ISKRA BLAGOEVA
b. 02.03.1978, lives and works in Sofia, Bulgaria
EDUCATION
2000 – 2007 Master’s Degree in Painting at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna, Austria
1997 – 2000 Degree in Textile at the University of Art and Design, Linz, Austria
1991 – 1996 National High School for Applied Arts “St. Luka”, Sofia, Bulgaria (professional course: Textile)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2020 Solo Booth, One Gallery, Vienna Contemporary, Austria
2019 “Black Paintings of Cheerful Events”, curated by Daniela Radeva, Contemporary Space, Varna, Bulgaria
2019 “Something is rotten in Heaven”, cutared by Vladiya Mihailova, Plus359 Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2018 “Cars, Beasts and Landscapes”, collaboration with Mihail Novakov, Plus359 Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2017 “The Last Suffer”, cite-specific project, Sofia, Bulgaria
2017 “White Exhibition”, Gallery CU29, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2017 “White Exhibition”, Contemporary Space, Varna, Bulgaria
2015 “En Passant”, curated by Galina Lardeva, National Autumn Exhibitions, Old Town, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2015 “Never Forever”, curated by Iara Boubnova, Gallery of the Institute of Contemporary Art- Sofia, Bulgaria
2012 “After the Apple in the Grass”, cutared by Vladiya Mihailova, Vaska Emanouilova Gallery, branch of Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2011 “Still Life”, Video art project, Pistolet Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2010 Solo exhibition at the European Center for Culture and Debate “Grad”, Belgrade, Serbia
2009 “THUMB”, Ex-garaza Gallery, Maribor, Slovenia
2009 “1”, Varna City Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022 “Jeanne-Claude for Beginners or Power Girls in Public Space”, curated by Luchezar Boyadjiev, Sarieva hub, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2022 “Dangerouse Beauty”, curated by Stephan Stoyanov, Centre for Contemporary Art and Library, Burgas, Bulgaria
2022 Manifesta 14 Biennal, curated by Catherine Nichols, Pristina, Kosovo
2022 “NEVER ROBERTA”, project with Tekla Aleksieva, curated by Lyuben Domozetski, ONE Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2022 “We Could Be Heroes”, project with Tekla Aleksieva, Goethe Institut – Sofia, Bulgaria
2022 “Dualism II”, ONE Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2021 “The hanging show”, ICA Sofia, Bulgaria
2021 “Onomatopea 10”, open studio group show, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2021 “Parallel 42 – A Circle of Humanity“, Imago Mundi Foundation Collection, COD- Center for Openness and Dialogue, Tirana, Albania
2021 “Food: Essential, Communication, Ritual “, curated by Svetla Georgieva, Sofia City Art Gallery, Bulgaria
2021 “To collect contemporary art” – Vladimir Iliev Collection, curated by Boryana Valchanova, Ivo Milev, National Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2021 “7x5x3- Contemporary Bulgarian Painting”, curated by Lyuben Domozetski, Union of the Bulgarian Artist, Sofia, Bulgaria
2021 “March-eighth “Feminist” Exhibition in the Woods with an Opposite Effect”, curator Neno Belchev, Bunker Gallery, Varna
2020 “Souveniers from the Future”, ICA- Sofia, Bulgaria
2020 “Dualism”, One Gallery, Sofia
2020 “Die Welt hat nicht aufgehört, sich zu drehen”, curated by Stefka Tzaneva, Goethe Institut – Sofia, Bulgaria
2019 “When you dance you make me happy”, Gallerie delle Prigioni, Treviso, Italy
2019 SAW – Sofia Art Week, Bulgaria
2019 “Chain Reaction”, curated by Voin de Voin, Æther Sofia
2018 “Join the Dots – Connect the Distances”, Imago Mundi Collection, Salone degli Incanti, Trieste, Italy
2018 “Synergy” (24 January – 28 June), European Parliament, Brussels. An exhibition on the occasion of the Bulgarian Presidency of the European Union, curator Nadezhda Dzhakova
2017 “Shifting Layers. Young Art at the Museum”, curated by Vladiya Mihailova, Sofia City Art Gallery, Bulgaria
2017 “Sex Appeal”, curated by Ivana Nencheva, Daniela Radeva and Stefka Tsaneva, One Night Stand Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2017 “Contemporary Art from the National Art Gallery Collection”, curated by Nadezhda Dzhakova, Contemporary Art Spring Festival, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
2016 “Red”, curated by Kiril Vassilev, National Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2015 “They Will Remember Us in the Future”, curated by Vladiya Mihailova, Sofia Queer Forum- Sweet Union, Academy Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2015 “Focus Bulgaria” at Viennacontemporary, curated by Vessela Nozharova and Iara Boubnova, Vienna, Austria
2015 “Imago Mundi”, Fondazione Cini, Venice, Italy
2015 “Caution: Wet Paint”, curated by Maria Vassileva, Daniela Radeva, Vladiya Mihaylova, Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2015 “Contamporary Painting”, curated by Nadezhda Dzhakova, Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art, Sofia, Bulgaria
2014 “Disconsent”, curated by Iara Boubnova, Center for Contemporary Art- The Ancient Bath, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2014 “Grad Salon”, European Center for Culture and Debate – ”Grad”, Belgrade, Serbia
2014 “Unusual Evidences”, 2014, Sofia Underground Performance Art Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria
2014 “International Women’s Day, artworks from the collection of Slava Nakovska and Nedko Solakov”, curated by Iara Boubnova, Gallery of the Institute of Contemporary Art – Sofia, Bulgaria
2013 Baza Award, Sofia City Art Gallery, Bulgaria
2013 “The Usual Suspects”, curated by Olivier Boissier, Un Cabinet D’amateur, Sofia, Bulgaria
2013 “On the Suspense or How to Hide a Bomb Under the Table”, cutared by Vladiya Mihailova, Vaska Emanuilova Gallery, branch of Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2013 “Near, Closer, Together”, curated by Övül Durmusoglu, Sofia Contemporary, Sofia, Bulgaria
2012 “Randezvous”, International Art Haus – Villa Waldberta, Munich, Germany
2012 “Group Show”, 0gms drawer, Gallery of the Institute of Contemporary Art , Sofia, Bulgaria
2011 “Re-production”, curated by Alla Georgieva and Nadezhda Dzhakova, Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art , Sofia, Bulgaria
2011 “Tierisch”, anual exhibition, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany
2010 “Breathe in- Breath out. Culture Migration Today”, curated by Nadezhda Dzhakova, Goethe Institute- Sofia, Bulgaria
AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
2020 Lingen Art Award nominee
2013 Baza Award nominee
2012 Artist in residence, International Art House “Villa Waldberta”, Munich
2011 Finalist at the competition for the annual exhibition of Munich’s artist association
2010 Winner of the competition for young artists at the European Center for Culture and Debate – ‘’Grad’’, Belgrade
2009 Winner at the national competition for young Bulgarian artists, sculptors and art critics ‘’St. St. Cyril and Methodius’’ international foundation Bulgaria
COLLECTIONS
MOCAK Krakow
Bulgarian National Art Gallery
Sofia City Art Gallery
359 Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
Art Project Depot
Contemporary Space, Varna, Bulgaria
City Art Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Save the Dreams, Contemporary Artists from Bulgaria, Imago Mundi – Luciano Benetton Collection
Center for Culture and Debate “Grad”, Belgrade, Serbia
City Gallery, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria