Within the NUDGES project, The Museum of Humor and Satire is going to launch an artistic contest for the creation of designs aiming to nudge citizens into reconsidering the way we all reuse and recycle materials. The competition will be held in two age categories: adults and teenagers, and will allow the contestants to draw inspiration and knowledge from their participation in 3 different activities.
The concept for this project stems from our expert observation (and concern) that the already-existing artworks on the topic of ecology are not necessarily funny and/or serve the purpose of inspiring people to take actions and make a change in their daily lives. Since The Museum of Humor and Satire is participating in the NUDGES project as the eyesight, by creating opportunities to show / face the real challenges we will metaphorically open the eyes of designers which will then open the eyes of citizens for the existing climate challenges through experience-based artworks. Together with this, we are expecting to plant the seed in the young generation by inviting teenagers (highly influenced by fast fashion and the waste it creates) to also participate with their ideas for designs.
We are currently building the plane while we are flying or in other words – our pilot project will take off after Christmas. The nearest next step is, joined by our Associated Partner – RAM “Central Stara Planina”, to meet all our project partners for the first time face to face in beautiful Zagreb and get even more inspired and empowered for the power of visuals.
Stay tuned for information about the contest launch!
On October 24, 2024, the exhibitions from Cartoon Salon 2024 were presented, with an important highlight of this year’s edition being the solo exhibition “Piece of Time” by Prof. Аnri Kulev in hall 7 of the Museum of Humor and Satire.
On April 4 this year, he was awarded the museum’s special award in the National Cartoon Exhibition, which included a plaque “The world lasts because it laughs” and the right to a solo exhibition, the theme of which is in tune with the next parliamentary elections . There are also several accompanying events for children and youths during the exhibition period, the first of which is an Animation Workshop. It will be held during the autumn vacation from October 31 to November 3, 2024.
Prof. Anri Kulev is an artist, director and producer of feature, documentary and animated films. He has been teaching animation direction at the New Bulgarian University since 1993. He is the director of the World Animation Festival in Varna and a member of the jury of many international festivals, including those in Annecy, Hiroshima, St. Petersburg, Varna. Prof. Kulev is a scenographer and director of theater productions. He has over 15 solo exhibitions – graphics, animation sketches and painting, in Annecy, Hiroshima, Sofia, Oberhausen, Krakow, Berlin, Moscow, Bratislava, Plovdiv, Varna, etc. After his show in MoMA, New York in 1980, the animations Garsonniera and Sunday entered the Museum collection. He is the winner of nearly 30 national and international awards for his films.
Prof. Kulev has published drawings, cartoons and comics in newspapers and magazines from 1964 to the present day. He has directed more than 70 animated, documentary and feature films as well as documentaries about Yildiz Ibrahimova, Ivo Papazov – Ibryama, Samir Kurtov and the country of Algeria. Among Kulev’s famous films are the comedy Sparrows in October scripted by Stanislav Stratiev, the animation The Rag, the films Zaches, Ms. Dinosaur, The Father of the Egg, The Death of the Rabbit.
Awards:
– 2024 – Prize of the Museum of Humor and Satire, Gabrovo at the 49th national cartoon exhibition;
– 2023 – Lifetime Achievement Award at the Love is Madness Film Festival;
– 2022 – Lifetime Achievement Award at the Monstra Film Festival – Lisbon, Portugal
– 2021 – Honorary citizen of the city of Sofia;
– 2020 – Award for overall creativity of the cinema festival Sofia Film Fest;
– 2019 – Golden Age Award of the Ministry of Culture – for a special contribution to the development of art and culture;
– 2000 – Bratislava 2000, Biennale of Illustration – winner of a special award named after Alvin Brunovski for outstanding contribution to the development of world animation cinema
Starting on October 24, the Museum of Humor and Satire presents the Cartoon Salon 2024, a traditional autumn event focusing on cartoons. It includes 3 exhibitions, including the 49th National Cartoon Exhibition and awarded and nominated cartoonists from International Cartoon Contests “Water, River, People” and “Olive”.
Hall 3 – Stefan Furtunov, Museum of Humor and Satire Opening: October 24, 17:30 Duration: October 24, 2024 – March 1, 2025
49th National Cartoon Exhibition
Нo matter how well one lives in media space, at some point one encounters CARTOONS.
In recent years, in counting its sequence, the National Cartoon Exhibition has been in constant competition with the National Assembly – at its opening on April 4 at the UBA at Shipka 6, Sofia, they were in parity – 49 to 49. Now the result is 49 at nearly 51. This is probably a reflection of the greater degree of thoroughness and responsibility with which cartoonists approach their work. That is why politics is strongly present both on the walls of the halls of the Union of Bulgarian Artists and in the Museum of Humor and Satire.
Of course, the National Exhibition is not an overview of all Bulgarian cartoons, the participants work independently and successfully in various media and attend general exhibitions at their own will.
This year’s salon features works by 27 authors with nearly 90 cartoons. In addition to the living legends Lubomir Mihailov, Ivaylo Tsvetkov, Valentin Georgiev, Maya Tcholakova, Prof. Anri Kulev, Alla and Chavdar Georgievi, Margarita Yancheva, Dilyana Nikolova, Tsocho Peev, Irien Trendafilov, etc., you will also meet new faces, such as : Alexander Simov, Evgeni Nachev, Luiza Hamel, Mario Ivanov, Silvia Gancheva and others.
In our selection of the 49th National cartoon exhibition you will see the things in life between the funny and the unfunny, the provocative and the entertaining, between war and peace, but also philosophical insights, graphic permutations and funny illustrations.
In Cartoon Salon 2024, you will also meet the works of the award-winning authors of the 49th National Cartoon Exhibition:
Dimitar Atanasov – award of the Union of Bulgarian Artists
Konstantin Anastasov and Tsvetan Pavlov – award of the Cartoon section of UBA
Maya Tcholakova – award of the Metropolitan Municipality in the name of Donyo Donev
Lubomir Mihailov – award of the Bulgarian Red Cross; Veselin Zidarov – honorable mention by BRC
Prof. Anri Kulev – prize of the Museum of Humor and Satire, Gabrovo
Anatoly Stankulov – Gill and Hoof Award, established by Eng. Borislav Konstantinov and Lyubo Nikolov for a cartoon on the theme Nature, Hunting and Fishing
Silvia Gancheva – prize of the Zharava club, Kubrat Municipality and the National Competition for Humor and Satire in Kubrat
Valentin Georgiev – Raiko Aleksiev award
First International Contest “Water, River, People“
In 2024, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Cooperation in the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Danube River and 20 years of celebrating the Day of the Danube River, the Municipality of Ruse, OP Ruse Art and UBA – Cartoon Section organized the contest Water, River, People.
More than 150 artists from 49 countries participated in the competition.
An international jury determined the winners of the first, second and third prizes, as well as the three incentive prizes:
First Prize – Jacek Frankiewicz, Poland
Second Prize – Rucke Souza, Brazil
Third Prize – Tsocho Peev, Bulgaria
First Prize Nomination – Asier Sanz, Spain
Second Prize Nomination – Kessusanto Liusvia, Indonesia
Third Prize Nomination – Konstantin Kazanchev, Ukraine
On June 29, an exhibition with the award-winning cartoons was opened in Dohodno Zdanie, Ruse.
Cartoon Salon 2024 is the first exhibition with guest appearances of the award-winning and other selected works from the competition.
“Olive”International Cartoon Contest
The Museum of Humor and Satire presents a selection from the 13th edition of the International Olive Cartoon Contest, held in Cyprus in 2024. The selection includes all award-winning cartoons as well as selected works from the competition.
The Olive Cartoon Contest was conceived in 2007 by the Cyprus Turkish Cartoonists Association. 23 years ago, Kyrenia Municipality in Cyprus started an Olive Festival, aiming to preserve the olive tree and its products, produced locally for thousands of years.
The unplanned urbanization and reinforced concrete construction that started in the Turkish Cypriot community in the 1980s caused the olive tree, an important local product, to decline. As a result of faulty zoning plans, houses were built in areas where olives were formerly produced. The Turkish Cypriot community, which used to export olive oil, is now importing olives and olive oil from abroad due to faulty policies. In order to draw attention to these problems, the Olive Cartoons Contest was born, aiming to criticize the contradictions and wrong policies regarding olive production in a relatable way.
Starting as a national event, the contest evolved to an international level. In 2020 the name was changed to International Olive Humor Festival – International Cartoon Contest, in order to also include free-themed cartoons.
In 2024 it was announced that only cartoons in black and white would be accepted to the contest, due to several reasons. According to the organizers, in recent decades cartoon art has been facing major problems. Originally drawn in plain or exaggerated lines and printed only in black and white, cartoons have gradually deviated from their essence. Art products such as illustrations, photographs and paintings are converted into drawings with computer programs and presented as cartoons. Intense colors are used in such productions, making lines and quips less understandable. Furthermore, non-cartoonists who steal other people’s ideas with the help of computers and AI, have taken over the world of cartoon art.
As a result of this bold decision, after many years we once again can experience the magnificence and impactful simplicity of black-and-white cartoons in the 13th edition of the International Olive Cartoon Contest.
Museum exhibits are like Scrabble tiles – without them we can’t create words to tell stories. The more tiles, the bigger the number of stories. When in exhibition halls we strive not just to show, but to storytell, the experience for our dear visitors is many times more authentic.
If we now did a quick experiment, what our first association is when we hear the word “donation”, surely among the “results” would pop up “aids” (usually for those who have nothing) and “tax breaks” (as Gabrovians we have knowledge of everything thrifty after all).
Donations to a museum are a little different. There we talk about the way in which a work of art becomes an exhibit, and the way in which all cultural institutions enrich their holdings. The key words for these type of donations are also different: “heritage” and “trust”, because of the special attitude of and to the artist, parting with a part of themselves, so that the “owner” can now be the audience, the museum visitor can own the untouched experience of a personal encounter with art.
That is why we are in a hurry to tell you about our most recent donation. Not because we don’t have anything (our vaults are constricting us increasingly, like the Room of Requirement from “Harry Potter”, full of all the whimsical things in the world), but because we are happy with the trust given. The donation includes over 320 satirical drawings, illustrations, caricatures, cartoons and comics by our beloved colleague from the National Gallery of Art Mr. Kalin Nikolov. A selection and collection that we can’t wait to make sense of and make visible as soon as possible. It fills in blanks, deepens our knowledge, keeps us hungry for more, and most of all, gives us a new objective perspective on everything already out there that we try to work with on a daily basis.
This donation is also important because Kalin Nikolov is a person with whom every conversation is like an exhibition in itself – you are allowed to wander carefree in the exciting space of his thoughts, memories, expertise, experiences and you leave irrevocably changed, for the better. The only difference is that in exhibition halls there are usually walls, but in Nikolov’s world there are none – he has jumped over and destroyed them with his creativity, his studies and his personal civic position more than once. We recommend the book “Bulgarian Erotic Art” (2003) by Prof. V. Angelov to learn more about our latest donor – we are already completely positively biased (no matter that he could beat us at Scrabble without blinking a dignified eye).
And last but not least, the donation is significant because, as Nikolov himself tells us in one of his letters to us, the selection contains his experience as a fund curator and was done to show the creative side of the construction of ideas, the completion of the works and their previous stages, as well as a large number of free works. “As I’ve commented over the last few years, The House [of Humor and Satire] was many things, but I didn’t feel it was the place for our cartoon. Our cartoon itself is also in a deep crisis, revolving solely around the political moment and hardly only that. And we have common and far more complicated roads ahead of us,” he tells us.
And then adds:
“I believe that each of us, who has come a long way in art, can take the time and lend a hand to preserve, image by image, detail by detail, the phenomenon of native art in the field of satire.”
We agree and are wholeheartedly grateful!
images: cartoons by Kalin Nikolov, part of the donation.
On October 4, the representative exhibition of the Museum of Humor and Satire “Our Common World – Smiling Messages from Bulgaria” was launched in the administrative capital of the Republic of South Africa – Pretoria. It presents a selection of contemporary Bulgarian cartoons, the work of the leading Bulgarian artists in the field. The initiative for its realization belongs to the Embassy of Bulgaria in Pretoria, Republic of South Africa, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with the Museum of Humor and Satire in Gabrovo, Bulgaria and the National Library of South Africa. In this way, a popular genre of fine art becomes a spiritual bridge between the republics of South Africa and Bulgaria, shortening the distance between the two countries – for cartooning should also be a universal art that is fun and recognizable, viewed from Sofia or from Johannesburg.
The exhibition was opened by HE Maria P. Tzotzorkova, Ambassador of Bulgaria to South Africa. The concept and the artistic works were introduced by the curator Kalin Nikolov.
The selection from the Museum’s collection includes 40 works by Anri Kulev, Velin Andreev, Dimitar Tomov, Boris Dimovski, Rumen Dragostinov, Traiko Popov, Ivaylo Tsvetkov, Irien Trendafilov, Dilyana Nikolova, Svetla Hristova, Lyubomir Mihailov, Yovcho Savov, Hristo Komarnitsky and others, as well as 12 works by the fathers of Bulgarian cartoons, Alexander Bozhinov, Ilia Beshkov, Stoyan Venev.The exhibition is aimed at all lovers of fine art from academic and educational circles, youth and civil organizations, representatives of the diplomatic corps, book publishing, cultural sections of the media, the Bulgarian community in South Africa and the South African public at large.
The artists represented in the exhibition go beyond the topicality of the ordinary cartoon and include their names in the golden fund of Bulgarian fine art. Some of them—Donyo Donev, Boris Dimovski, Georgi Chaushov—frequently suffered the blows of Socialist censorship, which monitored the content of each issue of the press. The works are in the traditions of color graphics with a satirical tone. The techniques applied include drawing in ink or black tempera, as well as conceptual coloring with pastel, coloured pencil, and watercolor. A complex imagery, as well as the use of symbols from surrealist paintings, literature, cinema and posters, are integral attributes. Drawn in the style of contemporary satirical language, the works represent the intellectual school in Bulgarian cartooning.
The exhibition was made possible through the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, in accordance with the Plan-program of activities of the Bulgarian diplomatic and consular missions abroad in the field of public, cultural and digital diplomacy and strategic communications for 2024.
The photos are provided by the Embassy of Bulgaria in South Africa
The opening in Kyustendil was on September 20 at 18h, and in December of this year it will also open in the renovated Hall 5 at the Museum of Humor and Satire.
Within the framework of the event, the director of the gallery, Prof. Valentin Gospodinov, shared, “Venev’s characters are earthly, rough and tempted by everything earthly. Humor, satire and sharp sarcasm know no mercy. He can wink, grin scornfully and laugh boldly.”
The ceremony was attended by Mrs. Nela Rachevitz – deputy. director of the Museum of Humor and Satire, Bogomil Zhivkov – representative of the Board of Directors of the Union of Bulgarian Artists and Kin Stoyanov – journalist and director of the “Hristo Botev” program at BNR. Special guests were the collectors Dr. Rumen Manov and Ivo Dimitrov, whose paintings are included in the exhibition, the mayor of Kyustendil Municipality Ognyan Atanasov and the chairman of the Kyustendil Municipal Council Dimitar Velinov.
A special edition of the House of the Muses program was dedicated to this large-scale exhibition.
Here you can listen to the conversation with the director of the art gallery in Kyustendil “Vladimir Dimitrov – the Master” Valentin Gospodinov, the editor Svetla Alexandrova and Ilona Zaharieva. The introduction includes collector Dr. Rumen Manov, who reveals more about his hobby and contribution to the exhibition, and Margarita Dorovska from the Museum of Humor and Satire in Gabrovo talks about the museum’s contribution.
The exhibition includes over 250 works from the funds of the two cultural institutions, as well as from the private collections of Ivo Dimitrov and Dr. Rumen Manov.
One hundred and twenty-eight of the presented works are from the collection of the Moscow Art Museum – 87 satirical drawings, cartoons and watercolors and 41 paintings.
Stoyan Venev is an “emblematic artist” – with a recognizable touch and theme, who with an understanding and all-forgiving smile portrayed the life of an ordinary person and their life’s transgressions, Bulgarian customs, motifs from Bulgarian folklore and native nature.
Photos: Museum of Humor and Satire and “Vladimir Dimitrov – the Master” art gallery
Screenings of the Museum of Humor and Satire documentary
From September 20th, in hall 7A, every day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., you can watch the documentary film about the Museum of Humor and Satire Laughter and Freedom. The screenings are dedicated to the European Heritage Days 2024.
During the half-century history of the Museum, events of national and international importance have taken place here, it is a meeting place for some of the world’s names in the field of comedy and satire in art, literature, theater, cinema. Documentary productions have been made over the years, tracking individual moments, but so far no complete film narrative has been created about the history of the institution and the interesting personalities associated with it. In the Museum’s anniversary year, the film looks back with a critical assessment of what has happened so far, but also forward to its future.
The project was implemented with the financial support of the Culture 2022 Program of the Municipality of Gabrovo.
On September 21 at 3:30 p.m. in the new library of the Museum of Humor and Satire, you can participate in the creative workshop for kids Kind Home Mosquito. With the help of presenters Zornitsa Hristova and artist Yasen Grigorov from Tochitsa publishing house, children will have the opportunity to let their imagination run wild by inventing and drawing their own fantastic pet – but also to see how the same idea comes to life differently for everyone who hears about it.
Kind Home Mosquito is a fun game in which laughter comes along with each new detail of the drawing! Finally, the young authors will give a name to their pet and will be able to present its habits and characteristics. The idea for the workshop is by Miglena Papazova and the entrance is free. Those interested can sign up by email at tochitza@gmail.com.
The workshop is a side event to the exhibition Think before you grow up! of the Tochitsa publishing house and is implemented under a project realized with the support of the Creation program of the National Culture Fund. The workshop is dedicated to the European Heritage Days 2024.
Dedicated to our desire to look for newer and newer ways to “greenify” our daily practices, in the first months of 2024 we joined NUDGES: a research project funded by the INTERREG Euro-MED program, which aims to show how Mediterranean countries can use behavioral strategies (“nudges”) to improve urban climate policies. The full name of the project is: “Euro-MED0200836 / NUDGES – NOVEL SUPPORT TOOLS TO MEDITERRANEAN GOVERNMENTS EXPLOITING BEHAVIOURAL INCENTIVES”, financed under the INTERREG VI-B Program “Euro-Mediterranean Basin” 2021-2027.
8 partner organizations from 8 Mediterranean countries will jointly develop 6 proofs of concept that compare the effectiveness of promotion interventions against cultural activations based on emotional responses and sensory experiences covering sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. The sixth proof of concept will have a cross-sectoral approach focused on engaging new generations. An innovative community of interest across the Mediterranean region will be formed to facilitate further research.
The project aims to address 3 key challenges:
1) bridging the gap between climate attitudes and behavior in the population of the Mediterranean region;
2) familiarizing politicians from the Mediterranean region with the potential effectiveness of climate nudges as tools for change and
3) offering evidence of the cultural and behavioral factors that influence the effectiveness of nudge strategies.
The NUDGES project team is led by ANETEL (Larnaca, Cyprus) and the Famagusta Regional Development Agency. Our other partners are:
MUSOL Foundation from Valencia, Spain. They will promote a healthy lifestyle and reduce environmental pollution through activities with children and adults. The aim is to reduce the use of cars, increase walking and cycling.
eZAVOD from Ptuj, Slovenia. The intervention will include smell walks, aromatic dining experiences, culinary workshops and online surveys with people aged 10-40. The goal is to promote the consumption of local foods and reduce food waste.
G. D’Annunzio University of Chieti and Pescara of Chieti, Italy. They will create a Garden of Talents – a multifaceted educational and social project for teenagers with the aim of promoting positive emotions and well-being through various social activities and educational programs.
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. They will create an “Awareness and Resilience” Program and an “appetite framework” for individuals above 18 to promote sustainable and healthy living practices.
PREDA – Prijedor City Development Agency, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their intervention will be educational and awareness programs for children and their parents regarding pro-environmental behavior. The aim is to promote waste reduction, recycling and energy conservation.
Mreja Znanja from Zagreb, Croatia will lead the process of communication and dissemination of information related to the project.
The Museum of Humor and Satire – Gabrovo is the 8th partner in the project, chosen to focus on the sense vision through a creative concept called “The Power of Visuals”, which will be launched in early 2025. Associate partner of the museum in the implementation of the concept is RAM “Central Stara Planina”.
Expect more details in our next post on the topic!
The opening in Kyustendil is on September 20th at 18:00, in December 2024 there will also be a vernissage in the renovated Hall 5 at the Museum of Humor and Satire.
The exposition includes over 250 works from the funds of the two cultural institutions, as well as from the private collections of Ivo Dimitrov and Dr. Rumen Manov.
One hundred and twenty-eight of the presented works are from the Museum collection – 87 satirical drawings, cartoons and watercolors and 41 paintings.
Stoyan Venev is an artist who created original work, with a distinct style and accessible expressive language. There is always a kind of subtle humor in his works. He paints with large strokes, big shapes and is distinguished by laconic composition. An “emblematic artist” – with a recognizable touch and theme, who embodies with an understanding and all-forgiving smile the life of the common man and his life transgressions, Bulgarian customs, motifs from Bulgarian folklore and native nature. Venev’s art permanently preserves its aesthetic significance, because the most important and original thing in it is deeply rooted in the spiritual being of the nation, in the characterological features of our national psychology – in the immutability of its artistic traditions.
Stoyan Venev was born in Skriniano village, Kyustendil municipality. He graduated from the Academy of Arts, majoring in Painting under Prof. Boris Mitov, Prof. Stefan Ivanov and Prof. Dimitar Gyuzhenov. His gift manifests with equal force in both painting and cartoons. He is a co-founding member of the Society of New Artists. Some of his works were based on anti-fascist ideas, for which he was brought to justice. He was a long-time editor of Sturshel.
Stoyan Venev held dozens of solo exhibitions and participated in art exhibitions in the country and abroad. His works are owned by Bulgarian and foreign museums and galleries and are included in many private collections.
