Renovated National Art Gallery in Sofia presents its new exposition

By: Svetlana Dicheva, Bulgarian National Radio

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The renovated National Art Gallery in Sofia, located in the former King's palace, presented its renewed permanent exposition in a new environment after 10 years of closure. The halls were in such a bad condition at that time that the gallery experts had decided to keep the place out of the public reach. Several months ago the Ministry of culture and tourism responded to the demands of the gallery and assured a significant amount of money for the renovation. A project by the National Center for Museums and Galleries was approved for the purpose. Eight of the gallery halls were redecorated with new constructive elements thus creating an opportunity for showing the classic art in a modern way. The culminating element of the renovation is the so called Ball hall in which designer Rumen Stoikov has put a special metal construction. All pieces of art are attached above it.

The exposition includes masterpieces of Bulgarian artists like Zahari Zograf, Stanislav Dospevski, Nikolay Pavlovich, Ivan Markvichka, Anton Mitov, Nenko Balkanski, Ivan Angelov, Vladimir Dimitrov-Maistora, Zlatyu Boyadzhiev, Ivan Nenov, Dechko Uzunov and others. In a chronological sequence the exhibition presents the national plastic art from the beginning of the XIX century to the 1950s.

In the renovated Winter garden of the palace the visitors can see paintings influenced by impressionism and symbolism. Masterpieces from the beginning of XX century, when Bulgarian national traditions in painting mixed up with European avangarde, are arranged in a separate hall. The Ministry of culture has the intention to give money for the renovation of the third floor of the gallery where the sculpture exposition will find its proper place. The idea of the experts is to enlarge the gallery collection adding to it pieces of art from the end of World War II to the late 80s.

 

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