Art Today Association
Center for Contemporary Art - Plovdiv
The Ancient Bath


Open Call

(to artists from Plovdiv)

ART POSITIVE 2012 – FESTIVAL FOR CONTEMPORARY ART

For the ninth time in a row Art Today Association organizes the annual project Art Positive that - according to the association’s philosophy - supports the development and establishment of contemporary art in Bulgaria. Every year the organizers set a different topic to provoke the participants. This year the festival’s motto is MINI with all of the possible meanings and interpretations. There are no restrictions for the art techniques or genre, which allows the artists to participate with paintings, sculptures, audio-visual projects, performances, music, theater, dance, installations and happenings. For the first time Art Positive will also include activities in urban spaces.

The festival gives an opportunity for expression to both established and young artists, who have just begun their artistic work in the field of contemporary art. In this way Art Today is able to promote young talents. The participants can submit their projects including a short biography and approximate budget until March 5, 2012. After the deadline the jury will evaluate the projects and choose the best ones which will be financed and finally shown during the festival.

In addition to the exhibition in the Ancient Bath and the activities in urban spaces Art Today also organizes a secondary program, which will include workshops, presentations, lectures, discussions and projections. The complete program of the festival will be announced in March.

Art Today's annual festival Art Positive is unique in its kind and sets the benchmark for any manifestation of artists from Plovdiv. It encourages the development of contemporary art in all its forms.
The ninth edition of the festival has the ambiguous motto -MINI-

The concept -MINI- is a starting point for artistic explorations and an endless field for interpretations and associations. It gives many possibilities for experiments with the topic, materials and techniques.

-MINI- as minimalism, as a radical refusal and liberation from ornaments. Minimalism as a search for the fundament of art and as a focus on the creative energy on one single form, colour or sound. Minimalism as the end phase of the eternal cycle of art which destroys the already existing opulence and makes a new way for the modern. Or minimalism as a small claustrophobic space in which the artist desperately tries to fit an idea. The minimalistic movement in art originates from the 1960s in the USA and has proven itself as a unique provocation towards the audience which is left alone with its own imagination and has to reach the message of art without any help. But minimalism can also function as a border position in art which rebels against the already existing aesthetics. -MINI- has the potential to wake the memory of minimalism which is still alive due to artists like Robert Morris and Sol Lewitt.

-MINI- is also a provocation towards the modern society. We all live in a situation of pre-apocalyptic fear of the collapse of globalization in a time when people are forced to live with the minimum. This minimum’s position on the scale of welfare is an unknown value which wakes new predictions and fears. But the minimum is a challenge towards the artist in a situation of reduction of the market and resources. -MINI- challenges the definitions of how art originates and which is the absolute minimum for the existence of an artwork.

-MINI- is also a linguistic provocation which stimulates the associative thinking and gives infinite possibilities for interpretations in all areas of art.

Terms of participation:
1. A short biography
2. Idea for a project – description and budget
3. Visual materials

Please submit the required documents at office@arttoday.org in the following formats: doc., pdf., jpg., mpeg2., quick time, mp3.

Deadline: 05.03.2012

Art Today Association
Center for Contemporary Art - Plovdiv
The Ancient Bath


The 17th Week of Contemporary Art

The End and Beyond

Art Today Association is pleased to present the project “The End and Beyond” within the framework of the 17th Week of Contemporary Art

Curator: Vera Mlechevska

Artists: Cyprien Gaillard, Janek Simon, Rada Boukova, Vikenti Komitski, Nasan Tur, Isabelle Krieg, Markus Selg, Boryana Rossa & Oleg Mavromatti feat. Ultrafuturo, Igor Bosnjak, Luiza Margan, Erik Sikora, Pavel Sterec, Lara Favaretto, Lubri, Nedko Solakov, Pravdolub Ivanov

The future is over and now we stand on the ruins of projects for happy and prospering humankind. During the last decades a start countdown has been activated from ground zero and it set a new threshold between old and new in the intersexual relations, geopolitics and history, wishing to close chapters with antiquated rules.
The artists who participate in the exhibition do not search for an apocalypse at all means, or at least – they do not find their audience after that. Most of them offer us a view from the end and beyond. Their artworks turn time into an endless loop, time, which bends into itself and carries different perspective to past events; it offers us to believe into new utopias or to dethrone the belief that the future is happy.

Today we live beyond the end of the story, beyond the end of art... As we find ourselves in that very moment when the animation character has stepped over the edge of the precipice, and walked into the air and a second after he has realized that, he would fly down.

The exhibition “The End and Beyond” will be opened on 9th September, 18:00 o’clock at Center for Contemporary Art – Plovdiv, the Ancient Bath and it will remain open until 9th October, 2011.
Working hours: 11:00 – 18:00.
Closed on Monday

With the support of the Foundation of “America for Bulgaria”, Municipality of Plovdiv, Goethe Institute Bulgaria, Robert Bosch Foundation, Pro Helvetia, Czech Cultural Centre Sofia and of the media partners BNT Plovdiv, Katra FM and Radio Plovdiv.

Art Today Association
Center for Contemporary Art - Plovdiv
The Ancient Bath


FA?ADE VIDEO FESTIVAL

09. – 13. September 2011

“Fa?ade” is an international festival of video art, organized by Art Today Association and hold annually in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The films from the competition program together with some video installations will be projected on the fa?ades of different buildings in the Old City of Plovdiv, in the period from 9th until 13th September from 21:00 until 22:30.
“Fa?ade Video Festival” enjoys particular popularity in Bulgaria and abroad, although it is only the second time it has been held. The competent international jury selected 93 short films by 83 artists from 24 countries among the great number of candidates. This year we have participants from all over Europe, as well as from Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, North Korea, and Taiwan. “Fa?ade” has no particular requirements to the themes or the genres of the films, but it attempts to promote young artists throughout the world, who work with experimental and art films. The open space becomes active, the fa?ades become alive and thus the festival looks for points of intersection between architecture, visual arts and urban environment.

With the kind support of the Foundation America for Bulgaria, Municipality of Plovdiv, Goethe Institute Bulgaria, Foundation Robert Bosch and the media partners BNT Plovdiv, Katra FM and Radio Plovdiv.

For more information, the list of the participants, an archive, and contacts:
www.facade.arttoday.org

Program

Friday, 09. 09. 2011.

20:30 – Cocktail opening of the festival, Lapidarium (next to the Balabanov House)
21:00 – Start of the screenings

Alles in Ordnung (Everything’s Fine) – Verena Seibt and Clea Stracke, Germany 2010
Without title– Christian Eisenberger, Germany, 2010
Stone Scissors Paper – Sylvia Nicolaides, Cyprus, 2010
Electric Garden – Micheline Dorucher, Canada, 2009
I Am – Sylvia Nicolaides, Cyprus, 2009
Without title (Jona) – Andreas Schneider, Germany, 2008
The Steamroller and the Plumbers – Thiago Parizi, Germany, 2011
Touchscape – Kenji Ouellet, Germany, 2010
Cesta (Journey) – Marta Daeuble, France, 2011
Instructional Video – Kalina Terzieva, Bulgaria, 2011
Synchronisation – Kamen Stoyanov, Austria, 2010
Beneath It All… I Am Human – Baptist Coelho, India, 2009
Self-Destruction for Eternity – Wei-Ming Ho, Taiwan, 2011
Nordic Mosh – Gun Holmstrom, Finland, 2011
(en) vestida – Anna Natt and Alex Forge, Germany, 2011

23:00 – Open end – after party in the Center for Contemporary Art – Plovdiv, The Ancient Bath, with music by Yankovable, Gone Thru & Martin

Saturday, 10.09. 2011.

20:00 – Presentation of “FILTER Detroit – transformation and observation” by Kerstin Niemann, a member of the international jury of the festival and freelance curator from Germany. She will present three film projects, produced by the participants in FILTER Detroit – research project for artists and cultural producers, ho work with space, urban intervention and transformation.

Eu Sou Um Artista, Sov Un Atista, soc un artista, I'm an artist – Natalia Ribeiro Magdalena de Mello, Brazil, 2011
Reaping the Fallen – Mikael Prey, Sweden, 2010
Only Two Things - Nadine Zoller, Germany, 2010
When We Are In Heaven – Daniela Risch, Germany, 2008
And the Ship Sails On – Verena Seibt and Clea Stracke, Germany, 2009
Flickering – Kika Nicolela, Brazil, 2009
Choral – Jeremie Dauliac, France, 2010
RGB – Stefka Tsaneva, Germany, 2011
As If… – Chiara Scarfo, Italy, 2010
Propaganda 1 – Lois Fried, Germany, 2010
Desesmetak 2 – Kika Nicolela, Brazil, 2009
Lilong – Valentina Fernandes, UK, 2009
Novia – Chiara Scarfo, 2010
If It Would Оnly Еnd... – Baptist Coelho, India, 2009
Polymoids – Tina Willgren, Sweden, 2010
The Dreams of Ghengis Khan – Danny Winkler and Emilia Loseva, UK, 2009
Fenella – Tai Amiran, UK, 2011

Sunday, 11.09. 2011

20:00 – Presentation by Adelina Popnedeleva, video artist, artist and member of the international jury of the festival. The selection “After the feminism” puts together video art works, created by female artists in the period 1996 – 2006.

Hours in Fabra and Coats – Anna Moreno, Spain, 2010
Mirror – ?va Vica Kov?cs, Hungary, 2010
CD Mobile Machine – Albert Mayr, Austria, 2006
Coimeas – Micheal Salkeld, UK, 2010
High Wire – Joseph Ismail, UK, 2010
Requiem for Cosmos Cinema – Viktor Yankov and Krum Filiopov, Bulgaria, 2011
Caffeine – Danae Diaz, Germany, 2011
Mecha Cardboard House – Samuel Dermigny, France, 2010
To The Moon – Yunji Park, South Korea, 2009
+1°C – D?nes Ruzsa, Hungary, 2009
Something Terrible Has Happened – Baptist Coelho, India, 2009
C’est la vie (That’s Life) – Adelina Popnedeleva, Bulgaria, 2011
Workout – Tina Willgren, Sweden, 2011
Canal Glitch – Gun Holmstrom, Finland, 2011
Al Vessga – Samuel Dermigny, France, 2009
Focus (No1) – Sam Holden, UK, 2009
Speak – Clare Harris, England, 2010
Breakfast in Rubljovka – Eugenia Gortchakova, Germany, 2011
Trace, Drawing, Walking – Joseph Ismail, UK, 2010
The Museum – Gerbrand Burger, The Netherlands, 2010

Monday, 12.09. 2011

Tivating – Niall Farrell, North Ireland, 2010
Spaces – Signe Chiper-Lillemark, Denmark, 2010
Fragments For Piano – Gergana Stomatova, Bulgaria, 2011
Colourful EU – Peter Vadocz, Hungary, 2009
Vehicles – Tina Willgren, Sweden, 2009
Tatitude – Vivian Ostrovsky, France, 2009
70 Still Frames and 5 Minutes 50 Seconds of Video – Sam Holden, UK, 2008
Golem and the Plumbers – Thiago Parizi, Spain, 2011
Film Machine – Babylonia Constantinides and Franz Wanner, Germany, 2010
The Judgement – Kosta Tonev, Bulgaria, 2011
Petiofi Street – Nicola Minchev and Zhenia Bozukova, Bulgaria, 2011
In Between – Katerina Apostolidou, Greece, 2010
Winter – Еugenia Gortchakova, Germany, 2011
Facades – Tai Amiran, UK, 2011
The Title Was Shot – Vivian Ostrovsky, France, 2009
Universal Tourist – Christine Bolewski, Germany, 2010
Slick Horsing – Kiron Hussain, England, 2010
Erasing – Sylvia Nicolaides, Cyprus, 2010
Little Girl – Clare Harris, England, 2010
Facial Perception (Algilama) – Tahir ?n, Turkey, 2010
Three Light Studies – Ted Sonnenschein, Germany, 2011
My Jazz – Emanuela Lorga, Moldova, 2011
Rihla – Gerbrand Burger, The Netherlands, 2009
Feed – Еlena Кnox, Australia, 2009

Tuesday, 13.09. 2011

Time – Katerina Liana (Kukuland), Greece, 2010
Excuse Me – Kati Bessenyei, Hungary, 2010
Survival Instinct – Natalia Ribeiro Magdalena de Mello, Brazil, 2011
The Facade (Housewife) – Lauren Moffat, France, 2010
Crossroad – Khalil Charif, Brazil, 2011
Terrain Vague – Markus Keim and Beate Hecher, Austria, 2011
Passing Moment – Clare Harris, England, 2010
DIN 16951 – Sonja D?rscheid, Germany, 2009
Interview #3 – Marlene Denningman, Germany, 2011
Мenu – Daniel-Nicolae Djamo, Romania, 2011
Windows/Screen – Samuel Dermigny, France, 2010

22:15 – Prize awarding ceremony “Facade” 2011
22:30 – TOP 10 in “Facade” 2011

Video-installations in the open space:

Taschen (Bags) – Nina Malotta, Germany, 2010 Instantane 11 – Beatrice Plumet, France, 2010
Instantane Chasso - Beatrice Plumet, France, 2010

Art Today Association
Center for Contemporary Art - Plovdiv
The Ancient Bath


FLUID GROUND
A symposium on board of a cargo ship across the Black Sea

July 21 - 23, 2011
Public presentation: Wednesday, July 20 - 6 PM, Graffit Gallery, Blvd. Knyaz Boris 65, Varna

On Thursday, July 21, a group of 16 artists, curators, theoreticians and cultural activists from 8 different countries will go on board of a ship, connecting the two Black Sea ports of Varna (Bulgaria) and Batumi (Georgia). The program includes lectures, presentations and discussions, real-time interventions and documentation.
FLUID GROUND is part of the ATLANTIS network. This initiative fosters crossborder cultural exchange between art professionals through collaborative exhibition projects, residencies for artists and curators, panel discussions, workshops and conferences.
The symposium across the Black Sea is based on the idea of inter-disciplinary collaboration, cross-linking artistic practice, knowledge production, research and reflection in this remote and mobile location. The freighter will temporarily be transformed into a thinktank, confronting relevant cultural, artistic, economical, social and political discourses and practices, and blending them together. Thus a journey across the Black Sea will offer an adequate platform to examine questions pertaining to Europe’s identity and integrity.

Participants: Inka Thunecke / director Heinrich-B?ll-Foundation (Berlin), Karoline Weber / media philosopher (Stuttgart), Ulrike Grelck / art historian (Berlin), Livia Pancu / curator Vector Association (Iasi), Simonetta Ferfoglia, Heinrich Pichler / artist collective "gangart" (Vienna), Nadja Abt / artist (Berlin), Sebastian Bodirsky / filmmaker (Berlin), Anna Soucek / curator (Vienna), Susanna Gyulamiryan / director Arts and Cultural Studies Laboratory (Yerevan), Nino Palavandishvili / curator GeoAIR (Tbilisi), Anastasia Zhivkova / curator (Kiev), Jakob Racek / curator (Plovdiv)
This project is kindly supported by Goethe-Institute Bulgaria and the Austrian Embassy in Sofia.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This press release reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Art Today Association
Center for Contemporary Art - Plovdiv
The Ancient Bath


Margherita Moscardini
A project for the Ancient Bath

opening: Friday, June 24 - 5 PM
exhibition: June 25 - July 16, 2011

The project has its roots in the same place where it is hosted, a place of reference and lived by the artist in residency: the Ancient Bath, with its original hamam structure, nowadays is the base of Plovdiv Contemporary Art Center Art Today. In this building the artist could read the history of the city, not only as the civilization but also as time going across it. As the water of a river carries debris along its course – sometimes leaving them and some other time depositing them – this town apparently doesn’t have a conformity and embellishment planning strategy, but is openly subjected to the flow and the stratification of events and their necessities.
The Ancient Bath plan is superimposed to the Bulgaria hydrography, where rivers wildly outline the territory, constantly changing it, ignoring political boundaries and without tracing definitive dividing lines. The empty baths drops – almost like an upside-down pedestal – are considered a big table of study, of information collection and cartographical planning, where information is catalogued into drawers and then unnoticeably lost because of its impossibility to be kept. This represents some local rivers water which floods the environment again drop by drop, challenging its current role and any effort to define a destination.
Margherita Moscartini’s residency is part of the exchange program organized these last two years between Nosadella.due and Bulgaria, as part of PASS – Produce Art (as) Social Strategy, created by Giusy Checola in collaboration with Elisa Del Prete. The project is dedicated to Italy exploration as a Mediterranean country and to the dialog with those Eastern European countries which consider Italy as the “promised” or “transit” land, in order to investigate transformation processes through artists practice and point of view.

Margherita Moscardini attended the Advanced Course in Visual Arts, Fondazione Ratti, Como, held by Yona Friedman and the workshop by Peter Friedl in Fondazione Spinola Banna per l’arte, Torino. In 2010 she was invited to take part of the residency program of CCA Andratx, Mallorca, Spain. In 2007 she won the first edition of Premio Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli, building a permanent intervention inside the Vallette prison, in Turin.
Her main solo shows: Una Stanza/Fuori Luogo, galleria SpazioA, Pistoia, IT, Studio per un'erosione, Fondazione LaQuadriennale, Roma, IT.
Her main group shows: Mastermind, neon>campobase, Bologna, IT, Ada, Musei civici of Imola, Bologna IT, Public Improvisation, careof, fabbrica del vapore, Milano, IT, In Full Bloom, Galleria Raffaella Cortese, Kaleidoscope project space, Milano, IT; Collecci? Art Foundation Mallorca, Andratx, Mallorca, SP; EmergingTalents 2011, CCCStrozzina, Palazzo Strozzi, Firenze, IT; Premio Ariane de Rothschild, Palazzo Reale, Milano, IT.

This project is kindly supported by DE.MO./MOVIN'UP - Ministero per i Beni e le Attivit? Culturali, Direzione Generale per il Paesaggio, le belle arti, l’architettura e l’arte contemporanee and GAI - Associazione per il Circuito dei Giovani Artisti Italiani.