Elemental Sculpture

The project embodies the long years of work of the President of Amateras Foundation, sculptor Todor Todorov.

Elemental sculpture is a theory based on an existing – albeit not yet studied – aspect of the relations between sculpture and the natural elements. The study reveals the context of the places inhabited by the sculpture and their impact on it. The theory is presented as a concept and in practice through the eyes of an active sculptor. The author compares sculpture to other arts, with a stress on the particulars of contemporary sculpture that changed this art radically, from everything existing until the beginning of the 20th century. This is a new age in the concept of sculpture and its relationship to nature and architecture. This topical position is supported with distinctive examples from world experience in three-dimensional visual arts over the centuries. The thesis was defended as a dissertation at the National Academy of Art (Sofia) and was later published in English with the title „Elemental sculpture. Тheory and practice“ by Cambridge Scholars Publishing (2014), and in Bulgarian „Елементална скулптура. Теория и практика“ by Altera Publishing House.

The unveiling of the kinetic sculpture Sun Dance dedicated to Japanese-Bulgarian friendship in November 2020 in Sofia is actually an embodiment of elemental sculpture, presenting as it does the relations between form and one of the four natural elements - Wind. The work is part of a conceptual series of wind-driven kinetic sculptures seeking expression in nature and the architecture of an urban place.

The events under the Elemental Sculpture project were organized under the auspices of:
H.E. Plamen Bonchev, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Georgia
H.E. Valery Yotov, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Brazil
H.E. Borislav Kostov, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Japan
H.E. Martin Ivanov, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Finland
H.E. Bobi Bobev, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Kosovo
H.E. Takashi Koudzumi, Ambassador of Japan to Bulgaria
H.E. Masato Watanabe, Ambassador of Japan to Bulgaria
H.E. Hiroshi Narahira, Ambassador of Japan to Bulgaria
H.E. Alberto Trueba, Ambassador of Argentina to Bulgaria
H.E. Ana Maria Sampaio Fernandes, Ambassador of Brazil to Bulgaria
H.E. Shpend Kalaba, Ambassador of Kosovo to Bulgaria

For more information please visit: todor.amateras.eu

To popularize his theory, the author gave over thirty presentations in Great Britain, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Georgia, Cyprus, China, Kosovo, Finland, France, the Czech Republic and Japan:

2021

• “Innovations in Urban Environment”, lectures within a panel connected with the theory “Elemental Sculpture”, Sofia Paper Art Fest (March 1st).

2020

• Official inauguration of the sculpture “Sun Dance”, a symbol of the friendship between Bulgaria and Japan. The artwork is an elemental sculpture in the urban environment as a part of the artist’s collection of wind-powered kinetic sculptures that are created for park or urban environment, located at the park zone near Hilton Hotel, Sofia (November 20th).

2019

• Lecture, Yurix Gallery, Munakata, Japan (September 15th).
• Lecture, Fengxian Biennial, Shanghai, China (September 10th).
• Lecture about “Elemental Sculpture and Land Art”, Ninkin, China (March 2nd).
• Lecture, University of Mendoza, Faculty of Fine Arts, Argentina (June 7th).

2018

• Exhibition and lecture, Passila City Library, Helsinki, Finland (April 5th – 25th).
• Exhibition, Caso Space for Contemporary Art, Osaka, Japan (March 6th – 11th).
• Exhibition, Wakita Museum, Karuizawa, Japan (June 7th – August 29th).
• Exhibition, Museum of the National Arts, Belo Horizonte, Brazil (May 24th).
• Exhibition, National Gallery, Pristina, Kosovo (April 24th).

2017

• Lecture, Union of the Architects, Tbilisi, Georgia (October 9th).
• Presentation, University of Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation, Sao Paolo, Brazil (October 6th).
• Exhibition, Bulgarian Cultural Institute, Paris, France (September 6th).
• Presentation of the project “Elemental Sculpture”, The Mission Gallery, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sofia (July 25th).

2016

• Exhibition and lecture within the programme of the 1st edition of symposium organised by the Association of the Artists in Cyprus, Nikosia (November 24th).
• Lecture, IAPMA Congress, City of Brazil, Brazil (September 14th).
• Exhibition and lecture, Bulgarian Cultural Institute, Prague, Czech Republic (June 9th – 19th).
• Exhibition and lecture, Bulgarian Cultural Institute, London, UK (January 10th – 19th).
• Exhibition and lecture, Nirvana Gallery, Sofia (May 10th – June 10th).

2015

• Lecture about “Innovations in the Contemporary Art – a Theory about the Elemental Sculpture”, Kyosei-no-Sato Museum, Fukuoka prefecture, Japan (April 15th).
• Lecture, National University of Architecture, Tbilisi, Georgia (November 19th).
• Exhibition, Karvasla National History Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia (October 19th – December 2nd).
• Exhibition and discussion about “Innovation. Festival. City”, Vivacom Art Hall, Sofia (August 17th – September 17th).
• Lecture, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia (July 3rd).
• Presentation “Elemental Sculpture”, B-Works, Sofia (May 18th).
• Lecture, Inter Arch Biennial, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia (May 17th).
• Discussion about “Elemental Sculpture”, Sofia Paper Art Fest, Vivacom Art Hall, Sofia (May 15th).

2014

• Official presentation of the book “Elemental Sculpture: Theory and Practice”, National Gallery, Sofia (December 15th).
• Official presentation of the book “Elemental Sculpture: Theory and Practice”, St. St. Cyril and Methodius National Library, Sofia (December 4th).
• The book “Elemental Sculpture: Theory and Practice” is published in Bulgarian by Altera Publishing House.
• Presentation of the theory “Elemental Sculpture” and the possibilities of situating the sculpture in the urban environment in front of representatives of the EU Commission Brussels due to the Sofia candidacy for European Capital of Culture 2019, Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia (August 29th).
• Official presentation of the book “Elemental Sculpture: Theory and Practice”, Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia (May 19th).
• Official presentation of the book “Elemental Sculpture: Theory and Practice”, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Lapua, Finland (April 1st).

2013

• The book “Elemental Sculpture: Theory and Practice” is published in English by Cambridge Scholars Publishing, translated by Albena Manavska (May 5th).