Bulgarian-Brazilian Art Project

In 2016 a Congress of the International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists (IAPMA) was held in Brasilia at which Amateras Foundation presented the cultural strategy of Sofia Paper Art Fest, took an active part in the exhibition programme and had the honour, representing as it did Bulgaria, to see its country chosen to host the next IAPMA Congress in 2018. The Foundation’s desire to establish a sustainable cultural exchange with Brazil, where a large Bulgarian diaspora lives, did not meet with any obstacles. The idea was hailed with enthusiasm by IAPMA members Eliana Anghinah and Ângela Barbour who, besides authors, are also curators of enormous experience in Latin America. This partnership accumulated a chain of events in both countries, attracting state and private organization supporting cultural dialogue.

Initially, support came from the Bulgarian embassy in Brazil. In 2017, the events attracted the interest of the Honorary Consul of Bulgaria Renato Russeff, the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Brazilian embassy in Bulgaria, Sao Paolo Municipality, and the Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado, among others. In Bulgaria, the Brazil-Bulgaria cultural exchange project – and the participating artists and partners – enjoyed considerable publicity as its exhibitions were part of the programme of Sofia Paper Art Fest.

In 2018 events in both Brazil and Bulgaria were held as part of the programme of Bulgaria’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. To date, the curators from the two countries are continuing to expand the project with plans for new locations and partners.

Curatorial team:
Daniela Todorova
Eliana Anghinah
Angela Barbour

The Brazil-Bulgaria cultural exchange project is implemented under the auspices of:
H.E. Valery Yotov, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Brazil
H.E. Ana Maria Sampaio Fernandes, Ambassador of Brazil to Bulgaria
Renato Russeff, Honorary Consul of Bulgaria to Brazil, Belo Horizonte

The events under the Brazil-Bulgaria cultural exchange project were organized on the territory of the two countries in the cities of Sao Paolo, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Sofia and Pavlikeni:

2019

• Exhibition “Ten Artists. Ten Visions”, San Stefano Gallery, Sofia Paper Art Fest (April 16th – May 8th).
• “Tolerance, Diplomacy and Culture”: 1. Documentary exhibition; 2. Screening of the movie “Quixote in the Darkness” dedicated to the Brazilian diplomat Souza Dantas; 3. Plein air and exhibition under the patronage of H.E. Ms. Ana Maria Sampaio Fernandes, Brazilian ambassador in Bulgaria. Community center “Bratstvo – 1884”, Pavlikeni (July 12th – August 12th).

2018

• Performance “Flying Memories” by Angela Barbour, IAPMA Congress hosted by Sofia Paper Art Fest, “Triangular Tower of Serdika” exhibition space, Regional History Museum, Sofia (May 16th).
• Presentation of the Bulgarian-Brazilian Art Project by Angela Barbour, IAPMA Congress, hosted by Sofia Paper Art Fest, “Triangular Tower of Serdika” exhibition space, Regional History Museum, Sofia (May 17th).
• Exhibition “Ancient Messages” under the patronage of The Embassy of Bulgaria in Brazil and the honorary consul Renato Russeff, Museum of the National Arts, Belo Horizonte (May 25th – June 25th).

2017

• A solo exhibition “Seeds of Time” by Angela Barbour, Sofia Paper Art Fest, Sofia Press Gallery (May 16th – 30th).
• A solo exhibition “Earth Views” by Eliana Anghinah, Arthur Gallery (May 15th – 21st).
• Performance “Flying Memories” by Angela Barbour, Sofia Paper Art Fest, European Night of the Museums, Ancient Serdika Cultural and Communication Complex - Largo, Sofia (May 19th).
• Workshop for visually impaired mentored by Angela Barbour, Finesse Gallery, Sofia Paper Art Fest (May 17th – 21st).
• Exhibition “Ancient Messages”, installations and sculptures by Daniela Todorova and Todor Todorov, Museum of Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation, Sao Paolo (October 2nd – November 30th).
• Exhibition “Ancient Messages” and lecture “The Cultural Heritage of Bulgaria”, University of Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation, Sao Paolo, Brazil (October 5th).
• Exhibition “Paper Innovations” – installations, objects, sculptures, video – within the exchange project Bulgaria – Brazil, Museum of Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation, Sao Paolo, Brazil (October 2nd – November 30th).
• Lecture “Paper Innovations”, University of Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation, Sao Paolo, Brazil (October 7th).

2016

• Lecture “Elemental Sculpture”, IAPMA Congress, Brasilia, Brazil (November 12th – 16th).
• Presentation “Paper Innovations” from the programme of Sofia Paper Art Fest, 30th Congress of IAPMA, Institute of Arts, Brasilia, Brazil (November 12th – 16th).

Amateras Foundation expresses its gratitude to all the participants in the Brazil-Bulgaria cultural exchange project:

Australia: Winsome Jobling;
Argentina: Alejandra Koreck, Eva Toker;
Belgium: Jeannine De Raeymaecker;
Brazil: Eliana Anghinah, Angela Barbour, Catharina Suleiman, Cildo Oliveira, Hugo Fortes, Jaqueline Aronis, Nori Figueiredo, Патрисия Фигуейредо, Regina Carmona, Rodrigo Lobo;
Bulgaria: Todor Todorov, Daniela Todorova, Tsveta Petrova, Laura Dimitrova, Kristina Yakimova, Valentin Balev, Miroslava Marinova, Violeta Apostolova;
UK: Jan Fairbairn-Edwards, Josephine Coy, Alison Dean;
Germany: Irene Hoppenberg, Bara Lehmann, Irene Rammensee;
Denmark: Alexander Thieme;
Uruguay: Cristina Rodríguez;
Finland: Marianne Kaustinen;
France: Marcelle Benhamou, Jean Michelle Letier;
Switzerland: Heinz Allemann, Kathrin Biffi, Kathrin Dardel, Lilo Shaer;
Scotland: Charmian Pollock;
South Korea: Jiyoung Moon, Kumnam Baik, Kwon Hye Jeong;
Japan: Atsumi Murata.