Despite a reduced team, the meeting on November 14, 2023 with our friends from the Disability Club blended art and laughter into an exciting experience. The event began with the whimsically humorous poems by Temenuga Tsoneva and continued with the idea of integrating them into the exhibition.
“Exploring the works from the Painting Fund, we were impressed by the variety of techniques and expressiveness—from paintings by Naum Hadzhigenov, Milka Peykova, Atanas Vasilev, Vulchan Petrov to Radi Nedelchev. Each artwork told its story, sparking an even stronger desire for collaboration in us,” shared one of the participants in the community curation process.
Thus, another meeting passed, leaving not only admiration for art in the hearts of the participants but also anticipation for more such exciting moments in the future.
The selection is nearing its completion, but many tasks still lie ahead before the exhibition opens.
Project № BGCULTURE-1.001-0039 “The Address of Satire – Creating an Exhibition from the Fund of the Museum House of Humor and Satire – Gabrovo and accompanying program on the role and boundaries of satire and its exhibition in renovated spaces in the Museum,” funded under Program RA14 “Cultural Entrepreneurship, Heritage, and Cooperation,” co-financed by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2014-2021.
An interactive installation with Antonia Hubancheva will be hosted at the Museum of Humor and Satire in Gabrovo on November 16 and 17.
Would you like to join an exciting expedition through arranged objects and videos in the museum, where science and art meet in a fun and engaging way?
Immerse yourself in the small big world of Prilepites, guided by Dr. Antonia Hubancheva—an inspiring young researcher—to learn more about Prilepites, the peculiarities of nature, and fake news in a fun and entertaining manner.
Tours with a guide – mandatory pre-registration by phone at 0894937728 or via events@humorhoouse.bg (Ivelina Angelova – events coordinator). Part of the installation will be open to museum visitors between November 15 and 18, 2023.
The tours are suitable for visitors over 11 years old, fee: 5 leva per person.
Tour schedule with a duration of 60/70 minutes:
November 16 // 14:00
November 16 // 16:00
November 17 // 13:00
November 17 // 17:00
Did you know that there are so many species of Prilepites in the world that their number is one-fourth of all animal species? Their image is associated with the strangest superstitions, beliefs, and myths. Prilepites scare people; in popular culture, they are often portrayed as villains. In recent years, attention to them has intensified due to suspicions that they are the source of the coronavirus, despite scientific evidence contradicting these claims.
In today’s world, Prilepites are under serious threat. The destruction of their habitats, hunting, climate change, and other factors can lead to their disappearance, resulting in an ecological catastrophe.
The visit of the installation “In the Small Big World of Prilepites” at the Museum of Humor and Satire is an extremely rare opportunity for the audience in the region to see the world in a completely new way, quite literally. Different parts of the installation’s story will be located in various rooms. The audience will not just be observers but direct participants. The various objects placed in different parts of the museum will allow each participant to see and feel the surrounding environment through the senses of Prilepites. They will try to hunt like them, see like them, and create ultrasound at the frequency of Prilepites. Each audience member will even have the opportunity to learn how much food they would need daily if they were a Prilepite. One of the challenges will be a brief competition in distinguishing scientific from pseudoscientific or false information.
The “36 Monkeys” team creates an extensive route between knowledge and simulation in an active exhibition environment, treating scientific facts as an essential source of understanding the world around us.
CREATIVE TEAM:
Authors: Dr. Antonia Hubancheva and Gergana Dimitrova
Vision and interactive objects: Elena Shopova Direction: Gergana Dimitrova Tour guide: Dr. Antonia Hubancheva Technical realization: Ivo Stamenov-OttO Video recording, editing: Boryana Pandova Animation: Nikola Nalbantov Music: Pavel Terziyski, Veselin Velinov-Eko Production assistant: Iliyana Hubenova
The project is implemented with the financial support of the National Culture Fund, the “One-Year Grant” program, and the “Program for Recovery and Development of Private Cultural Organizations,” in partnership with the National Museum of Natural History at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Intercultura Consult.
Starting on November 9, the Museum of Humor and Satire presents the Cartoon Salon 2023, a traditional autumn event focusing on caricature. It includes 3 exhibitions featuring 32 artists and nearly 200 artworks, including the 48th National Cartoon Exhibition and solo exhibitions by cartoonists Mario Ivanov and Sergey Elkin.
Hall 3 – Stefan Furtunov, Museum of Humor and Satire Opening: November 9, 17:30 Duration: November 9, 2023 – February 25, 2024
48th National Cartoon Exhibition
The National Cartoon Exhibition is an annual overview of the highest achievements of contemporary Bulgarian artists working in various genres of caricature. Traditionally, the artists showcase works from the past year, reflecting events in our public and political life, as well as a global perspective on enduring human themes.
Within the Cartoon Salon 2023, the Museum of Humor and Satire presents selected works from the 48th National Cartoon Exhibition by the following artists:
Born in 1962 in Vorkuta, Northern Russia, Sergey Elkin originally studied architecture and was involved in city planning until the late 1980s. He participated in the development of comprehensive plans for Voronezh, Belgorod, and Stary Oskol. With the dissolution of the USSR, he moved into the newspaper business, working as an artistic editor and later as the chief editor of several Russian newspapers. Since 1998, he has been a professional caricaturist.
His move to Moscow allowed him to collaborate with central Russian publications. After the introduction of censorship on political cartoons, he began drawing for opposition publications. In recent years, his work has been published in Izvestia, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, The Moscow Times, Vedomosti, Polit.ru, The Guardian, Economist, Svoboda.org, and many others. His cartoons primarily feature Russian politicians.
He is the author of the book “Two-Headed Russia: A History in Pictures” (2014). In 2017, he received the Gerd Bucerius Award for “Free Press in Eastern Europe.” Sergey Elkin is the most renowned Russian cartoonist outside the country.
Metamorphoses Solo Exhibition by Mario Ivanov
Mario Ivanov – Maxter is a graphic designer specializing in packaging design. He is passionate about logo design and illustration and is a member of the “Plakat Kombinat” platform for poster art. He is a music enthusiast and a collector of vinyl records.
He studied Design at the “Acad. Ananie Yavashov” Humanitarian Gymnasium in Razgrad and holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Industrial Design from the Technical University of Varna.
In recent years, he has participated in the Illustration Biennial in Sofia, several editions of the National Cartoon Exhibition, “Europe in Bulgarian,” and “Personalities, Heroes, Inspirations” by the “Plakat Kombinat” platform. He has also contributed to the Gabrovo Biennial of Humor and Satire, as well as to joint cartoon exhibitions in Turkey, Macedonia, and Bulgaria.
He has received a special award from the Museum of Humor and Satire at the 48th National Cartoon Exhibition in Sofia in 2023. He has received distinctions in various cartoon and design competitions in Bulgaria.
His work has been published in numerous humorous newspapers. He has also contributed to magazines like “Elle,” “EVA,” “Manager,” and “Programata.”
We are sharing photos from the opening on November 9, 2023.
The competition, established in 2005, is directed towards authors born or long-term residents within the municipality of Gabrovo.
Not jokingly, in the category for a book with humorous content, the Museum of Humor and Satire awarded its special prize to the cartoonist and humorist Veselin Zidarov Zidarov for “The Yawns of Tryavna.” The author is a longtime friend of the Museum, a participant in the Gabrovo Biennial of Humor and Satire in the Arts, as well as in numerous international cartoon salons and competitions.
The Museum team congratulates the winners in all other categories:
Aprilov Award for overall creativity – a statuette and certificate from the Municipality of Gabrovo, as well as a free library card from the Aprilov-Palauzov Regional Library, was awarded to Maria Shandurkova.
Artistic Literature – a certificate and cash prize from the Regional Administration – Gabrovo was received by Stoyan Tsonev for the book “Samsi Boycho, the Old Chieftain.”
Historical /Local/ Literature – a certificate and cash prize from the Aprilov-Palauzov Regional Library was awarded to Nikolay Hristov for the book “History of the Gabrovo Bar.”
Children’s Literature – The certificate and cash prize from the National Chitalishte “Aprilov-Palauzov 1861” were presented to Dimitrina Grigorova and Polina Staneva for “Fairy Tale Therapy.”
Aprilov Award “Free Manuscript Printing” from Ex-Press Publishing House – Gabrovo was received by Petya Tsoneva for the manuscript “And certainly, when I find out.”
The founders of the Aprilov Awards are the Municipality of Gabrovo, the Society of Writers – Gabrovo, the National Chitalishte “Aprilov-Palauzov – 1861”, the Aprilov-Palauzov Regional Library, Ex-Press Publishing House, with partners being the Regional Administration – Gabrovo, the Museum of Humor and Satire, the Regional Ethnographic Open-Air Museum “Etar”, the National Cultural Center “Zora-1872”, and the neighborhood of Nova Mahala.
The Museum of Humor and Satire has the pleasure to invite you to the presentation of the book #PERSONA_SATYRICONA by “Classica et Stil” Publishing House, with the author and artist Doncho Donchev!
Don’t miss this event, filled with creativity, humor, and literary magic! Come and enjoy a conversation with the author and illustrator Doncho Donchev and the exciting stories in #PERSONA_SATYRICONA.
The event will take place on October 24, 2023, at 5:30 PM in the Giraffe Hall at the Museum of Humor and Satire.
About the Book:
PERSONA_SATYRICONA will not leave you indifferent! It will take you on an incredible journey, presenting 101 caricatured portraits of personalities from world history. In it, you will encounter great people from different eras, characters, and perspectives, presented in a way that will surprise and inspire you.
The title refers to the immortal “Satyricon” by Petronius, the mentor of good taste in the court of the Roman Emperor Nero. There, Petronius satirically presents Roman society in the 1st century. “I added an ‘A,’ and it became ‘Satyrikona’ – such a word does not exist. It became a new word, a strange but euphonious title. I borrowed this word because satire forever presents societal flaws through the power of art,” shares Doncho Donchev.
The artist has drawn personalities who have left a deep mark on human history. Among them are Churchill, Gorbachev, Reagan, but also dictators like Hitler, Stalin, and Mao. Politicians are alongside scientists like Einstein, and next to them are people from the arts, such as Pushkin and Dali.
Author and illustrator Doncho Donchev creates striking pencil drawings, telling his story and overcoming a bizarre incident. The pencil becomes a creator of form and a diverse narrator in this amazing tale.
PERSONA_SATYRICONA is a book with incredible illustrations that changes the way we see the world. This project breaks stereotypes and shows us that real history is richer and funnier than we can imagine.
Doncho Donchev was born in 1974 in Gabrovo. He graduated from the National School of Applied Arts in Tryavna, specializing in “Painting” at Veliko Tarnovo University “St. Cyril and Methodius.” He further specialized in animation at Nu Boyana Film Studios. As a diverse artist, he does not confine himself to a single style but actively explores various mediums, working with different materials, drawing in public, creating illustrations, paintings, sculptures, and interactive projects.
Over the years, he has created illustrations for print publications, audio-visual projects, and more. Doncho Donchev has organized numerous exhibitions in Bulgaria and Europe, with one of the most notable being the satirical “21st Century” held in Sofia at the Central Military Club in 2018. In this exhibition, he portrayed the contrasts of our time, depicting some of the most prominent politicians on the world stage, illustrated as playing cards.
Participated in EXPO Milano 2015, where he painted the picture “Riflessioni” in front of the Corriere della Sera pavilion, and at EXPO Astana 2017, he created the monumental panel “Human Energy,” which is now part of the World EXPO Museum in Shanghai. Both events were realized by Arminio Scioli, curator, and director of the Leonardo Da Vinci Art Gallery in Locarno (Rivellino – Leonardo Da Vinci Art Gallery).
From October 17th to November 18th, an exhibition of one of the most prestigious international typography competitions in the world, TDC69, is visiting Bulgaria.
Between October 17th and October 29th, the Museum of Humor and Satire is hosting the outstanding achievements in font design for the year 2023. From November 6th, the exhibition will be presented at the National Academy of Arts in Sofia.
The opening of the exhibition at the Museum of Humor and Satire is on October 17th at 5:30 PM. During the vernissage, Boril Karaivanov will introduce the guests to the trends in the field of font art.
About the Competition:
The Type Directors Club (TDC) competition and annual awards were launched in 1953. Today, it stands as one of the most prestigious and longest-running international competitions for typography and font design. Initially created exclusively for club members, it became public in 1956. Participants initially competed in a single discipline until 1996 when two categories emerged – communication design and font design. In 2023, Communication Design was renamed Typography, and for the first time, a third category, Lettering, was introduced. The jury comprises designers native to various writing systems worldwide, specializing in Arabic, Cyrillic, Latin, Han, Hindi, Thai, African scripts, and more.
In the 2023 competition, designers from 77 countries participated. The winners hail from 42 countries, with the top five in terms of awards being:
52 awards for the USA
24 awards for Germany
23 awards for China
11 awards for the Netherlands
9 awards for Ukraine
In addition to winners in each of the three disciplines, the jury selects one winner for each discipline, and every member has the opportunity to vote for an individual participant. All winners receive a “Certificate of Typographic Excellence” and are featured in the club’s annual publication, “The World’s Best Typography,” released each year. The publication is available for purchase, with club members receiving it for free.
About the Type Directors Club (TDC):
The Type Directors Club (TDC) was founded in 1946 in New York with several primary objectives:
To build a community through public events and platforms.
To support the growth of students and professionals at the beginning of their careers.
To recognize achievements in font design worldwide.
Over the years, the club has initiated a series of events, some of which were groundbreaking in the history of contemporary graphic design:
1946: Annual meetings called “Ten Lectures” are held for club members.
1953: Annual awards are established, initially only for club members.
1956: Awards are opened to designers outside the club.
1958: The first international seminar is held, with over 500 designers from different countries participating.
1959: The first international conference is held.
1960: Designer Beatrice Warde becomes the club’s first female member, and an award for students is established in her name.
1967: German calligrapher and font designer Hermann Zapf receives the first medal for contributions to typography.
1980: The first annual winners’ yearbook is printed.
1996: The Font Design discipline is established in the competition.
2004: A commemorative edition of the yearbook, “Typography 25,” is published for the club’s 50th anniversary.
2010: The first certificate for postgraduate qualification is established and awarded in collaboration with Cooper Union.
2017: The 70th-anniversary celebration includes the conference “Typography Beyond Time.”
2018: The Typegeist project is launched, exploring the characteristics of different scripts worldwide. The first edition of the conference “Typography Moves Culture” is held and continues regularly in various parts of the world in the following years.
2020: The club joins The One Club for Creativity (OCC) network.
The Museum of Humor and Satire and the Children’s School ‘Encaustica’ are pleased to invite you to the opening of the exhibition ’30 YEARS LATER.’
The exhibition will showcase works created from the founding of the school until today. Pieces in the techniques of encaustic, watercolor, pastel, stained glass, graphic studies, and linocut will be presented.
The exhibition ’30 YEARS LATER’ will open on October 20th (Friday) at 5:30 PM in Hall 8 of the Museum of Humor and Satire. It can be visited every day from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
We share photos from the vernissage on October 20th.
On October 25, 2023, another meeting took place within the “The Address of Satire” project with representatives from the Disability Club.
The meeting began with fresh memories from the previous discussion. Participants then took a stroll through the museum’s exhibition halls, sharing memories of events within it and discussing changes over the past years. Dimka Koleva, responsible for the largest cartoon collection in Bulgaria, joined this meeting. Together, they explored works from the museum’s cartoon collection, rich in pieces covering various themes. Works by artists such as Ilia Beshkov, Todor Tsonev, and Halit Kurtulmuş-Aytoslu attracted particular attention and comments from our friends and partners from the Disability Club.
The project continues successfully, enriching discussions and mutual understanding among the different communities in Gabrovo.
Project № BGCULTURE-1.001-0039 “The Address of Satire – Creating an Exhibition from the Fund of the Museum House of Humor and Satire – Gabrovo and accompanying program on the role and boundaries of satire and its exhibition in renovated spaces in the Museum,” funded under Program RA14 “Cultural Entrepreneurship, Heritage, and Cooperation,” co-financed by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2014-2021.
On October 3, 2023, Tuesday, the second training on Community Curation took place with the participation of experts from the Norwegian University for Green Development. Rhys Evans and Johan Barstad, instructors from the partnering organization, led the event, discussing the distinctive features and challenges of Community Curation. The focus of the second training was on the topic of innovations in working with cultural heritage through community engagement and development. This seminar is a crucial stage in preparation for the upcoming exhibition titled “Satire through the Eyes of Gabrovians.”
A day later, Rhys Evans and Johan Barstad, along with staff from the Museum of Humor and Satire, visited the Disability Club, marking the most touching moment of all their visits to Bulgaria so far.
The Norwegian experts shared their experiences and best practices, enriching practical knowledge about working with diverse communities. An interesting insight was the sharing of the model where in Norway, each community has its representative – a volunteer who represents and advocates for its interests when working with institutions.
Project № BGCULTURE-1.001-0039 “The Address of Satire – Creating an Exhibition from the Fund of the Museum House of Humor and Satire – Gabrovo and accompanying program on the role and boundaries of satire and its exhibition in renovated spaces in the Museum,” funded under Program RA14 “Cultural Entrepreneurship, Heritage, and Cooperation,” co-financed by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2014-2021.
