The exhibition “Things that bother me on a daily basis” will run until 28 June. It is part of the international project “SIRIUS4all” in which artists search for the next narratives for Europe.
On June 13, at 6:00 p.m., the exhibition of Veneta Rangelova – “Things that bother me on a daily basis” opens in the “UniCredit Studio” gallery (Sofia, 7 “St. Nedelya” sq.). Created as a typographic project, it aims to provoke in visitors seconds of slowing down, looking inward, reflecting on universal questions in a deep personal way. The exhibition is an occasion to ask whether it is possible to enjoy a beautiful view without thinking about the meaning of life; why is there something rather than nothing; is it possible to create something of value without experiencing loneliness.
“In today’s increasingly tense and geopolitical environment, communication in any form is extremely important for people’s mental health, and sharing fears and problems is not only therapeutic but also cathartic. By becoming a part of the exhibition, every visitor has the opportunity to look into themselves, to ask the questions that haunt them consciously or subconsciously, and to find like-minded people among strangers,” says Venata Rangelova, who is a culturologist and designer. In 2014, she created her boutique typography studio DearType, and the very next year, the fonts LifeHack and Guess entered the ranking of the most popular fonts on the site MyFonts.com.
“Things that bother me on a daily basis” is actually an exhibition-conversation, because all the objects in the exhibition contain open questions to the visitors. They will be invited to add their own or respond to those set by the author they identify with. At the end of the exhibition, it will be possible to visually trace which topics resonated the most with the audience.
The opening of the exhibition will also be the official start of the international project “SIRIUS4all”, which will explore the next narratives of Europe through various artistic practices. The organizations Freeartus (Berlin), the art center CKI (Copenhagen), A25 Cultural Foundation (Bulgaria), and Luoghi Comuni (Perugia) will try to provoke in-depth, research, but also creative thinking and reflection on the possible next Europe in the context of the migration of more refugees, environmental risks, wars, inequalities, security fragility, acceleration and digitalisation.
The title of the project is a metaphor for the European firmament and its brightest star, which shines as a dream, utopia, hope, for those who are looking for a guide to a better, valuable, solidary, secure and fair life.
The work of the artists and researchers in “SIRIUS4all” does not aim to create a false fairy tale and new keywords, the next narrative for Europe is above all action. Therefore, art and culture are chosen not simply as a tool for the imagination or a possible provocation, they are an essential feature that the organizations see as a key, as a possible solution to overcome and accept the historical reality and the connectedness of “new and old” Europeans.
Through events in Sofia, Berlin, Copenhagen, Perugia, Sicily and online in 2024 and 2025, the international team will focus research attention on cultural differences in Europe and involve artists of different nationalities, including migrants, in the process of research and creation. The results of the collective work in the different countries will be collected, documented and displayed in a 3D online gallery space which will run for five years. It will be a platform for next perspectives on the European continent, inspired by the artistic work of the participants, but also a place to promote the authors whose works will be exhibited there, a step towards international contacts and experience, an international “stage” of their works.
The first stage of the project begins precisely in Sofia, and within a few intensive days in mid-June, international artists and cultural managers will gather for a general meeting in the capital. In it, they will trace how Europe is present in a country in the eastern part of the continent, what Europe is historically and culturally for Eastern Europe, how this is inscribed in urban spaces, in street art, in graffiti, in literature, in theater and even in culinary culture. The results of this closed meeting will be part of the general study that covers the different regions of the continent. Eastern Europe is represented by Bulgaria, and the partner organization from the Bulgarian side is the A25 Cultural Foundation.
A25 Cultural Foundation is a non-governmental organization established in 2011. It strives to initiate, support and take part in cultural and social events that present various viewpoints with respect and interest, maintain intelligent and meaningful dialogue, and discover the fresh and relevant behind clichés and stereotypes.
“SIRIUS4all” is realized with the support of the European Union, Creative Europe Programme.