7 + 1 Art Group

Biography  

The 7+1 Art Group was established in 1997 by the sculptors Kamen Tsvetkov, Ilko Nikolchev, Stephan Hadjiev, Pancho Kurtev, Yohannes Artinyan, Krassimir Angelov, the architect Georgi Daskalov and the curator Ilina Koralova. A major trend in the Group's professional quest has been the problematising of social and physical norms by means of large-scale sculptural installations in a social environment, outdoor and indoor spaces. Projects and realisations: 2018, "Sculpture Now", Credo Bonum Gallery, Sofia; 2001, "The napkin"- sculptural symposium "Sculptur XXI", Sofia; 2000 -"Underground filter" - week of the contemporary arts, Plovdiv; 2000, "12 Hours", Town Art Gallery Varna; 2000, "BLUR", Town Art Gallery Varna; 2000, "Membrane", Bulgarian Artists Union Art Gallery 6 "Shipka'"str, Sofia; 2000, "A Memory Analysis", "Communication Front", Center For Сontemporary Аrts, Plovdiv; 1999, "Something Down Up There" - International Sculptural Symposium, Ilindentsi; 1999," A Bar - Defraction - Passing Through", Soros Arts Center Annual Exhibition, the center of Varna; 1999,"Water - Air", the center of Zlatograd; 1998, "Filter - Passing Through", the center of Pernik; 1998, "A Barrier – Verticals", the village of Momchilovtsi; 1998, "Two Realities", ATA center for contemporary art, Sofia ; 1998, "Mikado'", City Art Gallery; Plovdiv; 1997, '"The Ark'", Ata-Ray Gallery, Sofia; 1997, "7+1", KIC Gallery Pernik.  


About   

"The "7+1" Art Group is one of the most interesting phenomena on the contemporary Bulgarian arts stage. Its members not only change the ideas of "easel painting" and monumental sculpture, but also actively take part in the most modern processes in arts. Their production is conceptually charged thus offering this branch of arts new alternatives. On the other hand, the Group"s strategy aimed at assimilation of the public space definitely puts it at the front of these contemporary tendencies. "  
- Maria Vassileva - "7 + 1" and the dynamics of the social environment. "Izkustvo" magazine. 2000.   

"The sculpture installation The Barrier of 7+1 Art Group, located at the entrance of the Sea garden, gives the imaginary start of the exhibition. The raised verticals grate prisms, not only visually (with the parallax effect) close the structure of the composition, but also open it in purely physical, aesthetic and psychological plan. Using the passageways, allowing free movement trough the grate, the outside observer is involved inside the situation. The direct intervention overcomes the market compactness of the work and reformulates repeatedly the limits of its autonomous meaning. The passer-through evolves from an observer to a co-author of the situation. The emphasis is put on two-way behavior of the process in which the environment could turn into art as well as art could be transformed into an environment."  
- Iskra Trayanova, Catalog of the sixth annual exhibition of "Soros" center for the art. 1999.   

"This is a project about the exchange of the places...The notion about a certain object, phenomenon or concept is created on the comparison to an other on. Everything in the world bears its own opposite in itself. Relativity is the only constant space becomes "relative" and comprises two realities."  
- Ilina Koralova. Catalog of the "Two Realities" project. 1998.


Gallery

Kamen Tsvetkov, Ilko Nikolchev, Pancho Kurtev, Yohannes Artinyan

Without title, 2018.

Sculpture

Details

  • Material: mix media
  • Width: 140.00 cm    Height: 500.00 cm    Depth: 100.00 cm   

  • Description: "Sculpture Now", Credo Bonum Gallery, Sofia.

Ilko Nikolchev, Yohannes Artinyan, Кamen Tsvetkov, Pancho Kurtev.

The Napkin, 2001.

Site-specific

Details

  • Width: 1700.00 cm    Height: 1700.00 cm    Depth: 90.00 cm   

  • Description: Sculptural Symposium "Sculptur XXI", Sofiia.

Kamen Tsvetkov, Ilko Nikolchev, Pancho Kurtev, Yohannes Artinyan

A bar-defraction-passingtrought, 1999.

Site-specific

Details

  • Material: 2000 wrapping cassettes
  • Width: 360.00 cm    Height: 1400.00 cm    Depth: 360.00 cm   

  • Description: Sixth annual exhibition of Soros Center for the Arts, Varna

Kamen Tsvetkov, Ilko Nikolchev, Pancho Kurtev, Yohannes Artinyan

Underground filter, 2000.

Site-specific

Details

  • Material: Synthetic net, 90 slides, two rotational slide projectors
  • Width: 600.00 cm    Height: 4000.00 cm    Depth: 300.00 cm   

  • Description: "Remote" project, Week of the conteporary arts, Plovdiv.

Kamen Tsvetkov, Ilko Nikolchev, Pancho Kurtev, Yohannes Artinyan, Krassimir Angelov

Something down up ther, 1999.

Sculpture

Details

  • Material: Marble

  • Description: International sculptural symposium, Ilindentsi

Kamen Tsvetkov, Ilko Nikolchev, Pancho Kurtev, Yohannes Artinyan

12 Hours, 2000.

Installation

Details

  • Material: Synthetic net, 90 slides, two rotational slide projectors
  • Width: 900.00 cm    Height: 900.00 cm    Depth: 400.00 cm   

  • Description: Boris Georgiev"Art Gallery, Varna

Kamen Tsvetkov, Ilko Nikolchev, Pancho Kurtev, Yohannes Artinyan, Krassimir Angelov

Membrane, 2000.

Installation

Details

  • Material: Wrapping Foil
  • Width: 500.00 cm    Height: 600.00 cm    Depth: 1000.00 cm   

  • Description: Bulgarian Artists Union Art Gallery. Sofia