Official opening of
“Might II” and “Amateras
Annual Exhibition/Competition
for Paper Art” at the National
Palace of Culture

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The two most comprehensive exhibitions within the 14th edition of the SPAF will be shown in the West Foyer and Marble Foyer of the National Palace of Culture (NPC). They embody this year’s motto of the festival – “Without Borders,” with a selection of artists from around the world.
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The exhibition “Might II” in the West Foyer is part of the Paper Art Biennial. It presents sculptures and installations by Bulgarian artists selected by an experienced jury in a competition of the same name, held for the second time. The seven projects are made in different techniques with original creative solutions, fitting into the architecture of the space. The authors will be awarded with certificates of achievement in paper art by members of the jury. The featured artists are Adelina Rakovska, Ekaterina Hristova and Emil Deyanov (as a collective), Elena Belova, Silvana Ilieva, Siyana Damyanova, Hristina Decheva and Tsveta Petrova.

A curatorial selection of foreign large-format works for the Paper Art Biennial is also exhibited in the same space, corresponding with the Bulgarian works. Contrast and at the same time synergy between world and Bulgarian paper art are part of the idea of “Without Borders”.
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The second exhibition is the 15th edition of the Amateras Annual Exhibition/Competition for Paper Art – the iconic section of the festival that presents an international selection with a prize fund. This year’s edition located in the Marble Foyer includes 50 artists from 17 countries with 98 works. An international jury will select the winners. The prizes will be awarded by members of the jury and representatives of the supporting organizations – the Ministry of Culture, Sofia Municipality and the Union of Bulgarian Artists. The winners of the Amateras Grand Prize and the Bulgarian Artist Award will be traditionally presented with solo exhibitions at SPAF 2025.
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The artists focus on installation forms, objects and sculptures that resonate through a vast variety of techniques and messages. Some of the international artists are members of long-standing Amateras Foundation’s partner organizations such as IAPMA (The International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists) and NEXUS, professional association in Japan.
The Bulgarian participation is visible and bright, a growing trend over the years. Many of the contestants are well-known names not only in Bulgaria.

Some of the artists, who have won awards and certificates in the long history of the festival, are: Leticia Burgos (Argentina), Eliana Anghinah (Brazil), Jeannine De Raeymaecker (Belgium), Martina Karaivanova (Bulgaria), Woo-Bock Lee (South Korea), Bruno David (France), Josephine Tabbert (Germany), Atsumi Murata, and Noriko Amano (Japan) among many others.
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“Might II” (West Foyer) and “Amateras Annual Exhibition/Competition for Paper Art” (Marble Foyer) open at the National Palace of Culture on May 31 at 6 p.m. in West Foyer and are on view until June 11, 2024 every day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sofia Paper Art Fest 2024 is realized with the financial support of the “Visual Arts” program of the Ministry of Culture, the “Creation” program of the National Culture Fund, the Calendar of Cultural Events of Sofia Municipality for 2024, Star Motors Bulgaria.