Bulgaria

Cities: Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna.

Predecessors

Constructivism

Work inspired by constructivism

• Theodore Ushev, Tower Bawher (2006). Constructivist-style abstract animated short, filled with visual references to artists of the era, including Vertov, Stenberg, Rodchenko, Lissitsky and Popova, set to the musical composition "Time, Forward!" by Russian composer Georgy Sviridov. [1] [2]

Electroacoustic and electronic music

Composers

• Simo Lazarov. Academy of Music in Prague (1974-78), Studio for Electronic Music in Bratislava (1977-79), IRCAM in Paris (1979-82). Composed over 300 pieces in a variety of genres and styles, mainly in the field of electronic and computer music. From 1980 to 2003 he gave 1,500 interviews, concerts, synthetic, audiovisual, multimedia performances and mega-performances with electronic and computer music in Bulgaria and abroad. Published 9 books on electronic and computer music. Edited over 300 radio and TV programmes about the electronic and computer music. [3] [4] [5]
• Nikolai Badinski. EA works since 1974. [6]
• Rumen Boyadjiev. Interested in electronic music since mid-1970s, he had the chance to work at one of the first synthesizers available in Bulgaria, bought by Balkanton. He was member of FSB, electronic pop rock band (esp. album FSB II, 1978). [7]
• Alexander Kandov. EA works since 1981. [8]
• Vesselin Karaatanassov. EA works since 1981. [9]
• Tsvetan Dobrev. In 1992 he won the Grand Prix at the World Competition for Electroacoustic and Digital Music in Varese (Italy) for the multimedia Metamorphoses (1982). The work reproduces in sound and space the images in the modernist pictures of Hristo Simeonov. [10]
• Vladimir Djambasov. Studied Electronic Music Composition under Dirk Reith (ICEM), and Computer Composition under Dirk Reith (1989). EA works since 1981. [11]
• Mihail Goleminov. Studied Electroacoustic and Computer Music with Professor Kaufmann. EA works since 1983. [12]
• Hristo Petkov. In 1992 he founded the Electroacoustic Music Ensemble and started composing for it. [13]
• Valeri Kostov. Composed over 20 electronic music pieces (1992-97). [14]
• Lubomir Mitzev. EA works since 1993. [15]
• Simeon Venkov. After 1993 he has focused on electronic music. [16]
• Petar Petrov. EA works since 1997. [17]
• Maria Panayotova. EA works since 2002. [18]

Studio

• The Electronic music studio was founded at Sofia Radio in 1974 by Simo Lazarov and the first professional studio synthesizer "Synthi 100", one of the best for the time, was purchased. In the beginning of 80s the first analogue synthesiser (produced in Paris and occupying almost one big hall) has been installed in the radio. Existed until 1999.

Events

• Festival for Electroacoustic, Electronic and Computer Music (FEM) started in 1989 in Goce Delchev and Sandanski towns, co-initiated by Lazarov. In 1991 transformed into Computer Space forum and moved to Sofia. Between 1991 and 1994 the event has been organized by SCAS and the electronic music section has been organized in cooperation with Simo Lazarov. Between 1995 and 1998 the electronic music section has been organized in cooperation with DS Music. [19]
• The World of Computer Music, forum, created by Lazarov and Howard Wirshil, its recent editions were held simultaneously in Sofia and Atlanta and were launched on the Internet

Literature

• Simo Lazarov, "Bulgarian Electronic and Computer Music Electronic Studio - Radio Sofia", 1994. [20]
• Simo Lazarov, "Composing and Performing Computer Music By Using Personal Computers", PhD thesis, 1991. Technical University in Sofia.

Video art

Artists

• 1970s: Marran Gosov
• 1990s: Krassimir Terziev, Petko Dourmana, Luchezar Boyadjiev

Literature

• Auszuege aus Rossen Milev, "Video in Osteuropa", Balkan Media, Sofia (Bulgarien) 1993, (German) [21]
• Rossen Milev, Video in Osteuropa, Balkanmedia, Sofia 1993
  • Review by Geert Lovink, "Video in Osteuropa, Rossen Milev", in: Mediamatic, Vol. 7 # _, 1994, p. 342.

Computer and computer-aided art

Organisations

• Student Computer Art Society (SCAS), founded by Rosen Petkov.

Events

• Computer Space forum, *1991, Sofia, organized by SCAS. [22]

Writing

• In one of the biggest and well-known daily newspapers “Narodna Mladej” (Peoples’ Youth) with approx. 100 000 daily issues circulation, Rosen Petkov, promoted electronic arts (ca 1987 [23]). “Mlad konstruktor” (The Young Developer) magazine and “Grafika s komputar” (Computer Graphics) magazine were other well known media where Mr. Petkov presented the electronic music and computer graphics achievements during that time.

New media art, Media culture

Media

• elektrik_bg (*1999)

Literature

• Iliyana Nedkova, "Inside Out. Curating the New Media Culture of Bulgaria", 2001. In: Communication Front 2000 Book, "Crossing Points East-West". [24]
• Rupert Francis, "A view of the growing Bulgarian electronic art scene by an outsider looking in", 2001, [25]

	Countries avant-garde, modernism, experimental art, media culture, social practice
Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Central and Eastern Europe, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosova, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Slovenia, Slovakia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States