ÒÐÀÆÅÍÈßÒÀ
Åëèñàâåòà Êîíñóëîâà-Âàçîâà. Àâòîïîðòðåò, 1925 (ÍÕÃ) Elisaveta Konsoulova-Vazova. Self-portrait, 1925 (National Art Gallery)
Ò
he exhibition is a try at a mirror reconsideration of history. It is a “tete-a-tete” of two generations of lady artists: the first “bunch” of graduates from art academies in Bulgaria who advocated the right of the “fair sex” to deal seriously with art, and artists who in late 20th century understood art as an avenue to convey messages and to provoke public opinion. The mirror approach in the construction of the exhibition is not a haphazard choice. First, the mirror is an attribute, which is invariably associated with the female principle. Second, the mirror is a common motif in the pictures of the lady artists from the early 20th century whereas the series of self-portraits from the end of the century just allude to it. Third, the mirror carries divine and magic characteristics that are typical of art and women alike. Fourth, speculum (the Latin word for mirror) is a gyno examination instrument, which is interpreted by Luce Irigaray as a symbol of the male penetration into the opposite sex based on the idea of “nonexistence” and cavity. This is how feminism is incorporated into the subject. Fifth, the mirror refers to thinking because of the etymology of the word speculum - from speculor meaning “to speculate” in the sense of “to think” or “to reflect”. This adds to the ambition of the provocative nature of the exhibition. Last but not least the speculum is associated with a spectacular performance (spectaculum), which is the quintessence of any exhibition. Probably the opposition (or juxtaposition) seems audacious from the perspective of the tolerant theory of art. However, almost seventy years and many other lady artists are intervening between these two generations... The contrast is deliberate as sometimes it best expresses the essence and, moreover, the approach has its raison d’etre. The two groups of artists have many things in common. The former protested and asked to attend the nude painting classes in the Art Academy, to have their artworks displayed in general exhibitions side by side with the works of artists from the opposite sex, to organize their own exhibitions and to be treated in a serious way. The latter tried to raise taboo questions that for many years before them were unuttered in the guise of fear and inertia. The former were trained abroad and brought home the trends of Impressionism and Expressionism. The latter experimented with media and means of expression that previously were not employed in Bulgarian art. As regards the subject matter, the affinity is undeniable: both groups are definitely introspective. Selfportrait appears to be the commonest choice. Understandably, the reasons are far from being identical. In the early 20th century the self-portrait stood for growing self-confidence and self-consciousness. At the end of the century the self-portrait was the vehicle of inner drama and anxiety and raised many questions. The exhibition seeks to highlight the similarities and dissimilarities in the attitude to the still life, the male nude body and the portrait. In fact the real mirror is the spectator who is the “looking glass” of destinies, ambitions and achievements that, while being distant from each other in time, are kindred in a deeply intrinsic way. Are reflections possible in this parade of mirrors? Will it be possible to catch the image or will the image dissolve and disappear into the infinity of variations? We count not on the categoricalness achieved but on diversity. The purpose of the exhibition is to multiply the reflections and to make the diversity, intricacy and even confusion of the reflections provoke a discussion. Maria Vassileva Exhibition Curator
ÓÌÍÎÆÀÂÀÍÅ ÍÀ
REFLECTIONS MULTIPLIED
March 8 - April 7, 2006, Sofia Art Gallery
ÑÃÕÃ è ãðóïà 8-ìè ìàðò Sofia Art Gallery and March 8th Group
Ò
8 ìàðò - 7 àïðèë 2006, Ñîôèéñêà ãðàäñêà õóäîæåñòâåíà ãàëåðèÿ Ó÷àñòíèöè: Òîäîðêà Áóðîâà, Íåâåíà Ãàí÷åâà, Ìàðèåëà Ãåìèøåâà, Àëëà Ãåîðãèåâà, Âåðà Èâàíîâà, Öàíà Èâàíîâà-Áîÿäæèåâà, Åëåíà Êàðàìèõàéëîâà, Åëèñàâåòà Êîíñóëîâà-Âàçîâà, Ñèëâèÿ Ëàçàðîâà, Íàäåæäà Îëåã Ëÿõîâà, Àäåëèíà Ïîïíåäåëåâà, Àííà Õåí-Éîñèôîâà Êóðàòîð: Ìàðèÿ Âàñèëåâà Participants: Adelina Popnedeleva, Alla Georgieva, Anna Hen-Yossifova, Elena Karamihailova, Elisaveta Konsoulova-Vazova, Mariela Gemisheva, Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova, Nevena Gancheva, Silvia Lazarova, Todorka Bourova, Tzana Ivanova-Boyadjieva, Vera Ivanova Curator of the exhibition: Maria Vassileva
Àëëà Ãåîðãèåâà. ÀÃ - Çëàòíà êîëåêöèÿ, 2002 Alla Georgieva. AG - Gold Collection, 2002
àçè èçëîæáà å îïèò çà îãëåäàëíî ïðåðàçãëåæäàíå íà èñòîðèÿòà. „Î÷è â î÷è“ ñå èçïðàâÿò äâå ïîêîëåíèÿ õóäîæíè÷êè. Îò åäíàòà ñòðàíà çàñòàâàò ïúðâèòå æåíè ñ õóäîæåñòâåíî îáðàçîâàíèå â Áúëãàðèÿ, êîèòî çàùèòàâàò ïðàâîòî íà „íåæíèÿ ïîë“ ñåðèîçíî äà ñå çàíèìàâà ñ èçêóñòâî. Îò äðóãàòà - õóäîæíè÷êèòå, êîèòî â êðàÿ íà 20-òè âåê îñúçíàâàò òâîð÷åñòâîòî êàòî âúçìîæíîñò çà îòïðàâÿíå íà ïîñëàíèÿ è ïðîâîêèðàíå íà îáùåñòâåíîòî ìíåíèå. Îãëåäàëíèÿò ïîäõîä ïðè ñúñòàâÿíåòî íà èçëîæáàòà íå å èçáðàí ñëó÷àéíî. Ïúðâî, îãëåäàëîòî å àòðèáóò, êîéòî íåèçìåííî ñå ñâúðçâà ñ æåíñêîòî íà÷àëî. Âòîðî, òî å ÷åñò ìîòèâ â êàðòèíèòå íà õóäîæíè÷êèòå îò íà÷àëîòî íà 20-òè âåê, à â ïîðåäèöàòà àâòîïîðòðåòíè òâîðáè îò êðàÿ íà ñúùîòî ñòîëåòèå ñå ïîäðàçáèðà. Òðåòî, îãëåäàëîòî íîñè áîæåñòâåíè è ìàãè÷åñêè õàðàêòåðèñòèêè - ïðèñúùè êàêòî íà èçêóñòâîòî, òàêà è íà æåíèòå. ×åòâúðòî, speculum (ëàòèíñêàòà äóìà çà îãëåäàëî) ñå íàðè÷à ïîïóëÿðåí ãèíåêîëîãè÷åí èíñòðóìåíò, êîéòî ñå òúëêóâà îò Ëþñ Èðèãàðå êàòî ñèìâîë íà ìúæêèÿ ïîäõîä êúì æåíàòà, îñíîâàí íà ïðåäñòàâàòà çà „ëèïñè“ è êóõèíè. Òàêà è ôåìèíèçìúò ñå âêëþ÷âà â òåìàòà. Ïåòî, îãëåäàëîòî îòïðàùà êúì ìèñëîâíîñòòà ïîðàäè åòèìîëîãèÿòà íà ñàìàòà äóìà speculum - îò speculor - íàáëþäàâàì, èçó÷àâàì. Òîâà äîáàâÿ êúì ïðîâîêàòèâíîñòòà íà èçëîæáàòà è ïî-ãîëÿìà àìáèöèÿ. Íå íà ïîñëåäíî ìÿñòî speculum ñå îáâúðçâà è ñúñ çðåëèùå, ñïåêòàêúë (spectaculum), êàêâàòî â ñúùíîñòòà ñè å âñÿêà èçëîæáà. Âåðîÿòíî ïîäîáíî ïðîòèâîïîñòàâÿíå (èëè ñúïîñòàâÿíå) èçãëåæäà äðúçêî îò ãëåäíà òî÷êà íà òîëåðàíòíîòî èçêóñòâîçíàíèå. Âñå ïàê ìåæäó òåçè äâå ïîêîëåíèÿ èìà ïî÷òè ñåäåì äåñåòèëåòèÿ è ìíîãî äðóãè æåíèõóäîæíè÷êè... Êîíòðàñòúò îáà÷å å òúðñåí, çàùîòî èìåííî òîé ïîíÿêîãà íàé-äîáðå èçÿâÿâà ñúùíîñòòà, à è îñíîâàíèÿòà çà òàêúâ ïîäõîä íå ñà ìàëêî. Ìåæäó äâåòå ãðóïè àâòîðêè èìà ìíîãî îáùè íåùà. Ïúðâèòå ñå áîðÿò äà áúäàò äîïóñêàíè â ÷àñîâåòå ïî ãîëî òÿëî â Õóäîæåñòâåíàòà àêàäåìèÿ, äà ó÷àñòâàò â îáùè èçëîæáè íàðàâíî ñ äðóãèÿ ïîë, ñàìè äà îðãàíèçèðàò èçëîæáè, äà áúäàò ïðèåìàíè íàñåðèîçíî. Âòîðèòå ñå îïèòâàò äà ïîâäèãíàò âúïðîñè-òàáó, îñòàíàëè äúëãè ãîäèíè íåèçêàçàíè, ïðèêðèòè îò ñòðàõ è èíåðòíîñò. Ïúðâèòå ó÷àò â ÷óæáèíà è äîíàñÿò â ñòðàíàòà ñè âåÿíèÿòà íà èìïðåñèîíèçìà è åêñïðåñèîíèçìà. Âòîðèòå åêñïåðèìåíòèðàò ñ íåèçïîëçâàíè äî ìîìåíòà â áúëãàðñêàòà õóäîæåñòâåíà ïðàêòèêà ìåäèè è íà÷èíè íà èçðàçÿâàíå. Ïî îòíîøåíèå íà ñþæåòèòå áåçóñëîâíî ñå íàëàãà åäíà ñúùåñòâåíà áëèçîñò - è åäíèòå, è äðóãèòå ñå âãëåæäàò ïðåäè âñè÷êî â ñåáå ñè. Àâòîïîðòðåòúò å êàòî ÷å ëè íàé-ðàçïðîñòðàíåíèÿò æàíð. Ðàçáèðà ñå, îñíîâàíèÿòà äàëå÷ íå ñà åäíàêâè.  íà÷àëîòî íà âåêà àâòîïîðòðåòúò å èçðàç íà íàðàñíàëîòî ñàìî÷óâñòâèå è ñàìîñúçíàíèå.  íåãîâèÿ êðàé - èçðàçÿâà âúòðåøíàòà äðàìà, áåçïîêîéñòâî è ïîñòàâÿ ìíîæåñòâî âúïðîñè. Èçëîæáàòà ñå îïèòâà äà çàäàäå ïàðàëåëè è ðàçëè÷èÿ è â îòíîøåíèåòî êúì íàòþðìîðòà, ãîëîòî ìúæêî òÿëî, ïîðòðåòà. Âñúùíîñò èñòèíñêîòî îãëåäàëî å çðèòåëÿò, à „ïðåç íåãî“ åäíè â äðóãè ñå îãëåæäàò äâå îòäàëå÷åíè âúâ âðåìåòî, íî ïî íÿêàêúâ äúëáîêî âúòðåøåí íà÷èí ñðîäíè - ñúäáè, àìáèöèè è ïîñòèæåíèÿ. Äàëè â òîçè ïàðàä íà îãëåäàëà îòðàæåíèÿòà ùå áúäàò âúçìîæíè? Ùå óñïååì ëè äà óëîâèì îáðàçà èëè òîé ùå ñå ðàçïàäíå è èçãóáè â áåçêðàÿ íà âàðèàöèèòå? Íàäÿâàìå ñå íå íà ïîñòèãíàòà êàòåãîðè÷íîñò, à íà ìíîãîîáðàçèå. Öåëòà íà òàçè èçëîæáà å óìíîæàâàíåòî íà îòðàæåíèÿòà äà ñå ñëó÷è è òÿõíîòî áîãàòñòâî, ñëîæíîñò è äîðè îáúðêàíîñò äà ïðîâîêèðàò ðàçãîâîð. Ìàðèÿ Âàñèëåâà Êóðàòîð íà èçëîæáàòà