"The Shared Art of the Balkans—Traditions and Contemporaneity" - Art Works from the 4th ‘River of Tolerance’ International Youth Art Festival
The ‘River of Tolerance’ International Youth Art Festival is a project of the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund that brings together lecturers and students in the visual arts from Balkan states to inclusive educational initiatives. During this event, established artists and young talents can share their ideas, views and practices, and build a common vision of the values that unify them.
The Fund had previously held three successful editions of the festival—in 2010, 2012 and, under the auspices of UNESCO, in 2014. Then, in 2021, NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ organised the 4th ‘River of Tolerance’ International Youth Art Festival, again with the support of the world organisation. The programme, built was designed according to a new concept, allowing it to be conducted online. Students and lecturers in the field of graphics, photography and the digital arts from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and Serbia met in the dedicated ‘domain for free sharing’ on the NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ website. The chosen theme, ‘The Shared Art of the Balkans—Traditions and Contemporaneity’, reflected the festival ideas, goals, and objectives, and corresponded to UNESCO’s current priorities. Mr Toussaint Tiendrebeogo, Secretary of the Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions of UNESCO, welcomed the participants.
On 15 April—declared by UNESCO as World Art Day—the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund, in partnership with the State Institute for Culture at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presents an exhibition at The Mission Gallery, titled ‘The Shared Art of the Balkans—Traditions and Contemporaneity’, displaying artworks from the festival. It includes works by 25 artists from: the National Academy of Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria; the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece; National University of Arts, Bucharest, Romania; and the University of Art, Belgrade, Serbia. The 32 graphics and photographs created during the festival and donated to the NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ were compiled in a special catalogue dedicated to the festival’s fourth edition.
The exhibition runs until 13 May 2022.