Krag+ Gallery was opened two years ago but is already occupying its important place in the cultural space. At least twice a month it becomes center of a valuable event – an exhibition or a book launch. Its motor power is the charming owner Lili Borova. Her smile makes you enter her bookshop, see the works displayed in the gallery and have a cup of coffee in a cozy atmosphere and a pleasant company. Here is her story about how she created this cultural oasis in the center of our capital city.

The Gallery

It is my space. The place I would call my home. Its creation was evoked by the space itself. This is an old family house that was restituted to my family. Almost lying in ruins. It took us six years to restore it. The initial idea was to open a bookshop – a very old wish of mine, connected with my love for the books. The space made me turn it into a gallery. The idea was born during the meetings I had with famous Bulgarian artists. We decided the establishment of lasting criteria in the field of fine arts outside the market considerations to be the gallery's primary objective.

The Gallery operates with an artistic board, which selects the exhibitions, makes the annual work plans. The board comprises the artists Svetlin Roussev, Stanislav Pamukchiev, Emil Popov, Angel Stanev and Ivan Roussev. Their work is voluntary. We are a group of people united by the idea of creating such a non-commercial type of galleries and I believe that for these two years we have categorically declared this goal of ours.

The Authors

We invite artists with a personal plastic and spiritual presence. The Gallery is open to the young peple. We do not have strickt limitations for the art we are showing. As long as it is valuable.

In the beginning there was “The Beginning”. Our first exhibition in 2002 was a joint one comprising works of all artistic board members. The others came after that: sculpture – Tsvetoslav Hristov and Simeon Simeonov, painting-sculpture Lyuben Genov, Nina Rousseva and Pavlin Radevski, sculpture “Atelier 38” – National Art Academy.

We had solo exhibitions of Nikolay Maistorov, Yordan Katsamunski, Milko Bozhkov, Stanislav Pamukchiev, Ivan Roussev, Petar Dochev, Svetlin Roussev, Kiril Meskin, Lyubomir Savinov, Asadur Markarov, Valentin Starchev, Nikola Daskalov, Vasil Simitchiev, Yordan Parushev, Bozhidar Boyadjiev. 18 solo exhibitions in 2 years!

The authors are provoked by the environment and the space in Krag+ Gallery, which is specific and challenging. Many prepare themselves specially. Like Yordan Parushev whom we presented at the last exhibition. 7 Bulgarian prominent textile artists had the same approach to the Winter Fairytale textile exhibition.

Together with the exhibitions we also make contests. Like the one of the Art Academy students for “Prof. Marko Varbanov” scholarship, like Project 10 – Art for Social Change.

The Movies

My contact with the artists, the interaction with them, the entering their world, the wonderful exhibitions they arranged in Krag+ Gallery made me want more and more people to have the chance of touching their art, their personalities. This is why the gallery produced documentary films about three big artists. The first one “Art is Always Something Different” is about Vasil Simitchiev. He lives in Sweden and is world-famous. He made an exhibition with us and at the Sofia City Art Gallery. And we made this film in order to enjoy him more in Bulgaria. The next movie “Transition” is about the artist Stanislav Pamukchiev in connection with his 50th anniversary. The subject is built upon the preparation and the arraigning of his exhibition in the City Art Gallery. The third movie “Simple Forms” about the sculptor Ivan Roussev follows the erection of the Sculpture Park Ilindentsi, a colossal work of his. I have a couple of ideas I do not want to speak about yet. But this part does not end with these three movies. The future is ahead.

The Bookshop

I started with it and I am determined to continue with it. We offer philosophy books, esoteric books, books about art and culture. We don't have many novels. The pleasant atmosphere and the open space allow us to make book launches and presentations of authors and publishing houses. This makes Krag+ Gallery a place of interaction and communication. The cafƒ makes this. The people love coming here and enjoying the paintings and the new books.

The Gallery unites it all – events, ideas, dreams. It becomes a center of culture, open to everything that this circle can circumscribe. It is no accident. The circle is a symbol, a universal sign that symbolizes the idea of unity, infinity and higher perfection.

Krag+ Gallery
Sofia, 5 Budapest St., Tel.: 988 25 79