Bulgaria can now appear on the map of European geometric art

Abstract, objectless, geometric – this is an entire concept of meaning and design on which 20th century art is based. The leading and connecting idea in it is the freedom of the author, but also of his or her audience. Visually, through geometric art, one can express ideas, but not by using natural forms and symbols. Thus, abstract figures appear with the function of educating society, of suggesting new moral norms and values. The ideas of these artists flourished in the period between the two world wars. They found expression in various visual formats, for example, in industrial design, typography, architecture, and also were transferred into the music, poetry and philosophy of the 20th century.

Geometric art is recognizable and has its well-known and highly regarded artists in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, England, Hungary, etc. However, why does geometric art have almost no traditions in Bulgaria? – the answer to this question is rooted somewhere in Bulgaria's history and the obstacles the country was faced with in catching up with democratic societies in Europe.

"Because of the free interpretation it carries within itself, geometric art in the artistic tradition of a society is a measure of its democracy. And if we, as an audience, have the freedom to interpret art, it means that we live in a democratic state" – this is how Bulgarian artist Georgi Dimitrov explains the role of art in a social context. The association he created in 2012 was registered as the first organization for institutional support, for the promotion and placing of Bulgaria on the world map of non-objective art. Hence the name of the association "nonsofia" – he used a generic name that means "nonobjective Sofia".

"Because this art in the most general sense is non-representational, it lacks an object from nature. This is a term that was introduced more than 100 years ago. Since then, this form of art has been called "non-objective" both in Russia, Germany, and the Netherlands," explains Georgi Dimitrov about the relationship between the name of the Bulgarian capital city and the abstract paintings, installations, and sculptures that the curious public can see in the gallery on the capital's 36 Alexander Dondukov Blvd. You can enter there after prior arrangement with the organizer through the organization's website.

Having traveled all over the world for many years, Georgi Dimitrov is taking the return journey to Bulgaria with one mission only - to make room for geometric art in his homeland. And this is happening mainly through the online "nonsofia" platform, although 15 years after the beginning. Several editions of the international symposium on geometric art "Orthogonal" have also been held with authors from all over the world.

The Bulgarian public is already familiar with the manifestations and traditions of this art, says Georgi Dimitrov, who, in addition to being a connoisseur and creator, also appears as a connecting link between artists in Bulgaria and abroad. "There is already a small but strong and consolidated community around the platform "nonsofia"", he adds:

"In addition, the association "nonsofia" also organizes a national forum for geometric art. Another format is the current exhibition "Focus: Netherlands", i.e. currently we have an exhibition of 10 Dutch artists in the gallery, and this means that we have an exchange. And last but not least, there is also an export of Bulgarian geometric abstraction. "Export: Bulgaria" has already had 5 editions, and last year we managed to make two exports of Bulgarian geometric art. The gallery has been around for three years and young artists have come close to us, with whom we can now travel the world and show that Bulgaria is one of the newest emerging scenes for geometric art. I hope that one day Sofia will be among the European capitals of geometric art. There are conditions for this and we are building a Bulgarian tradition in non-objective art."

The exhibition "Focus: Netherlands" includes 20 works by 10 artists from the Pays Bas, among which the name of Bob Bonis, one of the world-famous contemporary authors in the field of abstract art, stands out. The artists themselves have arrived in the Bulgarian capital to arrange their works, and in addition to abstract and geometric paintings, the exhibition includes acrylic, oil paintings, objects and reliefs, as well as a small installation that arouses particular interest among visitors and can be seen until the end of February.

"It is difficult to create interest in people in something that is unknown, but I have already taken sufficient measures to popularize non-objective art - I create a discourse, I create an environment, we already have a physical space, and in it we focus entirely on geometric art," continues Bulgarian artist Georgi Dimitrov:

"Gradually a community has emerged here and there are already active artists who have been involved in this genre for a long time. For me, this is the main thing when I present an artist, that he or she become familiar with the problems of this art and only then can I present their works. However, after 15 years of work, this art is already starting to be recognized, and another thing - it is starting to be acknowledged, because before that, when I organized my exhibitions, people still did not understand and did not take these paintings seriously. Then I asked myself what to do and decided that the best thing would be to invite my colleagues from abroad, artists who participated in the Venice Biennale, who are very serious artists. So now the artists in Bulgaria have also changed the way they look at these paintings with images of "non-objective".

Photos: nonsofia.org, Instagram/nonsofiagallery, BNR-Hristo Botev

English publication: Rositsa Petkova