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.
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.
From the end of September to November 4, the traveling exhibition of Tochitsa publishing house Think before you grow up! will be a guest at the Museum of Humor and Satire. The opening is on September 21 at 5:00 p.m. in hall 8 and will be preceded by a children’s illustration workshop at 3:30 p.m. hosted by Zornitsa Hristova and artist Yasen Grigorov in the new library on the 3rd floor. Over the past 14 years, Tochitsa publishing house has had the pleasure of working with some of the best Bulgarian illustrators and now invites you on a walk through their worlds, a visual conversation about growing up and about its path, which is never one-way. The selected works included in the exhibition represent the artists’ contemporary view of children’s books. What’s more – according to the organizers, they “retain the freshness of the text and challenge the imagination to complete the images and the setting created by the words”. Marieta Tsenova is curating the exhibition.
With the participation of: Kiril Zlatkov, Miglena Papazova, Yasen Grigorov, Yulian Tabakov, Siyana Zaharieva, Vyara Boyadzhieva, Kalina Mukhova, Penko Gelev, Alya Markova, Milena Valnarova, Mila Yaneva-Tabakova, Asya Koleva, Anelia Pashova, Inna Pavlova, Mila Lozanova, Ina Hristova, Anna Tsocheva, Anna Georgieva.
The project is implemented with the support of the “Creation” program of the National Culture Fund.
If the pretty Happiness Str., located between the Museum of Humor and Satire and the Yantra River in Gabrovo, is not on your way during the upcoming dynamic summer weeks, have a look at our newest exhibition online. We did upload it here as it is originally an exterior establishment but there is not a single spot of shade left outside!
The exhibition and the project of which it is a part are possible thanks to the National Culture Fund and the Program for Restoration and Development of State, Regional and Municipal Cultural Institutes, and brings together photos and lessons learned on the key topic of content digitization.
On 16 May the Museum of Humor and Satire presents IN PARALLEL – an exhibition of local artists and active participants in the Gabrovo Biennial of Humor and Satire in Art, who donated a significant number of works to the Museum collection. Some of them have even worked at the House of Humor and Satire.
Hall 3 “Stefan Fartunov”, Museum of Humor and Satire Opening: 16 May, 18:00
IN PARALLEL is a collective exhibition of Iva, Tihomir and Georgi Rusinov, Antonia and Ivan Barakov, and Georgi Karaliev. The Museum and the IN PARALLEL exhibition are the crossroad where they are all together. It is an intrinsic meeting of artists revealing the world to us through their different techniques and miscellaneous materials – painting, graphics, sculpture, woodcarving, and caricature. Their creative path runs parallel with the development of the Bulgarian and world art scene as well as the growth of the Museum.
The Museum of Humor and Satire supports the performance of artists from Gabrovo and the region.
We invite you to immerse yourself in a fascinating story that reveals the enigmatic personality of the artist Genko Genkov, a true visionary of our time.
Through intimate interviews, delving into the life and work of Genko Genkov, our documentary offers a glimpse into the inspiration, passion and creativity that define his art.
Behind the project is the Burgas director Todor Todorov, and as interlocutors in the film you will see actress and director Boryana Puncheva, artist and director of the Burgas Art Gallery “Petko Zadgorski” Georgi Dinev, art critic and curator of the Sofia Art Gallery Krasimir Iliev and artist Ilian Urumov. The project will be presented by the author Todor Todorov.
Genko Genkov mainly creates landscapes, which are distinguished by a characteristic author’s handwriting, bright color and relief surfaces. Over the years, the artist experimented with different approaches and techniques of work. In the 1970s, he developed the possibilities of different materials, treated oil paint like watercolor, treated the surface with sand or replaced the brush with a knife. In the 1990s, he used pigments reminiscent of ceramic glaze.
The event takes place with the financial support of the National Culture Fund.
Participants:
Boryana Puncheva – actress, screenwriter, director Georgi Dinev – artist, art historian, director of BHG “Petko Zadgorski” – Burgas Krasimir Iliev – art historian and editor at Sofia City Art Gallery (SCAG) Ilian Urumov – artist, teacher, chairman of the Union of Bulgarian Artists – Sliven Director – Todor Todorov Operator – Georgi Georgiev Editing and Animation – Veselin Stoychev Sound processing – Viktor Marinov Color corrections – Milen Mladenov Photos – Vihra Velkova Drone – Stefan Sarmabozhov
Partners:
Sofia City Art Gallery Museum – gallery “Anel” Burgas Art Gallery “Petko Zadgorski” Art Gallery “Dimitar Dobrovich” – Sliven
The project is implemented with the financial support of Burgas Municipality.
The Gabrovo Carnival? Everyone who has participated or attended at least once, associates it with laughter and good mood, shared emotions, and, in our style – playfully snarky political satire, without which this national celebration wouldn’t be complete.
The tradition was born at the end of the 19th century, then the festive Oleliynya on Meatfare Sunday was transformed into a Carnival – and so for 101 years, no matter who is in power and what the political regime is.
The people of Gabrovo missed this spectacle only twice – during the Second World War and at the beginning of the Transition period (1990-1998).
In the 21st century, the Carnival, now part of the world carnival family, is a favorite event for the city’s guests – tens of thousands of fans from the country and abroad gather on the third Saturday of May.
Driven by its genetic carnival addiction, the Museum of Humor and Satire called on local photographers who have captured moments of the Gabrovo Carnival in the last 10 years to participate in the “10% Carnival” exhibition.
We look back at the smiling faces and themes of the Gabrovo Carnival since 2014:
2014 – Oh, the times! Oh, the customs!”
2015 – “A Gabrovian and a cat never fall on their backs”
2016 – “There is no such country, there is such a town”
2017 – “Let’s crow with laughter”
2018 – “Gabrovo, my little Brussels”
2019 – “Masks up!”
2020 – “Between East and West”
2021 – “Follow the cat”
2022 – “Come what meow”
2023 – “More or less 100 years”
… and we are preparing for Carnival 2024, guided by the motto “Make CARNIVAL, not war”.
Photographers Dragomir Minkov, Viktor Marinov, Milcho Milev, Plamen Ilarionov and Tsvetomira Ivanova take part in the exhibition.
60 Diopters CARTOONvision – Jubilee solo exhibition of the Cartoonist Ivaylo Tsvetkov
The opening will take place on April 1st, starting at 17:30, in Hall 7 of the Museum of Humor and Satire.
Ivaylo Tsvetkov is one of the most active cartoonists in Bulgaria. Winner of a number of international awards, he does not fail to react to political events in our country and around the world through his cartoons and caricatures.
In 2022, he was awarded the Golden Aesop Grand Prize in the Cartoon Section at the 25th Gabrovo Biennial.
In his jubilee solo exhibition at the Museum of Humor and Satire, he is now presenting 109 works – cartoons and caricatures, 38 of which have won prizes in competitions in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
Ivaylo Tsvetkov was born in 1964 in Troyan but grew up in Lovech. He graduated from the National School of Applied Arts in Troyan, profiling in Ceramics. He has worked as an artist in the periodicals Pardon, Duma, Republika, Monitor, Telegraph, Politika, Eurosport, Tema magazine. Over the years, he has contributed with cartoons in Hornet, Тhe Three Fools, Lud Trud, Hunting and Fishing magazine, etc.
In the period 2016-2020, he was secretary of the Cartoon Section of the Union of Bulgarian Artists (UBA). He is also a member of the international associations of cartoonists FECO, Cartooning for Peace, and Cartoon Movement. He was chairman and member of the jury in cartoon competitions in Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Italy, France, Slovakia, Romania, Russia, Iran, Poland, Turkey, Belgium, Ukraine. He holds about 140 awards and honors from international caricature competitions. His solo exhibitions were presented in Osijek (Croatia), 2006; Surgut (Russia), 2008; Prešov (Slovakia), 2016; Vinica (Macedonia), 2018; Sofia (Bulgaria), 2022. He has two books of cartoons published (1996 and 2016) and has been a member of the UBA since 1995.He is currently a cartoonist for the Telegraph newspaper.
The exhibition “Contemporary Bulgarian Product Design” can be viewed in Hall 7A at the Museum of Humor and Satire in Gabrovo from March 26 to April 8, 2024. It is organized by MD – a magazine for design, interior, and architecture in cooperation with the Museum of Humor and Satire and with the support of North Central State Enterprise – Gabrovo.
Visitors will see 27 products by contemporary Bulgarian designers, six of which have been awarded the prestigious Red Dot international design award. Among them are the DiFOLD Origami Bottle folding bottle, the Infinity desk lamp created by designer Lyubomir Tsvetanov, the innovative Halfbike by Martin Angelov, and the Small Foot snowshoes by Petar Dimitrov and Ivan Kolev. The other two Red Dot products featured in the exhibition are the work of successful Bulgarian designer Ilian Milanov – the LUMI rocking chair for children and the Twip pregnancy test made of biodegradable material commissioned by Unicoms AG, Switzerland. The exhibition is part of a series of events aimed at promoting Bulgarian design and the achievements of Bulgarian designers. The products are part of the book “Bulgarian Product Design 2000/2022” by Bismarck Publishing, released in June 2023.
The exhibition is part of a series of events related to the promotion of Bulgarian design and the successes of Bulgarian designers. The products are part of the book “Bulgarian Product Design 2000/2022” by Bismar Publishing House, which was released in June 2023.
Visitors to Gabrovo will also have the opportunity to see the Halfbike by designer Martin Angelov live. The idea for it was born in 2010 when he participated in the SEOUL CYCLE DESIGN COMPETITION. In his attempt to make the traditional bicycle as compact as possible, he removed the saddle and focused on a different principle of control, which includes the body, resembling the movements of a skier. Two years later, together with Mikhail Klenov – his friend and business partner, they created the innovative Halfbike. The Halfbike is compact, foldable, and can be carried in the subway or in the trunk of a car, and its design is very attractive. In 2015, its second modification was awarded the prestigious Red Dot international award. The third modification of the Halfbike, created in 2019, with improved quality and more intuitive control, proves to be particularly successful. Halfbike is currently mainly sold abroad, with the main destinations being the USA and Western Europe, and lately, interest has been growing from the Far East – Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong.
The exhibition also includes two of the most successful products created by the architecturally educated designer Petar Zaharinov. His innovative thinking and imagination are the basis of the brands of the Praktrik studio, WallStack, and DiFOLD. Among the exhibits, you will see the table by the Praktrik studio, for which the designer received the Platinum A’Design Award in 2011, and the DiFOLD Origami Bottle folding bottle, which expresses the brand’s mission for single-use to remain in the past and to reveal a whole new world of alternatives for multiple uses. Their patented folding technology is used for the folding bottle, preserving the product’s strength and user comfort, saving space, and achieving zero waste in packaging. It was awarded the German Sustainability Award Design 2022 and the Red Dot 2023.
