in its second edition.
Among the participants in the project then were: Magda Abazova, Mincho Armeykov, Angel Ahryanov, Vesko Velev, Nadya Genova, Krasimir Dobrev, Alexander Doychinov, Dimitrina Doychinova, Rumen Zhekov, Veneta Marinova, Albena Mihaylova, Emil Mirazchiev, Nikola Nikolov, Vladimir Ovcharov, Dimcho Pavlov, Angel Pachamanov, Monika Romenska, Boris Sarinov, Sasho Savov, Anna Boyadzhieva, Sarkis, Tatyana Andonova and others.
THE BRICK/ 2023 Campaign
The idea of reviving the old "The Brick" campaign arose 30 years later, in 2023, in a modern time that had its various challenges and in memory of Dimitar Grozdanov. "The Brick/2023" art campaign was implemented in March and April 2023, when invitations to participate and "working bricks" were sent to 150 selected Bulgarian artists in the country and abroad. During that period of two months, the so-called work materials and the conceptual idea of the campaign reached the participants. The essence of the art campaign consisted in each participant turning the received brick into a work of art, the brick itself being a metaphor for the beginning, or so to speak, the first brick of a contemporary art museum in Bulgaria, that is, everything had to repeat the idea of the original campaign from the 90s. Reaching every single prospective participant was in some cases a difficult task due to the fact that the old-fashioned way of sending invitations - hand to hand - was chosen. It was experimental, given the digital environment we live in today and everything was now sent via email or social media. In addition, the invitation also came with a tangible object, a real brick that could not be teleported via e-mail or social media. In that initial stage of the campaign, there were many interesting situations, reactions, questions and conversations with many of the invited artists, which caused an additional charge to the project, towards popularization and reflections on the topic of a museum of contemporary art in Bulgaria. 118 Bulgarian artists working and living in the country and abroad took part in the campaign. The implementation of the first "The Brick/ 2023" exhibition was in June 2023 at the "ReBonkers" Cultural Center, city of Varna. The works created were not only transformed bricks but also texts, messages, paintings, drawings, videos, installations.
THE BRICK today
The "The Brick/2023" campaign raised a number of questions in the process of its implementation and through communication with artists. They were primarily related to whether contemporary art should be museified at a time when it is still alive and in an active life process. Many opinions and viewpoints were expressed, opposing each other, not interfering with each other, but to some extent explaining the processes in society. The "The Brick" exhibition, at the "Rayko Aleksiev" exhibition hall, presents a reportage film about the public's attitudes and understandings of contemporary art, created as an experiment by the organizers of the campaign. Interviews were taken from 27 random passers-by and 6 non-random ones in the capital city and the province, asking them the following questions: "Do you know what contemporary art is?", "Do you go to exhibitions and which was the last one you went to?", "Name a Bulgarian contemporary artist?", "Should contemporary art be in museums?". The exhibition also presents the "The Brick" catalog, which is a summary of the campaign in 2023 and features 115 authors and their works of art from the exhibition.
List of all participants:
Adelina Popnedeleva, Aleksander Valchev, Altsek Mishev, Anna Boyadzhieva, Anton Stoyanov, Antoni Rayzhekov, Antoniya Koleva - Nitra, Atanas Hranov, Bozhidar Bonchev, Valentin Georgiev, Valentin Shtinkov, Valentina Lapcheva, Vasil Slavkov, Venelin Shurelov, Vesko Velev, Veselin Damyanov - VES, Viktoriya Georgieva - MOUSE, Virginiya Pencheva, Vihroni Popnedelev, Vladimir Ivanov, Gancho Ganchev - Ghana, Georgi Pasev, Georgi Yankov, Genadi Gatev, Gosho Georgiev, Greddy Assa, Daniel Ivanov, Deyan Valkov, Desislava Hristova, Damyan Bumbalov, Dimitar Traychev, Dimitar Yaranov, Donika Yordanova, Evgeniya Lefterova, Evgeni Yonov, Emanuela Kovach, Emil Bachiyski, Emil Mirazchiev, Iva Staneva, Iva Yaranova, Ivan Kyuranov, Ivan Shishkov, Ivo Bistreshki, Iglika Hristova, Ina Valentinova, Iliana Ilieva, Iliya Yonchev, Iskra Blagoeva, Yoanna Danovska - Guientz, Yordan Pankov – J.PANK, Kalin Serapionov, Kiril Bozhkov, Katrin Tomova, Kaloyan Iliev – Kokimoto, Konstantin Konstantinov, Krasimir Dobrev, RASSIM, Krasimira Kirilova, Kancho Kanev, Larisa Ilieva, Liana Dimitrova, Lilyana Kyuchukova, Lachezar Boyadzhiev, Lora Parmakova, Mariela Gemisheva, Maria Kazakova, Maria Zafirkova, Milen Dzhanovski, Milko Bozhkov, Mihaela Ivanova, Mitch Brezounek, Nadezhda Zlatkova, Nevena Atanasova – Nir-Vena, Nevena Lefterova, Nina Lishovska, Nikola Mihov, Nora Ampova, Nikolay Buzov, Nikolay Panayotov, Nikola Tsvetanov, Nikolay Yanakiev, Nikolina Dzhanovska, Oda Jaune, Ognyan Chitakov, Pavlin Radevski, Petar Chinovski, Pravdolyub Ivanov, Pencho Dobrev, Rada Yakova, Ralitsa Stoitseva, Rayna Stoymirova, Radostin Sedevchev, Rosen Toshev, Rositsa Getsova, Rumen Nechev, Rumen Rachev, Svetoslav Nedev, Sasho Stoitsov, Svilen Stefanov, Sevdalina Kochevska, Silviya Bogoeva, Silviya Radeva, Sofiya Dimova, Sofiya Grancharova, Stanka Alexandrova, Stanimir Zhelev, Stanislav Belovski, Spartak Dermendzhiev, Tanya Paseva, Tatyana Antonova, Tekla Aleksieva, Filip Zidarov, Tsvetan Krastev, Yavor Kostadinov, Yavora Petrova.
Curator: Hristina Bobokova; Artistic Director: Rada Yakova; Graphic Designer: Adelina Boneva; Photographer: Venelin Molnar; Assistants: Silviya Bogoeva, Daniel Petrov, Kiril Hristov, Mladen Manolov, Stefan Georgiev; Editor: Mariela Yanakieva.
Partner: Union of Bulgarian Artists
The project is implemented with the financial assistance of the National Culture Fund's "Distribution" program.
Organizer: "Process-Space" Foundation
Sponsors: Prista Oil, Speedy, Trud AD, Heavy Club, Levent Wine House