On September 28, we awarded the best works of art and their authors in the third edition of the competition for socially engaged art "Civic Alarm Clock" 2020. This year 114 authors from the country applied with over 220 works in the three competition categories - "Illustration", "Photography" and "Text”.

The topic on which the participants had to create their works of art was related to the civil rights and freedoms during the pandemic situation in Bulgaria and the imposed restrictive measures to combat COVID-19. The task provoked artists to look at the importance of the solidarity, the freedom of association, the freedom of peaceful assembly and the freedom of speech and to express their views, feelings and personal experiences on the topics. The result was eloquent, and the difficult role of selecting the best works, as far as measurable, fell to the expert jury.

The event took place in Kino & Bar Cabana, Sofia. It was opened with a performance of artists from ATOM THEATER, who presented the dance miniature "TRAP" - an emotional story with movements, inspired by the general public impasse.

 

The awarding ceremony was led by the Triple E.Y.E Project in the face of journalists and treasure hunters Iva Doichinova, Elena Rosberg and Evelina Pavlova. They managed to predispose the distinguished artists to share curious moments from their creative processes, as well as to outline two interesting leitmotifs in the works of art - rebellion and despair.

And here are the authors awarded with prizes in each of the categories:

In the "Illustration" Category:

First place: SPЕAК, Magdalena Zheleva

Second place: ЗАРАЗНО ДОБРО, Tanya Bozhinova

Third place: БЕЗ ЛЪЖИ, Lydia Stanulova

Honorary distinction: ИГРАЯ НА КАРТИ СЪС СЕБЕ СИ, Boryana Savova

Honorary distinction: LIFE SCREENSHOT, Slavena Nikolova

Here you can see the awarded illustrations

 

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In the "Photography" Category:

First place: RELOAD, Hristo Rusev

Second place: TEMPONAUTICA, author‘s team: Silviya Bogoeva and Plamen Yankov - TEMPONAUTICA

Third place: HUMANNESS IN A MISSION TO PRESERVE HUMANITY, Tihomira Metodieva - Tihich

Honorary distinction: LONGING, Gergana Kadiyska

Here you can see the awarded photographies

 

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In the "Text" Category:

First place:  SOLIDARITY: A CONTRAPOINT, Toncho Kraevski

Second place: THE HUG VIRUS, Alexander Ivanov

Third place: AGGRESSION, ELEVATOR FOR NICKY, CENSORSHIP and KIND WORDS, Elena Chamurkova

Third place (№ 2): FANNIE, Mariana Dafcheva

Honorary distinction: A CAUSE IN A TIME OF CRISIS: MISSION POSSIBLE, Doroteya Yordanova

Honorary distinction: THE ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES IN ITALY CREATES CURRENCY FOR BUYING BOOKS and INDEPENDENT ARTISTS DO NOT RECEIVE THE BENEFITS PROVIDED BY THE EU, Paulina Gegova

Special distinction: ANTIGONE, Petar Dimov

Here you can read the awarded texts

 

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Each of the authors, awarded First place in all three categories, received a cash prize of BGN 300. The prize fund was provided by generous activists who joined the BCNL fundraising campaign held in May and June 2020.

The program of the event ended with an interactive discussion with representatives of the jury and the audience. It became clear that art could not be separated from its social commitment. And in order not to forget this and to be able to show it to a larger number of active citizens, we opened the exhibition "AWAKENING: Rights through the eyes of art" 2020.

 

The evening was filled with inspiring stories, opinions and reflections, and the competition proved one thing - even in the presence of an extraordinary pandemic situation, human creativity can not be framed.

Apart from online, anyone interested will be able to view the works of art live in the Open-Air Gallery in front of Kino & Bar Cabana, NDK Park Space, until October 12, 2020.

 

Gallery: Photos from the ceremony for awarding authors and opening the exhibition "AWAKENING: Rights through the eyes of art" 2020 /vol.3/

 

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The initiative is part of the Project „Artists - Ambassadors for Social Change“ of Bulgarian Centre for Not-for-Profit Law, financed by „Culture“ Programme of Sofia Municipality for 2020

Support for the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law for the realization of the exhibition is also provided by the America for Bulgaria Foundation.