ARTISTS AND CURATORS in the Art Gallery – Ruse

CURATOR: GOSHO GEORGIEV

In numerous interviews, actors are often asked why they played a given role, but rarely are the messages in an artist’s painting considered. And even more rarely (almost never) has  interest in the exact geographical coordinates of the work. Pehaps, but only perhaps, because the place in the hall is chosen by the curator of the relevant gallery.

He, the curator, assumes the role of a great composer, arranging our familiar notes into a new and unheard-of symphony; he is also the director, choosing the most effective shot; and he is a demigod, investing his entire consciousness and soul in the sole sacred goal of transforming the empty, miserable world into the most magnificent place possible.


And what happens if this composer-director and saint is, above all, an Artist to the core? What if this artist is mostly an ordinary person like you, me and everyone around us? An ordinary person, dedicating his earthly path and his hands to the most exquisite of all arts… Ready to bury deeply his innate and originally belonging inner self precisely in the name of beauty and the common joy that it brings to the senses. Just a person, extending a hand to his like-minded person with the most sincere pleasure, helping him to realize his first, next, last exhibition…


He is not an individual, but a person worthy of respect. He is equal in greatness to medieval knights. He enters into a common duel with his apparent enemy, essentially a brother by fate. He declares himself together against the ugly, the empty, and the inhuman on mortal earth. He is a "mediocre" knight, able to retreat all his life, waiting quietly in the open (i.e. in front of an audience) to personally show his greatest feat: a solo exhibition, a mixture of heroism, notes, and frames captured in his own paintings.

To be even more specific, the curator-artist not only presents, but also interprets works of art. He establishes the connection between the artist and the audience, helping the ordinary observer to understand and appreciate the works in depth. The value of the profession is not limited to the aesthetic aspects alone. The curator has a kind of right to use art as a platform for discussion on important issues – such as its role in society and how it reflects and challenges social and political ideas.

It is clear that curators were originally associated with royal courts and churches. They were responsible for organizing and maintaining collections of works of art. During the Renaissance, the growing interest in the individual and the human led to a shift in meaning. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the development of museums and public galleries led to curators' assuming an important role in the selection and exhibition of works. They do this by carefully selecting works that spark interest and inspiration in the audience. They also educate the audience about different artistic styles and periods. In the 20th century, new artistic movements and concepts emerged, prompting experimentation with new exhibition formats and providing a platform for diverse cultures and media to express themselves.

Today's artist-curators don't just organize exhibitions; they make art more accessible to a wider audience. They transform it into a fundamental element of human experience and cultural heritage, expanding the boundaries of public understanding.

ARTISTS and CURATORS from the Ruse Art Gallery

Directors:

Nikola Pendikov

Georgi Chendov

Stefan Katsarov

Petar Nikolov

Eslitza Popova

Curators:

Angel Yankov

Ilya Naydenov

Nikolai Ruschukliev

Antoniy Sofev

Krassimira Kirilova

Martin Petrov

Georgi Georgiev

Chief Artist:

Ivan Tokadzhiev

Host:

Plamen Yordanov