Ritual rEvolution

This year’s edition of the international art residency “The Old School” gives the viewers a chance to see diverse and intriguing works based on two major themes – ritual and revolution. It is quite remarkable to see how artists from completely different parts of the world – from Bulgaria and the Netherlands, to India and Argentina – demonstrate the potential of art to delve into problems that affect us both as individuals and as a society. In addition to the various means of expression, such as painting, installation, drawing, kinetic sculpturing, video art, dance and performance, our artists offer a constellation of reflections and interpretations. To some revolution is equivalent to our ability to make changes in our everyday lives, which albeit small, are an epitome of the will needed for us to become the true masters of our own life. To others revolution is a metaphor for spiritual and inner change, which in itself is the foundation needed for the flourishing of universal values, while still others see in it a reason to discuss the stereotypes and the clichés. Whether seen as an expression of the world within us, or as a social phenomenon capable of changing the course of history, revolution is an area of enormous charge that is both powerful, but fragile, expansive and vulnerable. It can be destructive, represented by chaos and hysteria, but also well-intentioned and constructive for humanity as a whole. In the creative study of its nature, we can find truths of universal value and those who wish to go and see the heart of it, can do precisely that with the help of the works exhibited within the residency.

Radoslav Mehandzhiiski and Teodora Konstantinova, creators of Art and Culture Today (www.ARTandCulture.today) and curators of the residency.

Artists: