On 22 May 2026, as part of the Contemporary Art Festival – Ruse, the audience met the Romanian duo Karpov not Kasparov – Eduard Gabia and Valeriu Borcosh, whose performances operate at the intersection of music, performance, and contemporary stage art.
The duo presented their distinctive live set, combining hypnotic pop, Eastern electro-acid, and electronic dance music. Here, sound functions not merely as a musical flow, but as a dynamic, sculptural structure that creates a powerful stage presence. Their work, well known within European club and festival scenes, bears a distinctive artistic signature in which electronic music becomes a means of creating a contemporary audiovisual experience.
In Ruse, the concert unfolded as an intense event in which rhythm and sonic textures engaged the audience, creating a shared field of perception between the stage and the spectators. The energy of the performance and the duo’s distinctive style, influenced by Oriental motifs and the electronic aesthetics of the 1980s, highlighted the festival’s interest in artistic forms that transcend traditional genre boundaries.
The presence of Karpov not Kasparov reaffirmed the programme’s commitment to presenting contemporary artistic practices in which sound, stage presence, and cultural references intertwine within a shared, vibrant, and evolving artistic context.
