Maya Antova - Mayoto

Biography

Maya Antova – Mayoto (born 1973 in Sofia) is an eclectic artist whose creative work combines performance art, art installations, video and design. She is interested in the social and human changes inspired by the digital revolution, how humans use them and are used by them. In has works she follows the layers - cultural, social, spiritual and physical. Since 2018 she has a PhD of Pedagogy of Art and holds a Master's degree in "Art Semiotics" (2006) from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski“. Along with her artistic practice, she is co-author and illustrator of water safety programs, textbooks and manuals. Since 1998 is part of the team of Art in Action Association.

Solo Exhibitions and Participations:

  • Installation "Memories 1", MOVING THE BOUNDARIES / 4, Belgrade, 2018
  • Solo Exhibition “Ludizatsiya” - gallery “Etud”, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2016
  • Solo Exhibition “Close and distant” - Vianden, Luxembourg, 2016
  • Solo Lecture “Live Action”- Visual Fantasy Club, National Academy of Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2016
  • Installation "Memories", " VIRSKI FESTIVAL OF ARTS " - Montenegro, 2016
  • Video installation "Blay", Atelier "Plastelin" - Sofia, 2016
  • Performance "I Can Too" , “Studio proJectirane”, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2013
  • Performance "No Name ... XXXL" and "The Much, the More" the “BROD” project, "The Red House", Sofia, 2010
  • Performance "Laying Up III" - the “BROD” project, “Motorenhalle” - Center for Contemporary Art Dresden, Germany, 2008
  • Installation "We do it" - gallery "Arsenal" - Poznan, Poland, 2001

Group performances after 2010:

  • Performing "Postmodern travel in the virtual" with Orlin Dvoriyanov and video-installation - Ventsislava Stoyanova / Nish, Serbia /, 2015;
  • Performance "Allegro Piu Non Troppo - 4" and "Apory of the Close-3" - International Performance Festival with Desislava Tsoneva, Stella Inchovska and Orlin Dvoryanov, Mainz, Germany, 2012

Performance festivals:  

  • “DIGITAL LOOP” /project with 3 parts -  “Friend Request”, “Like Life”, “Bacterial Files”, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2016’;
  • “Sofia Underground "-2007, 2008, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2017;
  • "Blue repellency" ,Cube Gallery, Leipzig, Germany, 2010;
  • "Arte is Vita", Bart, Germany, 2007;
  • The Theater of the Absurd "Eugene Ionesco" , Bucharest, Romania, 2002

Gallery

Mayoto

The more -the more, 2010.

Performance

Details

  • Material: Isadora®, biological body, cameras

  • Property of: Mayoto
  • Description: Cross happenings, events, actions ... Reality?
    Pieces. Extracts. References. Our lives are deep, lost in fog of perception, the network of electronic technologies. Endlessly busy and stirring. It is important to more. We want more, expect more, we need more. But what we do with this More?
  • Copyright: Mayoto

Mayoto

LOOP, 2015.

Performance

Details

  • Photographer: Violeta Apostolova

  • Property of: Mayoto
  • Description: A NASA film about the best achievements in android development is being projected. The artist is hung with wall bands. - 35 min.
  • Copyright: Mayoto

Mayoto

Memory, 2018.

Installation

Details

  • Photographer: Mayoto
  • Material: canvas, hair, flour and ash
  • Width: 80.00 cm    Height: 120.00 cm    Depth: cm   
  • Sizes: Three pieces of embroidery 80/ 120

  • Property of: Mayoto
  • Description: In an attempt to rewrite our history, is there no danger of cutting off our roots? Digitization is supposed to give us the freedom to keep our memories and the past, but its essence is fragile and easy to change. We become inattentive and can easily forget the truth that is coded in our memories.
    Oblivium signum negligentiae!
    Three canvases, hand-embroidered with human hair / Bulgarian tabernacle, Death or Freedom, a wiring diagram / base - flour and ash.
  • Copyright: Mayoto

Mayoto

Layers Up, 2004.

Performance

Details

  • Photographer: Luise Schröder

  • Property of: Mayoto
  • Description: We have been trying to cover up the truth for our perish ability. We maintain the illusion by cover up with a variety of layers: skin, clothes, make up….
    We manage to deceive the senses: we agree voluntarily to be “fooled” for the truthfulness of our true image. The electronic image is our next protective layer: through it seems to us that we come closer and closer to the idea of immateriality of our physical nature. At the moment in which we have achieved our virtual image we imagine ourselves as perfect objects, simulacrums of the idea of oneself. We cross out the fear of the perish ability. Only the fake is our consolation.
  • Copyright: Maйото

Mayoto

ASH AND FLOUR, 2007.

Performance

Details


  • Description: This work is a follow-up of tracking layouts - cultural, social, national, emotional, biological, synthetic, and so on.
    Layers cover us. We manage to deceive ours senses; we voluntarily agree to be "deceived" about the truth of our true image ...
    We strike the fear of morbidity. Only the counterfeit brings comfort.