Background: Young Artists from Plovdiv

‘Background: Young Artists’ is a long-standing platform of the ‘SARIEV Contemporary’ Gallery, presenting young artists and curators in the field of contemporary art. In 2019 there will be a special edition ‘Background: Young Artists from Plovdiv’, which will present a concourse exhibition with works of the youngest generation of Plovdiv artists.

The exhibition will take place from 5 July till 30 August 2019 and will be joined by an accompanying programme - two formats, successfully launched in 2016 - ‘Portfolio day’ (young artists under 35, selected after open invitation, individual consultations from a professional committee of leading curators, artists and gallerists) and ‘15 Minutes of Fame’ (a presentation format in which young artists present their work to an audience in a scenario and drama event involving music and performance interludes).

So far the platform is participated in by Kiril Kuzmanov and Svetoslav Michev (2010), Lubri (2011), Zoran Georgiev (2012), Daniela Georgieva (2013), Dimitar Solakov (2014), Martina Vacheva (2016), Eli Zhoteva and Zlatimir Arakliev (2018), in the publication Background: Young Artists from Plovdiv in Helsinki - Valko Chobanov, Martina Vacheva, Dimitar Shopov, 2018.

Art project by Trifon Tashev at the Coffee&Gallery Cu29, photo credit: Lina Krivoshieva

BACKGROUND: Young Artists is a long-lasting platform by SARIEV Contemporary for young
artists and curators, whose exhibitions are realized in the gallery space and satellite public
spaces such as Kapana, Plovdiv, FLUCA – Austrian cultural pavilion, bar TELL ME (Sofia) and
abroad (Bulgarian Embassy in Finland). The following artists have been presented so far in the
platform: Kiril Kuzmanov and Svetoslav Michev (2010), Lubri (2011), Zoran Georgiev (2012),
Daniela Georgieva (2013), Dimitar Solakov (2014), Martina Vacheva (2016), Eli Joteva and
Zlatimir Arakliev (2018), as well as the special edition of BACKGROUND: Young Artists from
Plovdiv in Helzinki (Valko Chobanov, Martina Vacheva, Dimitar Shopov, 2018).
In 2016 the exhibition platform expanded with two new formats: Portfolio Day (editions in 2016
and 2018) where young artists under the age of 35 selected after an open invitation, receive
individual counseling from a professional committee composed of leading curators, artists and
gallerists, and 15 Minutes of Fame (2016 and 2018) – a presentation format in which young artists present their work to an audience in an event designed dramaturgically and including
interludes with music and performances.

The project is implemented by ‘SARIEV Contemporary’. Co-organizer of the exhibition ‘BACKGROUND: Young Artists from Plovdiv’ is Municipal Institute ‘Ancient Plovdiv’.