We're launching a series of lectures, discussions and talks to inspire new ways of working in the city over the upcoming weeks. This past summer saw the beginning of the Nine Elephants Art in the City programme, which has been a host of projects in Sofia's neighbourhoods - exhibitions, performances, momentary interventions, documentary-visual studies and more. FORUM is a continuation of the summer programme where we will dig deeper into the themes, build on partnerships and explore the possibilities for better and meaningful interaction between different actors in the cultural sphere seeking to contribute to the development of the city's potentials and urban communities through art.
For FORUM, Swimming Pool becomes an open space for these encounters, as well as the site of Slavena Petkova's text installation "Making People Comfortable", which is "powered" by conversations with people and communities and will continue to grow during FORUM. The first text, which has also become the title of the installation, is in direct relation to the project "First Love, Then Everything Else", which the artist created in collaboration with small businesses in the open Commercial House opposite Sofia’s Court of Justice. It was presented in the summer as part of Nine Elephants and reflects the multiple uses of the place and their social, economic and cultural realities.
In the space, alongside Slavena Petkova’s installation, you will also find Viktor Damov’s visual research “The Red Book of Sofia” (27 min.), as well as the film “Beyond the Slavic-Bulgarian History” by Martin Tomov and Maria Ilieva (24 min.). Our library, featuring books on topics such as art and the city, art and communities, urbanism, socially engaged art, ecology, and more, will also be available. Publications by us and our colleagues can be purchased at the venue.
More information on the programme:
More info: www.devetslona.art/forum
