Opening: Thursday, 26 February, 6 p.m.
“Art Out Loud” discussion, led by Nikolay Kolev and Stefan Ivanov,
with the participation of Aneliya Nikolaeva and Plamen Petrov:
Friday, 27 February, 6 p.m.
The Palace, 1, Knyaz Alexander I Square, Sofia
The exhibition is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great Bulgarian artist Elena Karamihaylova – an occasion to return once more to her work, which stands among the earliest and most vivid examples of Bulgarian art’s place on the European artistic scene. Following the anniversary exhibition at the Union of Bulgarian Artists in 2005, this project realises a large-scale retrospective bringing together works drawn primarily from the collections of state galleries.
Elena Karamihaylova is among the first academically trained women artists in Bulgaria. Having passed through the studios of distinguished painters in Vienna and Munich, she used the achievements of Impressionism to hone her brushwork. Her works are an example of liberation from academicism and a move towards a light and luminous style of painting. From today’s vantage point, her significant place in Bulgarian visual culture can only be reinforced.
The marking of the anniversary has been initiated by art historians Ramona Dimova and Plamen Petrov, whose research work underlies the exhibitions in Kazanlak and Shumen in 2025.
Partners: Scientific Archive of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Union of Bulgarian Artists, Sofia City Art Gallery, the art galleries of Varna, Kardzhali, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sliven and Haskovo, ENAKOR Auction House, the Ivan Barnev-Bubi collection, and Dzhurkovi Gallery.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.
