The fifth edition of the Festival focuses on intercultural dialogue and, above all, on the presentation of professional networks and associations that are engaged in the policy of developing contemporary art that cares for the microclimate of society and the needs of the individual through the use of new technologies and experiments.

The mission of the festival is to establish Sofia as an interesting destination on the European cultural map through the growth of a professional network of artists and organizations, with the help of which each edition will offer more and more interesting events and experiments.

International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists (IAPMA) is a guest of the SPAF and presents its work and the role of the organisation as a professional network for contemporary art.

At the same time, the festival also provides initiatives for the development of innovative projects that enrich the urban environment and engage the public as active participants. Innovations in the different arts will provoke many future events, stimulating this process of evolving views of art in urban environment, its audiences and interactive spaces.

The festival has been invited to be a partner in a trilateral project between Bulgaria, Finland and the UK, which has a social aspect, involving different minorities with distinctive cultures from the three countries.

In Karin Dom, Varna, an event aimed at connecting disadvantaged children with the world of art was held. This is a new venture in Sofia Paper Art Fest's efforts to reach out to the community.

Because of the diversity of its programme and the important part it occupies in the cultural life of the city, Sofia Paper Art Fest is one of the two projects of the foundation in a total of four project proposals for contemporary art submitted by the Sofia Development Association to the European Commission in the bid for European Capital of Culture.

For the seventh consecutive year, the Amateras Annual Exhibition/Competition for Paper Art took place, an exhibition bearing the name of the foundation and giving birth to the idea of the festival. The event was held at the Art Alley Gallery between 7 May and 6 June. 57 artists from 19 countries were selected in the competition!

Jury:
Viviane Fontane, Switzerland
Todor Todorov, Bulgaria
Helene Tschacher, Germany

Awards:
Amateras Grand Prix: Yoshio Hasegawa;
Prize for Innovation: Kakuko Ishii;
Prize for Emerging Artist: Veselka Nikolova;
Prize for Bulgarian Artist: Tsveta Petrova;
Certificate for Art on Paper: Kumnam Baik;
Certificate for Versatility of all 3 Artworks: Bara Lehmann Schulz;
Certificate for Honorable Mention: Atsumi Murata, Irene Rammensee, Metka Pepelnak.
The selected artists in the 2015 competition are:

Argentina: Alejandra Koreck, Eva Toker, Rosario Aróstegui, Susana Munay;
Austria: Elmar Peintner;
Brazil: Eliana Anghinah;
Bulgaria: Alexandra Dimitrova, Desislava Deneva, Galina Dokova, Hristina Andreeva, Krasimira Drenska, Kristina Yakimova, Laura Dimitrova, Mariyana Raynova, Michaela Padeva, Martina Karaivanova, Nadezhda Dzhanova, Tsveta Petrova, Tzvetislava Koleva, Veselкa Nikolova, Victor Petkov, Zlatka Andreeva;
Finland: Anna Maija Bergman;
France: Viviane Colautti-Ivanova;
Germany: Bara Lehmann-Schulz, Gerlinde Hoffman, Helene Tschacher, Irene Rammensee, Michael Otto;
Greece: Eleni Kampa;
Israel: Hana Altaratz, Laura Behar, Haya Weisshaus;
Italy: Elena Sanfilippo, Franceska Borio, Laura Milletari, Roberto Narsico, Teresa Tramontana;
Japan: Atsumi Murata, Ayako Tajima, Kakuko Ishii, Naoyo Yamamoto, Yoshio Hasegawa;
Korea: Kumnam Baik, Hye Jeong;
Norway: Berit Lokken Bambace, Nils Hansen;
Slovenia: Metka Pepelnak;
Sweden: Kerstin Svanberg;
Switzerland: Elisabeth Jobin-Sanglard, Lilo Schaer, Viviane Fontaine;
UK: Jo McDonald, Josephine Coy, Jane Walker;
USA: Kathy Guest, Marie Noorani.

Exhibitions:
• Biennial for Paper Art, World Paper Art I, Vivacom Art Hall (7 May – 23 May);
• Biennial for Paper Art, World Paper Art II and Art Books, Regional History Museum (8 May – 24 May);
• Biennial for Paper Art, Japanese Innovations, Mazda Gallery (11 May – 6 June);
• “The Other Faces of the Paper I”, Paper Art Academy, National Academy of Arts, Applied Faculty, (12 May – 6 June);
• “The Other Faces of the Paper I”, Paper Art Academy, Serdika Gallery (12 May – 30 May);
• “Natural Gifts”, solo exhibition of Desislava Deneva, Artamonzev Gallery (14 May – 30 May).

Theatre:
• “The Story of a Seagull and the Gang of Tomcats”, Sofia Puppet Theatre;
• “The Collector”, 199 Theatre;
‍• “Magical Show”, Magical Palace Astor.

Screenings:
• Movies and trailers from 2009 – 2015, Vivacom Art Hall.

Workshop:
• Art Book, techniques and styles by Roxana Ramos, Vivacom Art Hall.

Presentations:
• Presentation of IAPMA by Viviene Fontaine, Vivacom Art Hall;
• “Dreams in Drawings by International Architects”, Vivacom Art Hall;
• “Innovations in Paper by Frank Gehry, Shigeru Ban and Issey Miyake”, Daniela Todorova, Vivacom Art Hall;
• “The Tea. Philosophy and Tradition”, Urasenke, Mazda Gallery;
• “Paper Techniques from Japan, Washi”, Daniela Todorova, Mazda Gallery;
• “Contemporary Ikebana”, Mazda Gallery.

Discussion:
• “Innovation. Festival. City”, Vivacom Art Hall

Accompanying events:
• Night of the Museums;
• The Paper Street, in front of Sofia City Art Gallery;
• Eve Dance Ballet, in front of Sofia City Art Gallery;
• Innovations in Fashion and Stage Costumes, fashion show, National Academy of Art, Sofia

Amateras Foundation thanks to all participants who played a role in the Sofia Paper Art Fest 2015!

In “Share Innovation”, SPAF 2015, 72 artists from 27 countries participated:
Argentina: Eva Toker;
Belgium: Jeannine De Raeymaecker;
Bulgaria: Anna Boyadjieva, Alexandra Dimitrova, Atanas Mihaltchev, Daniela Todorova, Desislava Deneva, Galina Dokova, Hristina Andreeva, Iliya Boyarov, Lilly Koleva, Krasimira Drenska, Kristina Yakimova, Laura Dimitrova, Maria Aleksandrova, Maria Aleksieva, Mila Stoeva, Michaela Padeva, Tsveta Petrova, Tzvetislava Koleva, Valentin Balev, Victor Petkov, Snejana Simeonova, Silvia Artamontsev, Stefan Popov, Sonya Kovacheva, Tsvetislava Koleva, Vladimir Palev, Zlatka Andreeva;
Finland: Anna Maija Bergman;
France: Marcelle Benhamou, Viviane Colautti-Ivanova;
Germany and Switzerland: Bara Lehmann-Schulz, Kathrin Biffi-Frey, Gerlinde Hoffmann, Helene Tschacher, Irene Ramennsee, Joachim Tschacher, Josefine Tabbert, Stephanie Herr;
Greece: Aris Stoidis;
Israel: Archie Granot, Laura Behar;
Japan: Atsumi Murata, Fukiko Nakabayashi, Kihachiro Nishiura, Mami Kawai, Naoyo Yamamoto, Yoshio Hasegawa;
Korea: Kumnam Baik, Hye Jeong;
Norway: Berit Lokken Bambace, Nils Hansen;
South Korea: Kumnam Baik;
South Africa and Namibia: Rika Nell;
Sweden: Kerstin Svanberg;
UK: Claire Goddart, Josephine Coy, Peter Ford;
USA: Priscilla Robinson, Bill Pengburn, Cathleen Lumis, Renne Magnati, Erik Demain, Martine Demain, Kathy Guest, Marie Noorani.

28 artists from 13 countries participated in the Art Book Section, Biennial for Paper Art, Sofia 2015:
Argentina: Alejandra Koreck;
Bulgaria: Alexandra Dimitrova, Violeta Apostolova, Dimo Dimov, Iliana Minkova, Krassimira Drenska, Kristiana Yakimova, Laura Dimitrova, Milena Radeva, Nikolai Totev, Tsveta Petrova, Zdravka Kostadinova;
Germany: Gerlinde Hoffman, Dorothea Fleiss;
Greece: Aris Stoidis;
Denmark: Birte Helene Seiri;
Israel: Laura Behar;
India: Ravikumar Kashi;
Cyprus: Evdokia Kurku;
France: Jean Fairbairn Edwards, Bagues Strobel;
The Netherlands: Alitsa Thomas, France Baake, Maria Dudic;
Switzerland: Viviene Fontaine;
Sweden: Ossa Bostrom;
Japan: Fukiko Nakabayashi, Kihachiro Nishiura.

Over 130 artists with various backgrounds participated in the Paper Art Academy, Exchange and Guest Exhibitions, Art in Urban Environment, Theatre and Film, Green Architecture and Accompanying Events sections.

Amateras Foundation is sincerely grateful to all institutions, sponsors, spaces and media partners who supported Sofia Paper Art Fest 2015!

Institutions:
Ministry of Culture, Bulgaria
National Culture Fund, Bulgaria
Sofia Municipality
Association for Development of Sofia
Embassy of China in Bulgaria
Embassy of Japan in Bulgaria
Embassy of Bulgaria in Georgia
Bulgarian Festivals Association
Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Berlin
Bulgarian Festivals Association
European Festivals Association – EFFE
Confucius Cultural Institute, Veliko Turnovo
French Institute, Bulgaria

Museums and galleries:
Regional History Museum – Sofia
Kurokawa Museum, Kiosei-no-Sato, Fukuoka, Japan
Negev Museum, Bir Sheeva, Israel
Historical Museum Carvasla, Tbilisi, Georgia
Vivacom Art Hall
Art Alley Gallery
Artamonzev Gallery
Mazda Gallery
Serdika Gallery
Finesse Gallery
Faculty of Applied Arts, National Academy of Arts, Sofia

Associations:
NEXUS – Japan
Nishiura Style – Japan
Novacia – Italy
Ikebana Soga
Nakama
Urasenke

Theatres:
199 Theatre
Sofia Puppet Theatre

Private companies:
Mazda
Fabriano
Number ONE
Arte Hotel
Stagemasters
Iv Trans
DMS

Media partners:
Bulgarian National Radio
Jazz FM
JazzFM Lounge
Darik Radio
Metroreklama
Osem Magazine
Life BG
Programata
Eva Magazine
View Sofia
Sofia Live
Peika.bg