THE NEW VALUABLE presents contemporary artisanal objects with lasting value – exquisite, functional and ritual handmade products made of wood, metal, clay, textiles, leather, stone and other natural materials. The exhibition combines exposition, atmosphere and narrative in one to show how tradition and manual labor are transformed into contemporary art and cultural identity.
Curator Rosina Pencheva from Capturing Creativity includes over 100 original works – jewelry, interior elements, dishes, furniture, children's toys, decorative panels and sculptures, as well as ritual accessories. They clearly show the connections between the idea, design, application and craftsmanship. The objects impress with an original concept and an unexpected creative approach.
41 contemporary artisans, representatives of different generations and creative approaches, participate. Among them are traditional masters, established designers and artists who use craft as a form of artistic expression. Most are part of the international Homo Faber network, and some have also been presented at the Homo Faber Biennale for Contemporary Craft Art in Venice, curated by the Michelangelo Foundation – a partner of the exhibition.
The exhibition design, by architect Antonina Ilieva and the team of PONY Architects, creates a harmonious environment in which the variety of objects naturally fits into a single visual and spatial concept. For this purpose, entirely natural materials and recycled paper were used - in the spirit of handmade.
The space is transformed through a peculiar landscape of paper tubes of different heights, which function simultaneously as exhibition counters and a scenographic element. They create rhythm and movement, leading the visitor through the exhibition. The arrangement highlights the individuality of each work, while simultaneously emphasizing the open parallels in the themes explored by the individual artists.
The products and the exhibition installation are complemented by the remarkable graphic work of Kostadin Kokalanov and the team of Studio Frank, which pays tribute to craftsmanship and manual labor.
Thematic exhibition areas
Artisan's products
Objects with aesthetic, functional and ritual value that reveal the modern face of crafts and their connection to the culture of manual labor.\
The Workshop
Here, those corners of the process that usually remain hidden behind the finished work are illuminated. Tools, materials, sketches, samples and details in development – each object carries its own story and speaks of the rhythm, gestures and habits of its creator.
This section offers a rare glimpse into the curious side of craft work – the place where ideas are born and shaped before they stand before the audience.
Interior with reading corner
A furnished space with furniture from the exhibition and an area for viewing catalogs provided by the artisans, partners and the curator.
Video Stories
Objects speak with their form, but are often silent about the long journey that created them. With the short films dedicated to 11 of the authors in the exhibition, viewers can witness the living work and generational experience that transform knowledge into art. These are stories in which the hand meets the heart, and crafts and destinies intertwine in the rhythm of creativity.
Video stories allow us to peer beyond objects. They reveal personal voices, gestures, processes and searches – where what we call new valuable is born.
Video stories allow us to peer beyond objects. They reveal personal voices, gestures, processes and searches – where what we call new valuable is born.
The Music
A playlist, curated by Vasil Hajigrudev, accompanies the exhibition and expands its impact through music. It features legendary and contemporary musicians who interpret Bulgarian folklore and song art. Among them are not only established masters of folk music and new Bulgarian authors working abroad, but also artists from different parts of the world, inspired by the unique Bulgarian rhythms and melodies.
As in crafts, so in music, tradition lives through the hands, voice and heart of the creator. Folklore music, an echo of manual labor – deep, complex, rhythmic – is part of the living cultural heritage.
The over 3-hour music playlist is available for listening both in the exhibition and online on the streaming platform Spotify.
Featured Artisans
Adriana Gerasimova, Albena Djokova, Alexandra Kamburova – Tulipa, Alexandra Georgieva – Sashettu, Ana Avramova-Pesheva – Mano de Ana, Angelina Tsvetkova, Boriana Hadzhimincheva – BOD, Georgi Troyanov, Dimitar Nikolaev, Dimitar Stankov, Evgenia Tsankova, Emilian Bonev, Jacklina Jekova, Jenya Adamova, Konstantin Zlatev, Lilian Shtereva, Lyudmil Yordanov, Neva Balnikova, Nikolay Sardamov, Silvia Chaneva, Stopan, Hristo Totsev, Tsvetana Nedeva-Silvion – Kinderlist, Tsvetelina Alexieva, Sem. Chushkarevi, Yana Tankovska, Yana Yunakova, Artefakti, Esnaf Toys, Maria’s Nature Toys, Mental Syndicate, NO\ON Design Studio, Ornamento, Pottery & Poetry, Ramjuly, Rosie Eisor, Tikla, Tochka & Tochka, Twisted Mud Studio, &HUE
