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Sofia Paper Art Fest, 2022
Regional History Museum – Sofia
AMATERS Foundation
invite you to the exhibition ART BOOK (central building of Regional History Museum – Sofia)
International festival annually presenting the best of the contemporary Paper Art. The event is unique for Bulgaria and without analogue in the world. Guest curatorial formats to another countries have emerged as a common practice of the festival.
The festival includes the following sections:
- Amateras Annual Exhibition/Competition for Paper Art
- Paper Art Biennial
- Paper Art Academy
- Exchange and Guest Exhibitions
- Art in Urban Environment
- Theatre and Film
- Green Architecture
- Related Events.
Paper Art is a contemporary form of the visual arts which has been emerged as a continuation of traditions and crafts connected with the paper. The artists who use the paper as a medium interconnect traditions and innovations with experiments and pursuit of new opportunities. The paper provoke new means of expression and usage of new technology that enrich the contemporary art.
Devoted to this concept Sofia Paper Art Fest was founded in 2011 as a successor of the Amateras Annual Exhibition/Competition for Paper Art which started in 2009. The festival also includes: Biennial for Paper Art, Paper Art Academy, Exchange and Guest Exhibitions, Art in Urban Environment, Theatre and Film, Green Architecture and related events.
Green Architecture: Various editions of the festival have featured some of these projects in lectures and presentations, which has contributed to enriching the knowledge of many young future artists.Thanks to this section, interest has been aroused in new technologies for the construction of temporary architecture and works for the urban environment.
Вook presentations: Each year, side events are presented in different formats that do not fit into the other sections. These are book presentations, workshops with specific technologies, lectures on topics of interest to professional audience, screenings, performances and events on special occasions.
Theatre and Film: The Theatre and Film section is unusual for paper art. It was created by the organizers with the desire to show the enormous possibilities and different uses of paper, not only as a material, but also as an invention and an expressive medium with its own specific, pictorial language.In theatre, animation and cinema, paper is rarely used, but there are many striking examples in these arts, where set designers and directors look to this specific medium to achieve the suggestion they are looking for in their projects.
In addition to the sections, every year solo exhibitions of the awarded artists have been organised as well as travelling international projects, installations and events in the public space. The festival appears in different locations aiming decentralisation and revitalisation of the public space within and out of the city.
Every edition has its own focus which supports the cultural policy of Sofia and Bulgaria in order to strive for mediation in the international, social and public policies that seek unity of Europe and support the European values. Hundreds of foreign artists have found their place within the festival. SPAF contributes to the cultural diversity and the artistic scene with the involvement of wide audience, people with cultural background and partnerships. The festival successfully contributes with events for people with disabilities and groups which have limited access to cultural events.
Thanks to the excellent relations between Amateras Foundation and The International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists (IAPMA), members of the association have regularly participated to show the finest of paper art.
Sofia Paper Art Fest is a member of The Bulgarian Festivals Association and The International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists (IAPMA). The festival is part of the Calendar of Cultural Events of Sofia Municipality.
Sofia Paper Art Fest is a two-time winner of the label “Europe for Festivals. Festivals for Europe” (EFFE), awarded periodically by the European Festivals Association.
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