[ Sofia Absurdities ]

Illusion and pride - mirror images [exhibition-performance] is the name of an exhibition dedicated to soz-art that is supposed to continue in Hadjistoyanov Gallery at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia until this Monday - 25 September 2006.
The author is Ivailo Masochki and the exhibition was opened on 9 September. (On this date in 1944 the communists came to power in Bulgaria). But it is closed a week early than the envisaged time as the presidential elections campaign started on 19 September and the pre-election headquarter of the socialist candidate and current Bulgarian president Georgi Parvanov is in hall 6 in the same building - the National Palace of Culture. So, from the socialist pre-election headquarter didn't like at all these attempts to present in an amusing funny and witty way the ex-socialist symbols and images from the close past. Without any discussions they just ordered the exhibition to be closed. But which was much more shocking for me was the fact that the people working in the gallery really closed it immediately without trying to negotiate or make a media scandal or protest.

According every cultural guide of Sofia this exhibition is still taking place there and I personally find out that it's already closed quite accidentally as i have no time before to visit it so i went this weekend. When I learned the whole story I asked the curator why did they accept to close it - she told me "Well, this way is better. We just don't want to have any troubles."

Welcome back in 1984!

I really envy the Hungarians...

P.S.: I was thinking not to vote on these presidential elections as I don't like very much anyone of the candidates. But after today I will definitely go out and vote and it will be obviously not for people closing exhibitions in 21st century.