“The possible ones” – exhibition by 4 talented visual artists

Four curators reach out to four young artists at the start of their careers in art. As it turns out, Gen Z is able to surprise us all with an active civic position, but also with a deep artistic insight, as evidenced by their works.

The project “The possible ones” of the Union of Bulgarian Artists marks the start of a new initiative – at the end of every year to present a curatorial project. The first one of them is the exhibition, also titled “The possible ones” at the Sofia Press book store gallery. The artists selected cover a different register of visual art – conceptual, traditional printmaking technique, painting.

The name behind the art which knows no bounds, with references to the cruelty of the world that surrounds us is that of Kalin Mitev from the St. Kliment Ohridski University in Sofia, selected by Milena Boyadjieva. Art that draws a parallel between the natural time capsule and our short-term memory is displayed by Georgi Georgiev from the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts "Prof. Asen Diamandiev" in Plovdiv on the initiative of Galina Lardeva. Stefan Vassilev, a student at the University of Veliko Tarnovo St Cyril and St. Methodius, put forward by Antoaneta Ancheva, creates the kind of art that explores metamodernism as a concept within modern culture. The youngest of the artists – Nikola Donchev from the Iliya Petrov National School of Fine Art, selected by Olympia Daniel and Rumena Kalcheva, is displaying the kind of art which explores topics such as the fleeting nature of life and overcoming the boundaries we set ourselves.

Is it philosophy that is the driving force with young artists, or is it just part of the creative process?

“It seems to me it is part of the creative process, but on the other hand, these young colleagues are socially committed,” says art critic Galina Lardeva. “What we are seeing is a wave in our society and, more specifically in the artistic processes – people with a profound philosophical insight into the processes of our day. They have powerful messages and, as an audience and as experts, there is so much to see in their interpretation of things. They are making a powerful statement that invites reflection – whether it is philosophy or just a reflection of the world of today does not matter in the least. There is no pretension in their works, just a solid visual image.”

This approach to making sense of the world – without restrictions, with a sense of freedom as an inherent state of perception and mental journeys in space and time is what sets the young generation apart, as seen in their art. Young people are concerned with serious issues, and are not afraid to ask existential questions in front of the audiences – to provoke reflection in them, and why not to turn their ideas and even their worldview around.

“It is a fact that they are interested in some very serious problems,” the art critic says. “Obviously young people’s quests are in-depth, at odds with themselves and as a very serious reflection on the times we are living in. That is a good sign, because they are not skimming the surface, they are not having fun in the superficial way of the arts, they are looking at some profound meanings, some major issues. I do believe that this necessity will, at some point, produce a comprehensive image and the new voice of this generation will make itself heard.”

Though at the start of their artistic careers, the young artists may surprise you with a style that gives every reason to say there are generational differences in art.

“The generation before that had a strong bond with the previous generations of artists – a decades-long connection with the classical media and then the rebellion against them,” says Galina Lardeva. “It was all part of one DNA whereas the young of today are no longer bound by these ideas of continuity. They prefer to look around without stating any rebellion against what has been, as has always happened in the entire history of art. Maybe this is due to this internet social environment which, on the one hand, sets them apart from any continuity, and on the other – creates a new, a completely unfamiliar context for them. In this sense they are really interesting to us, and we have to see that, to respect it, explore it, show it. We owe it to the young people to understand them.”

The art critic says she believes “the four boys” have already demonstrated their strong commitment to a professional life and to a place of their own in the artistic landscape in the country. Just as the title of the exhibition suggests, they may well soon be talked about as the “possible” new stars in art.

Translated by Milena Daynova