Time to read 2 min
HOSTGALLERY Opening Exhibition
One of the newest galleries in Sofia opens its doors with a very strong selection of international and Bulgarian artists, some of whom have a very special place in contemporary art.
Footage from the event in Sofia (facebook) >>
GATEWAY I exhibition – interior view: RASSIM® (painting), Stefano Cagol (video), Roi Vaara. (video)
The exhibition concept was inspired by Raul Zamudio (US), a New York-based independent curator, art critic, art historian and educator.
“Gateway” – the door and the road behind it have always had a special place in human history and in the history of art. The idea of discovering ways to new territories and spaces has always been extremely attractive to mankind, and will continue to be so.
For today’s culture, which is increasingly boldly going digital, borders hardly exist. But it happens that sometimes the gateways are closed, the areas are not quite accessible, nor the freedom completely free.
A magnificent and very current reference to the road and to space is one of the works in the exhibition – a video from 1997 by Roi Vaara “ARTIST’S DILEMMA”, based on the idea of Raul Zamudio.
And in his own words:
“Gateway, Host; two words that aptly describe the debut of such an important exhibition and Sofia’s newest contemporary art space. The artists selected individually articulate notions of a gateway in their works yet coalesce collectively in exploring its multiple connotations not limited to a mediating threshold that opens to all that is inclusive, empowering, and affirmative. HOSTGALLERY asked me to suggest an artist who could capture well this idea, and with that in mind Host and I selected the enigmatic performance piece by Roi Varra created in freezing temperatures titled Artist’s Dilemma.”.
With the first part of the GATEWAY exhibition, we consider the open road, as a way of transformation, a line of life and of art, opening inwards and outwards on different scales, constantly with the idea of human presence and impact – be it more physical or digital.
The artists in the exhibition are:
Roi Vaara (FI) – video, RASSIM® (BG) – oil painting, Stefano Cagol (IT) – video, Sasho Stoitzov (BG) – painting, Jennifer Parker (US) – video, Iglika Christova (BG, FR) – drawing, Ivaylo Hristov (BG) – object.
This first exhibition, titled GATEWAY, is also the starting point for the HOSTGALLERY concept – open to new media and multidisciplinary practices, with an emphasis on contemporary art. Host for dialogic meetings of ideas deserving of special attention.
Raul Zamudio’s quote about the exhibition
Curatorial project and text: Ivaylo Hristov