The Exhibition "Peace as an Object - from Invisible to Visible" was Opened at the "Mission" Gallery
On May 12, 2026, at 6:00 PM, the opening of the exhibition "Peace as an Object - from Invisible to Visible" took place at the "Mission" Gallery at the State Institute for Culture under the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which includes works by students and teachers of the Sculpture Department at the National Academy of Art - Sofia. The project is being implemented within the framework of the Competition for Funding Projects for the Inherent Scientific and Artistic Creative Activities at the National Academy of Arts for 2026.
The exhibition presented the position of the authors and reflected on the contemporary world situation, filled with military actions and conflicts. Art, in the face of war, in the eyes of the authors is a reflection of violence, the human cost and the hope for peace. Through the expressive means of sculpture, the participants recreate their own views on the basic universal human values and messages.
The exhibition was officially opened by the acting director of the State Institute for Culture under the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Yavor Koynakov, and the project manager, Assoc. Prof. Tsvetoslav Hristov. "Art is what makes us human, what keeps us as human in difficult times, which is empathy, which is a look at the other, the ability to look behind the bitterness, behind the violence and behind the blood of destruction" - this was the message of the director, Mr. Yavor Koynakov.
"Peace as an object is a very complex topic in a world in which there is currently a war around us literally, to try to feel peace and to take it out of your inner world, to offer it as an image, this is a complex task" - noted the project manager, Assoc. Prof. Tsvetoslav Hristov.
The exhibition is an invitation to the audience to reflect on the need for peace as a fundamental element of human relationships in modern society.
The exhibition "Peace as an Object - From Invisible to Visible" is part of the project "Art for Peace - Invisible, Visible Traces" of the Sculpture Department major and is being realized on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the State Institute for Culture and the 130th anniversary of the National Academy of Arts. It is a joint project between teachers and students, including: Mark Boychev, Sofia Docheva, Stoyan Tsvetanov, Hristina Ilieva, Stefan Domuzov, Kristian Kralev, Zdravko Zahariev, Mira Genova, Radosvet Hristov, Beloslava Ninova, Georgi Raizhekov, Nikola Spasov, Natalie Linderova, Plamena Kolevska, Chen Zhuo, and the teachers: Prof. Dr. Valentin Gospodinov, Assoc. Prof. Tsvetoslav Hristov, Prof. Hristo Haralampiev, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Borislav Aleksiev, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Stefan Ivanov, Elena Yanevska, Snezhana Stoyanova, Georgi Georgiev.
The opening of the exhibition was attended by diplomats, students, media, and art connoisseurs.
The exhibition will be open to the public at the "Mission" Gallery from May 13 to June 11, on weekdays from 10:00 to 17:00, as well as within the framework of the "European Night of Museums" initiative on May 23 between 17:00 and 21:00.
Pictures: National Academy of Art - Sofia / Yavor Kondov