Beginning on 18 November 2008, the Agrion gallery hosts paintings and installations by Desislava Tomova from the Theater Atelier at Neofit Rilski High School, led by Elena Gorbatkova – Shemi. A short fantasia called Enlivenment and filmed in advance showed the pupils’ preparation of the exhibition through plastic arts, studies, and tightrope walking.
On the day of the event, the hosts met their guests quite mystically, in the light of candles only. The program started by screening the film. Then the special guest, actor Danail Obretenov, read a poem by the artist.
The idea behind this dramatic presentation of Desislava Tomova’s paintings and installations is to demonstrate innovatively the journalist’s sense of art. It brings together theater, poetry and vision. The aim is to display the diversity of our world and capture its reflection inside ourselves. The paintings, on framed glass, make no claim for artistic merit; they rather resemble studies depicting Desislava’s favorite faces – actress Anna Papadopolu, journalist Ina Grigorova, her father... Others reveal more effort on behalf of the amateur painter – her grandmother Kana’s portrait, a proud woman from northern Bulgaria, Erica Badu, a favorite singer. Beside them hang the graphic pieces Kingdom and Hygiene of the Soul and the bold colorful abstractions Delusion and Enlivenment. Several naive-art drawings of favorite cartoon characters and toys are pegged on a rope next to the stairs. The artist has used mixed and collage techniques. Besides the paintings, the project includes installations – a Procrustean bed, a lampion, a heart made of barbed wire.
Target audience:
The act is targeted at an audience ages 18 to 45, with middle to high living standards. In terms of behavior, such people tend to be innovators interacting actively with their environment.
Desi on the Enlivenment project:
"If all people who think differently could freely disclose their opinion, behavior, physiognomy, if we can find enough people who think like us, then we can form together another culture (subculture) and call its values our own..."
picture: Albert Baruh
