This is an exhibition which shows works dedicated to the city of Sofia. What they express is the authors’ reactions to the dynamic changes going on in the city over the past ten years. In line with the great social disturbances of a “society in transition” the face of the city is changing every day, every hour, every minute.

The artists express their attitude towards what is happening. Sometimes they are critical or nostalgic, sometimes ironic or exaggerating. The means of expression, i.e. photography, painting, video, net art, installations etc., signpost the expanded territory of our art over the past 15 years. What the works share in common is the willingness for a dialogue concerning the present and the future of the city we live in.

Sofia Art Gallery possesses a rich collection of works dedicated to the capital dating from the beginning of the 20th century to the late 80ies. They show how the nostalgically romantic vision gradually transforms and makes room for the urban utopias. It is curious enough to trace how the artists see the city of Sofia at present. Their visual commentaries, though inspired by reality in this particular case, often sound unrealistic like fairy tales. And fairy tales can often be scary. Thereby comes the name of the exhibition “URBAN LEGENDS”. Let the viewers themselves decide where the borderline between reality and the author’s fantasy is. Yet let’s not forget that fairy tales always have a happy ending.

Participants: Luchezar Boyadjiev, Kalina Dimitrova, Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova, Kiril Prashkov, Kalin Serapionov, Samuil Stoyanov, Krassimir Terziev, Kosta Tonev, Veronika Tsekova and Dimitar Yaranov.

Exhibition curator – Maria Vassileva.