'Transformation Always Takes Time And Energy' by Pravdoliub Ivanov - Book Launch

Transformation Always Takes Time And Energy 
by Pravdoliub Ivanov
Book Launch

5 March 2014, 6:30 pm
Sofia City Art Gallery 

Moderator: 
Maria Vassileva – chief curator, Sofia City Art Gallery

Participants:
Pravdoliub Ivanov – artist
Iara Boubnova – curator, author of the text in the catalogue
Manol Peykov – director, “Janet-45” Publishing House
Vesselina Sarieva – director, Sariev Contemporary

"Transformation Always Takes Time And Energy" is the first retrospective catalogue of Bulgarian artist Pravdoliub Ivanov. It contains a selection of works created by Pravdoliub Ivanov between 1995 and 2013, including some very recent ones. The texts for the catalogue have been written by Iara Boubnova and Walter Seidl. 
"Transformation Always Takes Time And Energy" is published by Sariev Contemporary in cooperation with “Janet - 45” Publishing House. The catalogue is supported by Ruf Award 2013 and Municipality of Plovdiv.
 

In the text about the catalogue Iara Boubnova writes:
“Pravdoliub Ivanov is among the most active Bulgarian artists today. His works include objects, drawings, sculptures, photographs, installations, texts, and recently video as well. Quite possibly the easiest and moderately irresponsible way to define him is to say that he is a post-conceptual artist. Although any elaboration on the notion “conceptual” would distance this text from Pravdoliub himself, still in his work there is almost always the hint of a question about what art is today and where its place is now. That obviously connects his work to the continuous, abundant, and fluid tradition of conceptualism.
The artist rarely asks his questions in words. Taking a quick look at his works, the viewer might even consider them straightforward answers. However, a closer inspection of his nearly twenty-year-long artistic practice will result in the understanding that it is precisely this questioning of the seemingly self-evident, the urgent challenge to formulate questions that is the artist Pravdoliub Ivanov’s strongest suit. I would even define him as a highly qualified “interviewer” of art in its relationship with society. Every time, it turns out that his works are debating not only the “what” and the “where”, but also, naturally, the “how”, the “why” and the “for whom”. This seductively endless, but highly motivating process carries the artist away.”

Order online here