Vernissage on Tuesday, 24 October, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The National Gallery once again stands for the cause of the Emprove Foundation. Rada Yakova presents 12 rounded objects of steel mesh in delicate shades of pink, which combine a sense of solidity with a soft airiness, corresponding to the feminine essence. The Foundation’s concept recognises the power—visible and invisible—that generates wind in the sails, unites and safeguards. The installation also embodies support in society and the ability to back each other up in the turbulent storms of life.
The installation takes a new path after a summer full of events and opens up an opportunity for dialogue on socially significant issues. It successfully fulfilled its function as a rallying point for hundreds of Sofia Summer Fest visitors to connect with the Emprove cause, watching over the sheltered pink space for support and meetings with the Foundation team.
The artist remarks: ‘A Pink Cloud is always watching over us, concealing its unsuspected capability. It is that hidden power that unites women, bringing a sense of support and protection.’
The opening at Kvadrat 500 will be complemented by an immersive experience in a dedicated room. There, guests will be able to feel the diversity of delicate female power through scores of portraits created by Rada Yakova during three months spent beneath the ‘shadow’ of the cloud. The Sensory Theatre will ensure complete immersion in them with its audio-journey, which took the women in the portraits into a meditative state during their sessions with the artist.
RADA YAKOVA is an artist whose creative life is shared between Sofia and The Hague. In 2001, she moved to Vienna, where she studied at one of the best art universities in Europe, Die Angewandte. Her diploma won her a creativity award from Scholz & Friends, Zürich, in 2009. Since then, she has taken up artistic performance as her professional path. Her works have been shown in galleries in Prague, Amsterdam, The Hague, New York, Vienna, and London and, in 2019, her RedRoom installation was included in an exhibition at the Venice Biennale. Drawing has always been her passion and, over the last three years, she has discovered novel forms of artistic expression, the latest example being the Pink Cloud installation in support of the Emprove Foundation. She describes herself as an artist who, through art, seeks for, reflects on, and protects women. Her style is bright and memorable, exactly like Rada Yakova herself.
The EMPROVE FOUNDATION mission is to raise awareness of the earliest signs of violence in relationships, to change public attitudes, and to support women and girls who have experienced violence. Its activities include public campaigns for early prevention and awareness, free psychological and legal support for female survivors of violence, coaching, events, trainings, group therapy sessions, art initiatives, as well as building the Women Survivors community, which supports other women on their way to change and a new life.
This exhibition was made possible through the kind hospitality of Kvadrat 500 and the support of the Bulgarian Fund for Women, Sofia Municipality, JC Decaux, the Sensory Theatre, Sofia, and Sofia Summer Fest.
